GMC Terrain On IIHS And Consumer Reports’ List Of Safe Used Vehicles For Teens

Recognizing the special considerations needed for picking a used vehicle as a “first car” for teenage drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Consumer Reports teamed up to identify “Best Choices” and “Good Choices” for that purpose – with the 2020 GMC Terrain and 2023 GMC Terrain winning a spot on the “Best” list.

The GMC Terrain and other models were rated first and foremost on safety, the IIHS report points out, with this as the most important factor because of the inexperience and recklessness of teenagers behind the wheel. Price and reliability were also weighed in making the picks.

Achieving a place on the Best Choices or Good Choices list of used vehicles involved almost identical factors for both lists. In both cases, IIHS and CR made their picks based on these characteristics:

• Good safety ratings for front overlap crashes, side impacts, head restraint, and roof strength in IIHS crash tests.
• Four or five star safety ratings from the NHTSA.
• Consumer Reports reliability ratings of 4 out of 5 or 5 out of 5.
• Consumer Reports emergency handling ratings of 3 out of 5 or better.
• 60 mph to 0 mph dry braking distance of 145 feet or less.
• Affordable prices.

The dividing line between Best vehicles and those rated merely Good is the model’s automatic emergency braking system. Vehicles equipping such a system as standard, with the automatic emergency brakes achieving an “advanced” or “superior” rating in the IIHS crash tests, were placed on the “Best” list.

If a vehicle lacks standard automatic emergency braking, or the braking tech was present, but performed at less than an “advanced” level in the IIHS tests, it was placed on the “Good” list instead.

The 2020 and 2023 GMC Terrain models achieved Best Choice status in the Midsize SUV category, with Good ratings in the IIHS crash test for varying degrees of front overlap impacts, Good side impact ratings in the original test, Good head restraints and seats, and Good roof strength in case of a rollover. The crossover was Marginal only in the new side test.

Also contributing to the good rating of the GMC Terrain are “superior” standard front crash avoidance systems for other vehicles, “advanced” avoidance of pedestrians, and the presence of extra safety features such as daytime running lights, lane departure warning, and lane departure prevention on some model years.

The 2018 to 2019 GMC Terrain also appeared on the Good Choices list. Average price for the more recent Terrain model years on the used vehicle market is $16,100, while the older models average $11,600, according to the study.

As a reminder, the 2023 GMC Terrain got a new engine, in the form of the turbocharged 1.5L I4 LSD gasoline engine, along with an e-boost braking system that likely contributes to its good safety performance in the tests.

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