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Two Chevy Vehicles Named to ‘US News’ Best Cars for Teens

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KBB.com’s newest list of the 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000 includes the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic

Photo: © General Motors

What do you think of when you think of good cars for teenagers to drive? You would above all want them to be safe, with strong crash test ratings and most likely with driving assistance programs like blind spot monitoring or automatic braking. You would also want it to be inexpensive to operate, with strong fuel efficiency numbers, since gas money will most likely be limited. Perhaps you might even want to go a step beyond those and have special programs specifically for keeping an eye on overzealous teens that aren’t actually that good at driving yet.

Well, it is just these qualities that have placed two Chevy vehicles on US News’ list of Best Cars for Teens: the Chevy Sonic as the “Best Car for Teens Under $20K” and the Chevy Malibu as tied for “Best Car for Teens $30K to $35K.”

When it comes to the Sonic, US News was most impressed by how the Sonic rose above its subcompact competition. First of all, the Sonic earned fantastic crash test scores, earning top marks in all tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (plus the title of Top Safety Pick) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In addition, the Sonic could be equipped with safety equipment rare in the subcompact segment such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and a rearview camera, all for a price that lands the Sonic at about $18,000. Finally, the Sonic is a fuel sipper at 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.

The Malibu doesn’t have the small-size worry that the Sonic has, and so comes with an array of optional active safety systems like automatic pre-collision braking and parking sensors while also managing to best the Sonic in crash tests, slightly, taking home the title of Top Safety Pick+ in addition to perfect marks from the IIHS and the NHTSA. The Malibu even manages to slightly best the Sonic’s fuel economy, delivering 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

However, one thing that sets the Malibu far apart is its Teen Driver system, designed to monitor new drivers and help teach safe driving habits. The system is multifaceted, but includes features such as audible and visible warnings if a certain speed is exceeded, radio muting while seatbelts are unbuckled, and a report for the parents on how well the teen driver did.

News Source: US News