The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued its latest list of the safest second hand vehicles, the ones that would be best suited for a novice teen driver.
This year, for the first time, aside from the usual big sedan and crossover choices, the IIHS is also recommending two pickup trucks, the post 2007 Toyota Tundra and the post 2011 Ford F-150. These vehicles did not appear in previous lists as their second hand value was still too high.
Why are they recommending pickups? Well, apparently their previous survey revealed “14 percent of teenagers are driving pickups, so we’re happy to be able to recommend a few models” now that they’ve dropped in price.
The Institute also offers sensible advice buyers should be on the lookout for – they say high powered cars should be avoided as they encourage spirited driving, buying a bigger vehicle means it’ll be safer in an accident (although not for the other person driving a Fiat 500…) and or don’t buy a car without an electronic stability program.