The 36 safest cars you can buy right now, according to experts
When buying a new vehicle, safety is paramount. But how can you be sure that shiny new car isn't just a hunk of junk?
That's where the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) steps in. The group just released its latest annual safety awards for dozens of vehicles, each of which has been tested across a series of tests.
Just 48 models qualified for the IIHS' awards as of March 13, down from 71 models last year. Thirty-six of those vehicles won the nonprofit's highest designation — Top Safety Pick+ — while the remaining 12 were named a Top Safety Pick.
Most of the selected models were SUVs; just two large pickups and a little more than a handful of small and midsize cars also won awards. That's likely because the IIHS' updated tests emphasize back seat protection, according to the group.
'We're once again challenging automakers to make their new models even safer than those they were building a year ago,' IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement.
'Every vehicle that earns a 2025 award offers a high level of safety in both the front seat and the second row,' he added.
These are some of the safest vehicles currently on the market, according to the IIHS' ratings.
The Honda (HMC) Civic hatchback, Accord midsize car, and HR-V SUV received the highest designation from the IIHS, the Top Safety Pick+ award.
The Accord was only docked points when tested for how well it could detect adult pedestrians at night. It failed to give any warning before hitting a test dummy when being driven at 37 miles per hour, at night, and with low beam headlights on.
The Civic hatchback had similar issues, but was also hit for quiet alerts when a seat belt wasn't being used or was disengaged. The HR-V was docked points for headlights that are not curve-adaptive and that create some glare when using low beams, a difficult-to-find child seat tether anchor, and its performance on vehicle-to-vehicle collisions.
Two other models, the Civic sedan and Pilot SUV, were given the lesser Top Safety Pick award. Acura's Integra hatchback and MXD luxury SUV were also given those designations.
Mazda (MZDAY) went home with the most Top Safety Pick+ awards — eight. One model, the CX-30 SUV, had perfect marks, according to the IIHS.
'Kudos to Mazda for meeting this challenge with eight Top Safety Pick+ winners, the most of any brand,' Harkey, the IIHS president, said in a statement.
Six models — the CX-70 SUV and its plug-in hybrid variant, the CX-90 SUV and its plug-in hybrid variant, the 3 sedan, and the 3 hatchback — were dinged for less-than stellar headlights. However, that varied by trim for all but the plug-in hybrid models.
The CX-50 SUV also had headlight issues and lost points over front crash prevention exams. When a motorcycle was in front of the CX-50, it failed to provide a timely warning in all but one of the tests. It also failed to deliver a timely warning in one test conducted with a semitrailer.
'Mazda's dedication to keeping our customers and their passengers safe in the pursuit of eliminating traffic fatalities is evidenced in these latest awards from IIHS,' Tom Donnelly, the CEO of Mazda's North America division, said in a statement.
Mercedes-Benz's (MBGYY) C-Class midsize car, GLC luxury SUV, and GLE-Class SUV with optional front crash prevention were all named Top Safety Pick+ models.
The C-Class model got docked points for its headlights — which had some limitations at lower tiers — and was too slow to react to an adult pedestrian at night. The GLC and GLE SUVs had similar issues reacting to pedestrians, but their headlights performed better than the C-Class'.
Toyota's (TM) Camry midsize car and Tundra pickup truck also received Top Safety Pick+ awards.
The Camry was docked points for its low beam headlights, which delivered only fair visibility on straight roads, as well as inadequate visibility when curving left, the IIHS said. The high-beams compensate for some of the low beams' limitations, the group added.
The Tundra — one of just two pickups included in the IIHS' top rankings — was docked points for how quickly it reduced speed when encountering an adult pedestrian at night, along with difficult-to-find child seat tethers. The IIHS also noted that the low beam headlights included in a few trims created some glare.
Genesis (HYMTF) — the luxury division of Hyundai Motor Group, which also owns the Hyundai and Kia name brands — had four SUVs receive Top Safety Pick+ designations. That includes the GV60, GV80, and the electrified GV70. The gasoline-powered GV70 also was recognized, but only for units built after April 2024.
The GV60 and GV80 both lost points over backseat tether anchors for child seats that were too deep in the seat, according to the IIHS. Both GV70 variants were docked points for crash prevention systems that failed to provide quick enough warnings for the vehicle to avoid hitting an adult pedestrian at night.
Hyundai had five vehicles notch Top Safety Pick+ awards from the IIHS. That includes the electric Ioniq 5 midsize car and Ioniq 6 SUV, Kona SUV, and the Tucson SUV. Santa Fe SUVs built after November 2024 were also given that distinction.
