![In this May 17, 2011 photo, David Helm, left, Molly Helm, center, and Harrison Maud pose with the boys' automobiles in Enid, Okla. As every driver quickly learns, operating costs are just the beginning. Add in ownership costs like insurance and registration fees and the costs quickly climb _ to an average $8,776 per year, or 58.5 cents per mile, for a car driven 15,000 miles annually.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/teen_driver_AP.jpg)
![FILE - This Feb. 19, 2012 file photo shows the familiar Chevrolet bowtie logo displayed on the grille of a 2012 Cruze sedan, foreground, with a 2012 Sonic sedan in the background at a Chevrolet dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo. Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, marks the anniversary of GM's initial public stock offering in November 2010. The company has made money for 11 straight quarters, piling up more than $16 billion in profits. Its cars and trucks are selling for good prices. And sales are strong in China. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Chevy_AP-1480x1254.jpg)
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![IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR MAZDA - Derek Jenkins, Director of Design for Mazda North America, introduces the new Mazda 3 at the Mazda Unveil & Press Event on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. (John Minchillo/AP Images for Mazda)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Mazda3_AP.jpg)
![The logo of Hyundai Motor Co. is seen on a vehicle displayed at the company's showroom in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Hyundai Motor Co. says its second-quarter income fell from a year earlier for a tenth straight quarter.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Sonata_AP.jpg)
![The Ford Fusion hybrid is displayed at the North American International Auto Show, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_FordFusionHybrid_AP.jpg)
![The redesigned Murano SL has gone from an odd-looking crossover to a high-style machine on the outside with interesting shapes and angles up front. (WTOP/Mike Parris)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Murano-front-1672x1254.jpg)
![In this May 17, 2011 photo, David Helm, left, Molly Helm, center, and Harrison Maud pose with the boys' automobiles in Enid, Okla. As every driver quickly learns, operating costs are just the beginning. Add in ownership costs like insurance and registration fees and the costs quickly climb _ to an average $8,776 per year, or 58.5 cents per mile, for a car driven 15,000 miles annually.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/teen_driver_AP-260x174.jpg)
![FILE - This Feb. 19, 2012 file photo shows the familiar Chevrolet bowtie logo displayed on the grille of a 2012 Cruze sedan, foreground, with a 2012 Sonic sedan in the background at a Chevrolet dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo. Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, marks the anniversary of GM's initial public stock offering in November 2010. The company has made money for 11 straight quarters, piling up more than $16 billion in profits. Its cars and trucks are selling for good prices. And sales are strong in China. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Chevy_AP-260x174.jpg)
![Kia's 2014 Forte5-Door car is revealed during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP photo/Nam Y. Huh)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/teen_kia_AP-260x174.jpg)
![IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR MAZDA - Derek Jenkins, Director of Design for Mazda North America, introduces the new Mazda 3 at the Mazda Unveil & Press Event on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 in New York. (John Minchillo/AP Images for Mazda)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Mazda3_AP-260x174.jpg)
![The logo of Hyundai Motor Co. is seen on a vehicle displayed at the company's showroom in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Hyundai Motor Co. says its second-quarter income fell from a year earlier for a tenth straight quarter.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_Sonata_AP-260x174.jpg)
![The Ford Fusion hybrid is displayed at the North American International Auto Show, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Teen_FordFusionHybrid_AP-260x174.jpg)
![The redesigned Murano SL has gone from an odd-looking crossover to a high-style machine on the outside with interesting shapes and angles up front. (WTOP/Mike Parris)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Murano-front-260x174.jpg)
WASHINGTON — In the market for a new car for a teen driver? The choices have never been safer, and U.S. News & World Report is out with its 2016 Best Cars for Teens list.
The 2016 models on the list include six cars and SUVs and range in price from less than $20,000 to more than $40,000.
A brand-new car for a teen driver is a generous expense for parents, but it might also provide the most peace-of-mind.
“Although it’s expensive, parents should consider investing in newer models because they have many more safety features than cars made just five years ago,” said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. “The 2016 Best Cars for Teens are some of the safest options on the road.”
Base prices on many of the vehicles on this list are below their category ranking, but U.S. News factored in the cost of optional safety features.
U.S. News said the top picks all have advanced active safety features like rearview cameras, parking sensors, blind spot detection and forward collision mitigation. Some models also include new parental control technologies that let parents set limits on geography, time and speed and even limit radio volume.
No budget for a brand-new car? Consider a late model vehicle then.
“Look at cars from 2011 and newer, because in 2011 crash test standards were changed. Crash tests became much more stringent,” said Page Deaton. “You want one of those cars that was built for those more stringent crash tests that are going to offer more crash protection.”
For parents on a budget, U.S. News’ advice is simple: Choose the car with the most safety features that a family can afford.