These Are The 3 Safest Cars In The U.S. In 2025
The 2018 Toyota Camry sedan is one of the safest, most reliable cars on the market. (Photo credit ... More should read SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Whether you're choosing a car for a first-time owner or a veteran motorist, buying the right vehicle can be a challenge. And by the 'right' car, we mean a safe and reliable car that does not break the bank.
To be able to recommend such a prize collection of safe vehicles that are budget-friendly, the highly regarded Consumer Reports (CR) has once again tied up with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to find the safest and most reliable vehicles in the land.
Camry, Forester and Explorer rank as the safest
Out of some 260 models on the market today, Consumer Reports says that the following three vehicles are not only the safest and most reliable on sale now, but they offer enough model years to be budget-friendly.
For sedans, the safest is the Toyota Camry built from 2018.
For small SUVs, the top pick is the Subaru Forester from 2019.
For the mid-sized SUVs it's the Ford Explorer from 2020.
The Subaru Forester also ranks in the top 3. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As a bonus, CR tells us that the highest rated electric vehicle is the Tesla Model Y taking into consideration factors such as speed and ease of charging and range, areas in which the Y excels.
Consumer Reports evaluates cars based on four key criteria—road test, reliability, owner satisfaction and safety.
To make the list, a vehicle must receive a CR score of at least 3 out of 5 for tests that include acceleration, braking as well as routine and emergency handling and fuel economy. CR also evaluate usability, fit and finish, noise, ride, and safety systems.
Ford's Explorer also ranks highly. (Photo by Samuel Corum/)
Top rated vehicles must also receive a score of at least 2 out of 5 for their controls and displays— meaning that CR excluded vehicles fitted with the most confusing displays and controls which can be a distraction for drivers.
Another critical factor for CR, owner satisfaction is based on whether a CR member would definitely get the same car if they had a chance to do it over again, effectively measuring whether a car lived up to its owner's expectations.
In addition, all of the vehicles on the list have electronic stability control (ESC) at standard equipment, a key safety feature in avoiding traffic accidents.
Each of these top rated vehicles also boast a high 'G' for Good rating in five different IIHS crash tests including small overlap front test, moderate overlap front test, updated side test and pedestrian front crash prevention test.
Vehicles with curb weights of under 2750 lbs do not appear on the list as they are considered too small to provide sufficient crash protection, especially when impacting with larger vehicles.
Readers may also realize that full-size SUVs and pickups are not on the list as well as sports cars which are considered by CR to invite excessive risk.
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