Parents often look for the safest option when searching for a vehicle for their teen driver. One small SUV model received a poor rating from the Insurance Institue for Highway Safety. Don’t buy this small SUV for teen drivers if you want the safest SUV on the market.

Don’t buy this small SUV for teen drivers because of its poor safety rating

When choosing a vehicle for teen drivers, safety is one of the most important factors to consider. Younger, more inexperienced drivers are more likely to get into accidents than experienced drivers (hence high insurance costs). This year the IIHS determined that one SUV’s ability to keep occupants safe wasn’t up to par.

The 2021 Honda HR-V is the dopier younger cousin of the popular Honda CR-V. It comes from a cool family, but it just doesn’t have the same effect on drivers as its relatives. On top of already being unpopular, it is also far from the safest vehicle in its vehicle class.

According to CNN Business, in a series of tests that included 20 different vehicles, only two received their “poor” rating. Several SUVs earned the “acceptable” safety rating, and only one small SUV earned the “good” safety rating. The HR-V is at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to safety for small SUVs, and that should be considered when shopping for your teen driver.

When the IIHS tested the Honda HR-V, its B-Pillar(vertical support near the middle of the vehicle) was violently torn away from its frame. The IIHS claims that the HR-V has issues with its structure and crash dummies received the equivalent of bodily harm when the vehicle was tested. Don’t buy this small SUV for teen drivers if you are looking for the safest small SUV.

Don’t buy this small SUV for teen drivers because there are better options

The Honda HR-V has received harsh reviews from consumers and critics alike. The small SUV class is competitive, and there isn’t much that this small SUV beats competitors at. The subcompact SUV subclass isn’t the most popular and is easily eclipsed by larger compact SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. That being said, the Honda HR-V isn’t even great among its fellow subcompact SUV models.

The Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, and Kia Seltos are all better options than the Honda HR-V. There are plenty of small SUV models that provide more value than the Honda HR-V.

The Honda HR-V is a poor choice for teen drivers overall

The Honda HR-V isn’t necessarily the worst small SUV on the market. The Toyota C-HR doesn’t exactly get raving reviews either. The HR-V starts at $21,420. It uses a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine to make a measly 141 horsepower. The HR-V gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Kia Soul starts at just $19,190 and makes 147 horsepower using a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. It gets 28 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. The Soul features a spacious cabin and has much better consumer satisfaction ratings than the HR-V.

Whether compared to other vehicles in its class or assessed individually, the HR-V just seems like a poor choice for teen drivers because of its unsatisfactory safety ratings, lack of value for the price, weak powertrain, and bad ride quality. Do your teen drivers a favor and avoid this small SUV.