When shopping for a vehicle for your teen, safety, reliability, and affordability are key. For this reason, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has teamed up with Consumer Reports to put together a list of used vehicles that check all of these boxes. In the end, there was one used model that particularly fit the bill for affordability: the Nissan Rogue. 

The IIHS identifies good and best vehicles for teens

In selecting vehicles for parents to consider, the IIHS divided them into Best Choices and Good Choices. The “good” choices tend to be more affordable than the “best” choices. Prices for vehicles on their lists range anywhere from $6,000 to around $20,000.

To be listed, vehicles had to earn good ratings in the IIHS moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint tests. They also had to be rated good or acceptable in the driver-side small overlap front test. All the vehicles on the list come with standard electronic stability control and have a curb weight of over 2,750 pounds for enhanced safety.

The Nissan Rogue is one of the safest, most affordable small SUV options out there

When all is said and done, if you’re looking for a safe, reliable, and affordable used SUV for your teen, it’s hard to beat the 2014, 2016 to 2018, and 2020 Nissan Rogue. The 2014 Rogue, in particular, gets high marks for affordability. It has an estimated sticker price of around $10,100. 

The only other more affordable small SUV model that makes the list is the Mazda CX-5 from 2014 or beyond. Older CX-5 model years clock in at around $9,300. However, these models do have at least one major drawback for those who are concerned about safety. They received a poor rating in the category of structure and safety cage.

Other small and relatively affordable SUVs on the list include the 2016 Subaru Forester, 2015 Honda CR-V, and 2017 Kia Sportage. However, even these vehicles can be expected to cost at least $3000 more than the 2014 Nissan Rogue, so they don’t have quite the affordability factor going for them that the Rogue does.

Consumer Reports rates the 2014 Nissan Rogue highly in many areas

Consumer Reports gives the 2014 Nissan Rogue an overall reliability rating of 4 out of 5, which any parent of a teen will want to keep in mind. It provides exceptionally high reliability and performance marks for the SUV’s engine, which scores 5 out of 5 in the following subcategories: Major category including engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt, Minor category including accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, and oil leaks, and Cooling category including the radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, and overheating.

The Rogue also gets praise from Consumer Reports for the comfort of its ride and roomy interior. That said, there are a few areas of concern that should be kept in mind by anyone considering purchasing a 2014 Rogue. In the category of reliability for “Transmission Major,” it only scores a 2 out of 5. It also gets that score for the reliability of its drive system.

In addition, it’s essential to keep in mind that there are eight recalls on the vehicle, according to Consumer Reports. These include recalls related to the airbags, corrosion of the rear liftgate support stays, fuel pump issues, and the electrical system. There’s also a recall related to under-torqued fasteners, which could affect braking performance, as well as concern about the potential for accidents resulting from problems with the wheels and steering. 

While the 2014 Nissan Rogue certainly has many good things going for it, you’ll want to be at least aware of some of the potential problems that may need to be dealt with should you purchase one.