IIHS Names Safest Cars

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the cars, SUVs, minivan, and pickup truck that meet the stringent standards to be named a 2017 Top Safety Pick. Following IIHS tradition, the criteria for earning this coveted accolade become tougher each year, with the 2017 challenge being the addition of a headlight evaluation—a test added this past spring after determining that government standards allow for significant variation in performance.

To earn a Top Safety Pick designation now, a car has to earn good ratings in the small-overlap front-crash test, moderate-overlap front-crash test, side-crash test, roof-strength test, and head-restraint test, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front-crash prevention with standard or optional automatic braking. Headlights are factored in only for the top award, dubbed Top Safety Pick+.

There were 38 models that earned this distinction and 44 vehicles named Top Safety Picks. In the year ahead, more models will be added to these lists as the IIHS conducts more tests, and as manufacturers upgrade models and introduce new ones.

Among Top Safety Pick+ vehicles, Toyota/Lexus leads with nine winners, followed by Honda/Acura with five. Only three models are from domestic manufacturers, the Buick Envision, Chevrolet Volt, and Chrysler Pacifica (built after August 2016).

By making this award more difficult to earn each year, the IIHS has been very effective in encouraging automakers to make continuous improvements to car safety. Notably, we have seen improvements in rollover mitigation, passenger injury risks, and front- and side-crash protection.

These picks provide an excellent starting point for buyers looking to prioritize safety in their next car. We factor the results of crash tests performed by the IIHS, and the government, in the Consumer Reports' Overall Score.

Crash-test results, along with our dynamic performance tests and headlight evaluations, can be found on the car model pages.

2017 Top Safety Pick+ Winners

Small Cars
Chevrolet Volt
Hyundai Elantra (sedan only, built after March 2016)
Mazda3
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Prius (built after August 2016)

Midsized Cars
Honda Accord 4-­door
Mazda6
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry
Toyota Prius V
Volkswagen Jetta

Midsized Luxury Cars
Audi A4
Lexus ES 350
Volvo S60
Volvo V60

Large Luxury Cars
Genesis G80
Genesis G90
Lexus RC

Small SUVs
Mazda CX-­3
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester (built after October 2016)
Toyota RAV4

Midsized SUVs
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe (built after March 2016)

Midsized Luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Audi Q5
Buick Envision
Lexus NX
Lexus RX
Mercedes-­Benz GLE-­Class
Volvo XC60

Minivan
Chrysler Pacifica (built after August 2016)

Pickup Truck
Honda Ridgeline

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