These Are the 38 Safest Vehicles on the Road

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When it comes to safety, not all cars and trucks are created equal.

To help you select a safe vehicle for you and your family, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its list of the top-ranked vehicles for safety in the U.S.

To earn a spot on IIHS’s coveted “Top Safety Pick+” list, a car must receive “good” ratings on five separate crashworthiness tests, earn an “advanced” or “superior” rating for front-crash prevention, and a “good” or “acceptable” rating for headlights.

Stricter rules on automatic braking technology were adopted last year. In 2016, the IIHS also implemented stricter safety standards for headlights.

“That’s a critical safety issue since about half of all traffic deaths happen either at dawn or dusk,” says MoneyWatch.

In all, 38 vehicles earned Top Safety Pick awards from IIHS this year and 44 earned a spot on the Top Safety Pick+ list. In a press release, Adrian Lund, IIHS president, says:

“The field of contenders is smaller this year because so few vehicles have headlights that do their job well, but it’s not as small as we expected when we decided to raise the bar for the awards.”

These vehicles were named Top Safety Pick+ winners by IIHS:

Small Cars:

  • Chevrolet Volt
  • Hyundai Elantra (sedan only; built after March 2016)
  • Mazda 3 (4-door sedan and 4-door hatchback)
  • Toyota Corolla
  • Toyota Prius (built after August 2016)

Small SUVs

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

Midsize cars:

  • Honda Accord 4-door
  • Mazda 6
  • Nissan Altima
  • Nissan Maxima
  • Subaru Legacy
  • Subaru Outback
  • Toyota Camry
  • Toyota Prius v
  • Volkswagen Jetta

Midsize SUVs:

  • Honda Pilot
  • Hyundai Santa Fe
    built after March 2016

Midsize luxury cars:

  • Audi A4
  • Lexus ES 350
  • Volvo S60
  • Volvo V60

Midsize luxury SUVs:

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

Large luxury cars:

  • Genesis G80
  • Genesis G90
  • Lexus RC

Minivans:

  • Chrysler Pacifica (built after August 2016)

Large pickup:

  • Honda Ridgeline

Visit the IIHS website to see the safe vehicles list in its entirety.

What do you think of IIHS’s list of the safest vehicles? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.

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