10 Cars with Teenage Driving Monitoring Devices

If your kids are getting behind the wheel for the first time, you will find this list of cars with teenage driving monitoring systems handy. Different vehicles offer different functions, but they can all improve the habits of younger (or more inexperienced) drivers. More specifically, these systems can let you know if your car is being driven, where it shouldn’t go, or if it’s being driven too fast.

Some systems also allow you to set speed limits for the vehicle, others can restrict the audio volume so that drivers can focus on driving, and some can also prevent any onboard safety features from being turned off. Even better, teen-driving technologies aren't limited to premium purchases, they’re on many mainstream vehicles as well.

A lot of cars with teenage driving monitoring systems rely on their onboard telematics technology to get the job done. Consider the Blue Link system for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata. Naturally, it provides typical telematics functions like automatic crash notification and smartphone-enabled remote unlocking, but this setup can also alert you if the driver is going too fast or driving the Sonata past curfew time.

It has a “Geo-Fence” setting as well which enables the owner to set certain geographic boundaries for the Sonata (you’ll be sent a warning if it’s been driven past those limits.) Three years of “Connected Care” coverage with the teen-alert technology are complimentary with the Sonata’s Blue Link system (however, it isn’t available for the entry-level model).

Electric cars with teenage driving monitoring systems include the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt. Like many Chevy vehicles, the Bolt comes standard with their Teen Driver technology. This comprehensive system makes it easy to set limits to the Bolt’s speed and audio volume, and it can also mute the audio completely unless the front-seat occupants have their seatbelts on.

Another bonus is an electronic “report card” that shows how far the Bolt’s been driven, how fast it’s been driven, and if any of the car’s high-tech safety measures had to intervene at any time. Separately, the Bolt’s OnStar-powered Family Link can track teen drivers’ locations, send alerts if the Bolt has been driven outside prescribed boundaries, and more.

One of the smaller vehicles on our list of cars with teenage driving monitoring devices is the 2018 Ford Fiesta, with the standard Ford MyKey technology that takes control. Thanks to MyKey, you can regulate the Fiesta’s top speed so young drivers stay under legal limits, and you can keep the music volume down, to reduce potential distractions.

The Ford technology also comes with a seat-belt reminder system, which sounds a constant chime and silences the audio completely until the driver and front-seat passenger are buckled up. Offering a further benefit, MyKey can also remind young drivers when it’s time to fill up, with warnings in the vehicle-information display and a separate chime if the fuel level falls to an eighth of a tank.

Let’s say you’re bringing a high-performance sport sedan into a home with a young driver. In that case, you’ll really want to make sure it’s among the cars with teenage driving monitoring technology, and in that case, we'd suggest the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger.

The Stinger features high-performance hardware throughout the roster, ranging from standard rear-wheel drive and a 255-horsepower turbo engine to options like all-wheel-drive and a twin-turbo V6 that makes 365 horsepower. But it also has standard UVO eServices, and with Kia’s sophisticated telematics platform you’ll get alerts if your young driver tries pushing the Stinger past any pre-set speed limits. Additional functions can send alerts if the Stinger goes past certain geographical limits, or if someone tries to take it out after a designated curfew.

The 2018 Toyota Camry is among our favorite Cars with Teenage Driving Monitoring Devices, and that's because the Camry is a family-friendly sedan that can take kids from the child seat to the driver’s seat (once they’re old enough to actually drive, of course.) Here, the big difference-maker is Toyota’s Entune 3.0 technology with an available mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.

The latest generation of the automaker’s infotainment and telematics platform, Entune 3.0 also delivers access to a wide array of mobile apps. Highlights include an app-based navigation system that’s standard even on entry models, and for our purposes, an optional Remote Connect app which enables you to monitor young drivers by sending speed and location alerts directly to your smartphone.

The 2018 Lincoln Continental is an example of a luxury car with teenage driving monitoring systems. In fact, since Lincoln is owned by the Ford company, the Continental can offer all the MyKey advantages found on the Blue Oval’s mainstream vehicles. There are some differences in the details, though. For instance, when the MyKey technology mutes the audio in certain situations, it’s muting a 19-speaker Revel Ultima sound system, and when MyKey reminds young drivers to buckle up before they hit the road, they can belt themselves into 30-way power-adjustable climate-controlled seats with a power massage function.

Engine power? With the Continental offering a twin-turbo V6 that can unleash 400 horses, MyKey’s ability to limit that can provide peace of mind as well.

A perfect premium choice for active families, the 2018 Buick Regal TourX is one of the most versatile cars with teen driving monitoring systems. To earn that honor, the TourX combines a modern-day sport-wagon design with proven Teen Driver technology from General Motors. The car’s shape and design allow for 32.7 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats and 73.5 in total.

The vehicle's technology can then limit the car’s audio volume and top speed, make sure any available driver-assistance measures stay turned on, and provide an in-vehicle report card of the car’s driving activities. The same system is also available for the 2018 Regal Sportback, a stylish sport sedan trading the wagon-like silhouette of the TourX for a sleek and sophisticated liftback look.

As automakers introduce more and more cars with teenage driving monitoring systems, entries like the all-new 2019 Volkswagen Jetta are joining the club. The re-engineered Jetta makes the list with the available Security & Service bundle for VW’s Car-Net connectivity and telematics system. More specifically, the Security & Service Family Guardian. This feature allows you to set specific speed and boundary limits for the Jetta, and it will send electronic alerts to your smartphone if the car goes past either. (As an FYI, the basic Car-Net setup is standard to supply Android Auto/Apple CarPlay.)

Younger Jetta drivers can also benefit from increasingly common safety technologies such as forward-collision warning with automatic braking, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assistance.

There are some premium options for cars with teenage driving monitoring systems as well. All families regardless of their income bracket have younger drivers that they want to keep safe, and a monitoring system will come in handy even if it isn't a teenage drivers primary vehicle. The 2018 Lexus LS comes with the Enform Remote service, a one-year complimentary subscription that is standard with every LS and opens up a range of app-based benefits for owners. Naturally, this includes a guest-driver monitor that leverages technology from Lexus’ parent company, Toyota. Activate that system and you’ll receive automatic smartphone alerts any time the LS travels outside your pre-set boundaries or over your pre-set speed limits. Just remember how tempting that might be since the LS can be ordered with either a 416-horsepower twin-turbo engine or a 351-horsepower hybrid powertrain.

Additional family-friendly luxury cars with teenage driving monitoring systems can be found at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. The 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, for example, is available in a premium station-wagon configuration known as the E 400 4Matic. When ordered with the “mbrace Connect” package, this car bundles teen-driving technologies with five years of complimentary remote-access services. As a result, you’ll be able to rely on your smartphone for curfew, speed-limit, and boundary alerts. You can also check out an online Driving Journal for the E 400, complete with day-by-day mapping of all routes driven by the car. For a spot check of the vehicle’s whereabouts, at any time of day or night, you can call up its real-time location too.