The Ford Explorer has been recognized for being a very safe vehicle on multiple occasions in recent years, having earned the highest possible score in revised Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) side-impact evaluation testing, a Top Safety Pick award in 2023, and a Top Safety Pick+ Award in 2024, marking a big turnaround after posting more disappointing results prior to the launch of the current-generation model. Now, that praise continues, as the Ford Explorer has been named as one of the safest used vehicle choices for teens, too.
This list comes to us from the IIHS and Consumer Reports, and it aims to provide parents with a range of suitable used vehicles that teens can drive with a little extra peace of mind – not to mention, models that won’t break the bank, either. The list contains both “Best Choices” and more affordable “Good Choices,” with starting prices for recommended used models ranging from less than $5,000 up to around $20,000.
All of the vehicles on this list have a curb weight greater than 2,750 pounds, have earned good ratings from IIHS in its original crash testing, and have average or better scores from CR in the categories of braking and emergency/routine handling, along with higher usability scores for displays and controls.
To make the cut as a Best Choice, vehicles must have automatic emergency braking systems included as standard, earn an advanced or superior rating from IIHS in its original vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test or the daytime pedestrian front crash prevention test, and have headlights that earn a good or acceptable rating. In that regard, the Ford Explorer ticked all of those boxes, landing on the list of Best Choices for small SUVs with an average price of $16,600 for used examples – but only for models built after May 2020. As many are well aware, early 2020 Explorers were plagued with quality issues, which is why IIHS and CR recommend avoiding them.
“Given consumers’ economic anxiety and the uncertainty around future vehicle prices, the availability of a wide range of safe, affordable used options is welcome news,” said Jessica Jermakian, IIHS senior vice president for vehicle research. “Helping your kid achieve a milestone of independence shouldn’t require compromising on safety.”
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