The Tucson was docked points for child seat anchors buried too deeply in the rear seats and a forward collision avoidance software that failed to provide a timely warning in most tests. Headlights on some trims were also given a lower score because they aren't curve-adaptive.
Likewise, the Ioniq 6, Kona, and Santa Fe lost points because of their headlights and child seat anchors.
The Ioniq 5 shared the child seat anchor issues and had glaring low beam headlights on some trims. Forward collision avoidance software equipped to Ioniq 5 SE and SEL models also failed to deliver timely warnings when encountering an adult pedestrian at night.
Kia's Telluride SUV and EV9 all-electric SUV both received the IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ award. They both got top marks on the group's tests.
'IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards reinforce our dedication to building vehicles that not only perform but also provide peace of mind,' Kia America COO Steven Center said in a statement.
Subaru's (FUJHY) Solterra all-electric SUV was its only vehicle to be awarded the IIHS's top safety award for 2025. The Solterra, which was co-developed with Toyota (which sells the mostly identical bz4x), is the brand's first electric car. It scored top marks on all of the IIHS's tests.
Two other Subaru models, the 2025 Ascent and Forester, were given the Top Safety Pick award. Both lost points for potential injuries to rear passengers during a crash involving two vehicles driving in opposite directions at just under 40 miles per hour.
'It's an honor for Solterra, Ascent and Forester to be recognized by IIHS' new, increasingly rigorous testing for both driver safety and passenger safety,' Jeff Walters, the president and chief operating officer of Subaru of America, said in a statement.
Ford's (F) Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, which grew more popular last year, was the Detroit automaker's only vehicle included in the IIHS' rankings, receiving a Top Safety Pick+ designation.
The model scored top marks when tested for crashworthiness, crash avoidance, and crash mitigation, but was docked some points for its child seat attachments. The IIHS said that tether anchors could be confused for other hardware. Ford is also being sued over the Mustang Mach-E's electric latches, which replaced the typical door handles most vehicles have.
Lincoln, Ford's luxury division, saw its popular Nautilus midsize SUV receive the Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. It scored top marks across all categories tested.
Audi (VWAGY), the luxury brand owned by Volkswagen Group, won a Top Safety Pick+ award for its Q7 SUV. The model performed well during the IIHS' crashworthiness tests, but had middling results during crash avoidance and mitigation exams.
The $77,900 Prestige trim's headlights performed well when tested. However, the headlights used by the $60,500 and $64,300 Premium and Premium Plus trims were found to have glaring low beams and weren't curve-adaptive.
The Q7 also failed to deliver a timely warning when it was too close to a motorcycle driving ahead of it. But the IIHS said it did not test the SUV's automatic brakes. It was also docked points for how well it detected an adult pedestrian at night.
BMW's X5 midsize luxury SUV was given a Top Safety Pick+, scoring top marks on all but one category tested. The model's low beam headlights created 'some glare,' the IIHS said.
Electric truck maker Rivian (RIVN) had two of its models receive awards from the IIHS, the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV.
The RIS was given the Top Safety Pick+ designation, achieving top marks in all but one category, according to the IIHS' ratings. The group had an issue with the SUV's headlights, stating that its low beams created 'some glare.'
The IIHS also notes that its award only applies to units made after last August. In early 2024, the company retooled its manufacturing process to cut more than 50 parts from the design of its vehicles, 52 pieces from the body shop, and more than 100 steps from the battery-making process, CEO RJ Scaringe told Reuters.
The R1T was awarded the Top Safety Pick designation, achieving top scores on all but two categories. Like the R1S, the R1T lost points for its headlights. It also had a poorer score during a crash test.
Infiniti's (NSANY) QX80 SUV was named a Top Safety Pick+, while its QX60 luxury SUV was given a Top Safety Pick rating. The QX80 scored top marks on the IIHS' tests.
The QX60 also scored highly, but was docked points during a moderate overlap front test. The model scored an 'acceptable,' the second-to-best rating, for potential injuries to a rear passenger during a head-on crash.
Volvo Cars (GELYF), the Swedish brand owned by Chinese giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, had two cars receive the IIHS' awards, although it only applies to vehicles made before December 2024.
The XC90 midsize luxury SUV was given the Top Safety Pick+ award, while its plug-in hybrid counterpart was named a Top Safety Pick.
The XC90 performed well during a crash, but scored poorly in the IIHS' categories under crash avoidance and mitigation. It was docked points for low beam headlight performance, along with how well its forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems performed in the presence of a motorcycle, children, and adults. The IIHS also docked the model for its poor tether anchors for child seats.
Nissan's Pathfinder was the only model from the Japanese automaker to receive a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. The midsize SUV performed well in all areas tested except its headlights. The IIHS said visibility was only fair when using low-beams and high-beams on curved roads.
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