Starting to drive is one of the most anticipated moments among young people. Although we can also find some stressful situations due to lack of experience and driving behind the wheel.
To prevent this type of situation, we must choose a car that has the characteristics that make it better for novice drivers.
Some of these qualities to which we refer have to do with the size, handling, power that our car has, among other things. Another thing that we must take into account is the possibility of suffering an accident since in drivers who are starting to drive it is much more likely. For this reason, another thing that we will demand of the car is a good level of safety.
In this article, we have selected the 7 best small SUVs for beginners drivers taking into account all those kinds of qualities so that they adapt to all kinds of driving. To make this list we have been based on the score given by consumers who have had the opportunity to drive them.
1. Kia Sportage (84 Out of 100)
2. Honda CR-V (83 Out of 100)
3. Toyota RAV4 (82 Out of 100)
4. Subaru Forester (82 Out of 100)
5. Mazda CX-5 (82 Out of 100)
6. Chevrolet Equinox (81 Out of 100)
7. Lexus UX (81 Out of 100)
7Lexus UX
In last place, we have the Lexus UX with a rating of 81 out of 100.
This model has obtained the best possible scores in the resistance and accident prevention tests carried out. The only negative point was the small LED headlights which received a low score as opposed to the triple beams which have proven to perform well in these tests.
This car incorporates the Lexus Safety System that includes adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear camera, lane departure warning, and lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking and lane tracking assist to keep the car centered. Additionally, we have both front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot vision, and a front viewing screen.
This car has an autonomy of between 29 and 41 MPG.
The Lexus UX is priced between $ 33,000 and $ 39,900.
We are approaching the bottom of the list with the Chevrolet brand Equinox, which has earned a rating of 81 out of 100 among consumers.
LT models with HID projector headlights earned the title of the best choice. safety in IIHS tests. The other models scored poorly for the headlights.
This model includes in its standard safety technology elements the pedestrian detection system, a rear camera, lane-keeping assist, emergency braking, and collision warning. In addition to this, it also comes standard with the Teen Driver system that allows you to control driving and set speed and volume limits.
Additionally, we can add the surround camera system, parking sensors, and much more.
Every gallon of fuel in this car will travel between 25 and 31 miles.
This car is priced between $ 23,800 and $ 33,100.
5Mazda CX-5
Equaling the two previous models on the list in terms of customer's rating of 82 out of 100 we have the Mazda CX-5.
This model equipped with adaptive headlamps has obtained the best possible scores in accident prevention and damping tests.
Being the older brother of the CX-3 model, it comes equipped with the standard safety features consisting of blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking ... Additionally we have the adaptive headlights mentioned above, a front view screen, and the option of all-wheel drive (unlike the Mazda CX-3 which doesn't offer it).
The range of this car is between 22 and 31 miles per gallon.
The Mazda CX-5 is priced between $ 25,370 and $ 37,505.
4Subaru Forester
This model of the Subaru brand has obtained a rating of 82 out of 100 according to consumers.
Like the other cars on this list, this car has proven to be very safe in crash tests with some of the highest scores.
The Subaru brand makes the 4-wheel drive and better control of it available to consumers. The Subaru Forester comes standard with some tech features like frontal collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning. As an option, the future owner can further equip it with emergency braking by reversing, blind-spot monitoring, and a camera that monitors the driver's focus.
For every gallon of fuel, this car can travel between 26 and 33 miles.
The price of this model is between $ 24,795 and $ 34,895.
3Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has earned a consumer score of 82 out of 100.
Even though this car is as safe as the other cars on this list and has proven it in crash tests, one thing it did not score well on is headlamp performance with a marginal score.
This should not confuse us since if it is on this list it is because consumers consider this vehicle a good purchase choice. The reasons for this, apart from its safety also reside in its benefits which incorporate the Toyota Safety Sense technology system. It includes automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, collision warning, lane tracking, and much more. Optionally, we can include a surround-view parking camera, automatic emergency braking when reversing, and a camera in the rearview mirror.
Something that stands out about this car is its design that is reminiscent of futuristic cars and shows us that every day we are closer to this new reality.
The price of this vehicle is between $ 38,350 and $ 41,675.
We continue our list with the CR-V model from the Japanese brand Honda. The score that this car has obtained among consumers is 83 out of 100.
This car has achieved a good score thanks to the fact that it comes equipped with a large number of extras that stand out for its safety technology called Honda Sensing, which is also available in all the brand's vehicles. This system provides us with features such as lane-keeping assistant, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and a collision mitigation braking system.
In addition to this accident prevention technology, we can also find in this utility a rearview camera so that parking is much easier when you do not have much experience and an automatic high beam system.
In the event of an accident, we will also be very protected since all the models received the best scores in the impact resistance tests. In addition, its LED reflector headlights performed acceptably in tests, while those of cars of a similar range were rated more negatively.
If we want the best safety choice when we buy this car we must choose the Touring and Hybrid equipment.
The Honda CR-V can go between 27 and 34 miles for every gallon of fuel because it also runs on electricity as a hybrid.
The price of this car is between $ 25,350 and $ 35,150.
1Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage is ranked number 1 on our list with a consumer rating of 84 out of 100.
One of the strengths of this car is the safety it offers in the event of an accident. In the crash tests that have been made both on the sides and front, this car has proven to have a sufficiently robust structure that has given it one of the best marks in terms of safety among the cars of the same range.
To avoid accidents, it also incorporates a lane-keeping assistant, pedestrian detection, frontal collision warning, and even a driver attention monitor.
Regarding the quality of the materials and the engine, we can say that nothing is left behind. The Kia brand has taken care of every detail inside this vehicle and it is not surprising that it is one of the best-selling cars.
In terms of consumption, this car can travel between 19 and 30 MPG (thousand per gallon).
The price of this car is between $ 24,090 and $ 35,250.