48 Safest Cars in America According to the IIHS
IIHS just picked the safest cars sold in America. Only 48 made the list.
Higher standards addressing rear-seat safety meant fewer winners for 2025.
Safe vehicles abide across the spectrum of cars, trucks, and SUVs.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has once again picked its safest cars. Is your car on it?
The tests were tougher this year, including crash test dummies in the back seats.
The Institute's updated moderate overlap front test adds a second crash test dummy seated behind the driver and emphasizes back seat safety, IIHS said. Last year, an 'acceptable' or 'good' rating in the updated test was a requirement for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award. However, a 'good' rating in the original test was still enough to earn the base award.
'This year, vehicles must earn an 'acceptable' rating in the updated test to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a 'good' rating is required for the 'plus,'' the Institute said.
The front overlap test smacks the vehicle headlong into a fixed barrier right on the left front headlight. The side impact test sees a heavy sled carom into the right side B-pillar. It's gruesome, but necessary for safety advancement.
In addition, an 'acceptable' or 'good' rating is also required in the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation, which gauges performance in both daytime and nighttime conditions. Pedestrian detection requires numerous sensors.
(IIHS was founded and is funded by insurance companies. Optimists will say it makes us all safer. Pessimists have been known to snipe that insurance companies just don't want to pay out so many premiums. Take your pick.)
'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. 'Every vehicle that earns a 2025 award offers a high level of safety in both the front seat and the second row.'
This year 48 vehicles are on the list, compared to 71 from 2024.
Here are the new winners:
Small Cars: Honda Civic hatchback, Mazda 3 hatchback, Mazda 3 sedan
Midsize Cars: Honda Accord, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Toyota Camry
Midsize Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Small SUVs: Genesis GV60, Hyundai Tucson, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mazda CX-50, Hyundai Kona, Subaru Solterra
Midsize SUVs: Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Santa Fe (built after November 2024), Kia EV9, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-70, Mazda CX-70 PHEV, Mazda CX-90, Mazda CX-9 PHEV, Nissan Pathfinder
Midsize Luxury SUVs: BMW X5, Genesis Electrified GV70, Genesis GV70 (built after April 2024), Genesis GV80, Lincoln Nautilus, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class with optional front crash prevention, Volvo XC90 (built before December 2024)
Large SUVs: Audi Q7, Infiniti QX80, Rivian R1S built after August 2024
Large Pickup: Toyota Tundra crew cab
Small Cars: Acura Integra hatchback, Honda Civic sedan
Large Luxury Car: Genesis G90
Small SUVs: Subaru Forester (excludes Wilderness trim)
Midsize SUVs: Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent
Midsize Luxury SUVs: Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60, Lexus NX, Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid (built before December 2024)
Large Pickup: Rivian R1T
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