GMC Terrain a ‘Best Choice’ for Teen Drivers
Photo: GMC
Whether you’re buying a vehicle for your teen driver or letting them get behind the wheel of your own, the safety of your young adult is paramount. According to a new report, one of the best, most affordable ways to boost that safety is with a GMC Terrain SUV.
The Current Model Year: Find out more about the 2020 GMC Terrain
The Terrain was among several vehicles recently named to a list of the safest, most reasonably priced used models for teens. Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety team up to release this report every year as a guide for parents who want to protect their young drivers while sticking to a budget.
The list is split into two sections, “best choices” and “good choices,” and covers a price range of $5,000 to $20,000. Used Terrain models from 2014 and from 2016 to the present made the list of “best choices” in the midsize SUV category.
Another Great Vehicle for Teen Drivers: The 2020 Buick Encore
Photo: GMC
To make the “best” list, a vehicle needs to post “good” ratings on four IIHS tests and at least an “acceptable” rating on one more, or get comparable ratings from the NHTSA. It must be equipped with electronic stability control, weigh more than 2,750 pounds, and be able to brake from 60 mph to 0 mph in 145 or fewer feet. Finally, it must show above-average reliability grades from Consumer Reports. Vehicles with “substantially higher than average claim frequency under medical payment or personal injury protection coverage” are barred from the list altogether.
The Terrain goes well beyond these baseline requirements for teen drivers. Even as far back as 2014, every trim of the Terrain was equipped with a standard backup camera. Higher trims of the Terrain have also included available features like forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and blind-spot detection. Opting for a used Terrain puts these safety-enhancing systems within easy financial reach for parents.
Check out The News Wheel’s overviews of the 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 GMC Terrain to learn more about this “best choice” for teen drivers.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.