Subaru Lands Nine Models on 2026 IIHS and Consumer Reports Teen Driver List

For any parent shopping for a first car for a new driver, Subaru has just handed over nine reasons to walk into a showroom or scan the used listings. The brand confirmed that nine of its models made the 2026 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports recommendation list for teen drivers, a joint ranking that covers both new and used cars and treats affordability as seriously as crash protection.

Most of the nine are used models, which is exactly where the value sits for a family working to a teen-car budget. The wider IIHS and Consumer Reports list this year includes 45 used vehicles starting under $10,000 and 29 used vehicles under $20,000. That means a Subaru that earned strong safety scores when it was new can now fall within reach of a teenager’s first set of keys, without asking the family to gamble on protection to hit a price.

What It Takes to Make the List

The recommendation is not a simple star rating. Both organizations score each car on a combination of cost, vehicle type, size, reliability, emergency handling, braking distance, and crash performance, then only the cars that clear every bar make the cut. To qualify at all, a model needs average or better Consumer Reports scores for braking and for both emergency and routine handling, controls that the magazine’s engineers judge to be neither overly complicated nor distracting, and a rating of “Good” from the IIHS in the driver’s-side small-overlap front crash test.

The top tier is stricter again. To be named a “Best Choice,” a used model must have headlights rated “Good” or “Acceptable” by the IIHS across every trim level, not just the expensive ones, and it must come with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection that performs well in the IIHS daytime track tests. New vehicles on the list have to be 2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners. For a young driver who is statistically more likely to be involved in a crash, those headlight and automatic-braking requirements do real work.

The Five Subaru Best Choices

Five Subaru models reached the Best Choice tier, all of them used cars where a recent example can be bought for far less than a new one. The list runs to the Subaru Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid from model years 2019 to 2023, the Subaru Legacy from 2020 to 2025, the Subaru Outback from 2020 to 2025, the Subaru Forester from 2019 to 2025, and the Subaru Solterra from 2023 to 2025.

The spread is useful because it covers very different needs. The Forester and Outback give a teen a roomy, high-visibility crossover with standard all-wheel drive, which is reassuring in rain or snow. The Legacy is a sedan for families who would rather their new driver started in something lower and lighter. The Solterra brings an all-electric option into the mix for the first time, and the Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid sits in between for buyers who want some electric range without committing fully to a battery car.

The Good Choices and the One New Pick

Three more Subaru models landed in the Good Choice tier, which still clears the core safety and handling tests but sits a step below the headlight and braking standard of the top group. They are the Subaru Impreza sedan or wagon from 2014 to 2025, the Subaru Crosstrek from 2016 to 2025, and the older Subaru Legacy from 2015 to 2019. These tend to be the cheapest way into a recommended Subaru, and the long year ranges give buyers plenty of examples to choose from on the used market.

Only one new car represented Subaru on the 2026 list, the three-row 2026 Subaru Ascent. For families who want a brand-new vehicle with a full factory warranty and the latest driver-assist hardware, the Ascent is the pick, and its size makes it a practical choice for households where the teen will sometimes be carrying younger siblings.

Why Subaru Keeps Showing Up on Safety Lists

This is not a one-off for the brand. Subaru has collected 78 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards since 2013, and it currently holds eight Consumer Reports Recommended models for 2026. Consumer Reports also named Subaru its Best Overall Automotive Brand for the second year in a row, ranked the Crosstrek the 2026 Top Subcompact SUV, and called the Forester the Top Compact SUV for the thirteenth year running.

“We are proud at Subaru of America to offer a wide range of affordable and safe vehicles that families can trust with younger drivers, including the nine models listed in this year’s report,” said Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “Value, safety, and affordability are at the heart of every Subaru, and we’re proud to be recognized again by the IIHS and Consumer Reports in their annual list for teen drivers.”

Subaru is far from the only brand chasing this audience. The same IIHS and Consumer Reports research recently put the Honda Passport alongside the used Civic and Accord on its teen driver list, and named the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder a best new vehicle for teen drivers. The competition is good news for parents, because it pushes more affordable cars to meet a higher safety standard.

What This Means If You Are Shopping for a Teen’s First Car

The practical takeaway is to buy the safest car you can afford rather than the flashiest, and a used model that once earned a top safety rating is one of the smartest ways to do that. If you are cross-shopping Subarus, aim for the Best Choice tier where you can, since those cars guarantee good headlights on every trim and a proven automatic-braking system. If your budget points to a Good Choice model, check the specific car’s headlight rating and confirm that automatic emergency braking is fitted, because that equipment can vary by year and trim.

Above all, the list is a reminder that safety for a new driver does not have to mean spending a fortune. With dozens of recommended used cars available under $20,000 and a third of them under $10,000, a first car can be both within budget and genuinely protective, and Subaru now has nine names in that conversation.