The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has updated its 2014 list of recommended used vehicles for teens, and the 2015 list has grown by more than 50% — even though the price and safety criteria haven't changed.

The first list of recommended used vehicles for teens was compiled after IIHS found that the majority of parents who bought a vehicle for their teens bought a used one. The survey also found that the budgets for teens' vehicles were limited: the mean purchase price was $9,800, while the median was $5,300.

The “best” vehicles on IIHS' list are priced under $20,000 and have good ratings in the Institute's four oldest crashworthiness tests: moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. If rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicles must earn 4 or 5 stars overall or 4 or 5 stars in the front and side tests under the old rating scheme.

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