The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is the golden standard for car safety. They perform dozens of tests on every single new car that is sold in the US and give ratings for how safe they are. The highest rating any car can earn is the Top Safety Pick+. That means a car has to get at least a “good” rating in “driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests,” as well as “advanced” or “superior” ratings for “front crash prevention — vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian” collisions.
That brand-new shiny car with all the advanced features doesn’t mean much if it can’t protect you when it really matters. Here are the cars and SUVs that managed to get the coveted Top Safety Pick+ in 2020.
10 Mazda 3
Mazda cleaned up very well with more than half of their entire lineup earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating. But the Mazda 3 in both sedan and hatchback models are especially impressive as they’re one of the very few cars that managed to get that honor in the “small cars” category.
Both Mazda 3 models managed to get the highest ratings in almost every safety category. This car is also notable as being the cheapest car on this list to earn the Top Safety Pick+ rating. Even the base model has keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and an advanced infotainment system. If consumers don’t need the extra height from a crossover, the hatchback has a total of 47.1 cu ft of cargo capacity, more than many small SUVs.
9 Toyota Camry
Perhaps the most popular family sedan of all time unsurprisingly is very safe. The Camry received full scores in almost every category except for front crash prevention: vehicle-to-pedestrian which received an “advanced” rating instead of a “superior” rating. For any attentive driver, this near-perfect score is still more than enough to protect the driver and passenger.
One of, if not the most popular family sedan of all time is synonymous with safety and reliability. When most other sedans have succumbed to the rising SUV trend, the Camry is still going strong in sales.
8 Lexus ES
Similar to the Toyota Camry, the Lexus ES scores almost perfect scores to earn the Top Safety Pick+ award. Unsurprisingly, both Toyota and Lexus use the same front crash prevention system so it too will get an “advanced” rating instead of “superior.”
Other than the slight blemish on its otherwise sparkling reputation the Lexus ES is a solid luxury sedan for consumers that value comfort above performance. The performance version of the ES is no slouch on the roads, it can still hustle on a highway entrance ramp when it has to but the car clearly has a more discerning audience in mind. Those looking for a mature and refined experience will love the practicality and safety of the ES.
7 Audi A6
Perhaps the most luxurious sedan on this list, the Audi A6 sedan as well as its wagon counterpart boast perfect scores in all safety categories earning the Top Safety Pick+ award. Other high-end luxury cars like the Mercedes C-Class sedan have also earned the Top Safety Pick+ but only when equipped with pricy optional features where the A6 has earned full marks even in the base trim.
Known for advanced technology and superior luxurious comfort, the A6 may very well be the best car in this segment for buyers with distinguished taste but also values class-leading safety.
6 Genesis G80
A newcomer to the market, Genesis is the luxury offshoot of Hyundai similar to how Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota. Genesis made a splash with its highly competitive luxury sedans often favorably compared to brands like BMW. All three sedans in Genesis’s lineup, the G70, G80, and G90 earned near-perfect scores resulting in the Top Safety Pick+ award.
The G80 is the most popular of the three sedans outselling the other two by almost 3 times the volume and it’s easy to see why. It's just as luxurious and reliable as a Lexus but with the performance of a BMW or Audi. The G80’s most appealing aspect is its price. When compared to a similarly equipped competitor it can be up to $10-$20 thousand dollars less.
5 Subaru Forester
Subaru’s legendary reliability speaks for itself and the Forester is one of the only vehicles on this list that has a long and celebrated history of off-roading thanks to Subaru’s advanced AWD system that comes standard on almost every model. The Forester has a perfect score in every safety category earning the Top Safety Pick+ award.
One of the greatest advantages of the Forester is its permanently engaged AWD system. Every other vehicle in the same segment as the Forester relies on AWD systems that only send extra power to a wheel when the system detects a loss of traction. That means where other small SUVs use their AWD systems to try and quickly recover from traction loss, the Forester’s always on AWD is better at preventing the traction loss the begin with.
4 Ford Explorer
Ford’s only model that earned the Top Safety Pick+ award is the highly popular Explorer. This midsized SUV is in a unique situation where the “Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking” that comes standard on all trims tested with the highest score “superior” but the advanced emergency braking system that’s part of optional packages scored a lower “advanced” score. It’s unclear why the advanced optional system performed worse in tests than the standard equipment but that is a small complaint about an otherwise exceedingly safe vehicle.
Used by police and first responders, the Explorer is one of the most popular midsized SUVs on the market today. With plenty of features and a long and celebrated history, many have called the explorer the spiritual successor to the renowned Crown Victoria. The reason the Explorer is so popular with both government agencies and consumers alike is because there is a package/trim for everyone. A V6 engine or hybrid powertrain, advanced safety features, and even a self-parking feature. This iconic Swiss army knife of a vehicle is a solid choice for almost anyone.
3 Volvo XC90
Volvo has built a foundational reputation on safety. For decades, Volvo has been known to value safety over everything else and the Volvo XC90 is the modern embodiment of that pursuit of safety. Scoring full marks in almost every category, the only demerits the XC90 accrued is for “acceptable” headlights, the second-highest score, and “advanced” instead of “superior” front crash prevention with vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios.
Most notably is the fact that the XC90 is also one of the highest-rated luxury SUVs on the market. While not a performance vehicle the technology is advanced and easy to use. The interior is consistently rated as one of the most luxurious and comfortable in any luxury SUV beating out some SUVs in other higher-priced segments.
2 Audi e-tron Sportback
We had to include at least one electric vehicle on this list. The IIHS awarded two EVs the coveted Top Safety Pick+. The Tesla Model 3 earned the esteemed award but arguably the much more exciting EV is the e-tron Sportback. The only large SUV to earn the Top Safety Pick+, the e-tron Sportback earned perfect scores in all safety categories including child seat anchor ease of use.
While not the EV with the most range, the e-tron Sportback is definitely one of the most comfortable EVs on the market. Often regarded as the “everyday EV,” the e-tron boasts the refinement and luxury that Audi is known for. The technology is cutting edge and traditionally driver-centric which means buyers won’t have to relearn how to use their cars but will still compete favorably with EV titans like Tesla.
1 Honda Odyssey
This list would not be complete without the king of family cars, a minivan. The Honda Odyssey is the only minivan to earn a Top Safety Pick+. The Odyssey scored perfect scores in almost every category except headlight design. Unsurprisingly, the Odyssey scored higher than the top score for child seat anchor ease of use.
Since its redesign, the Odyssey has been called the best minivan you can buy. Though minivans are a dying segment, they are still the first choice for those with a large family. The cargo capacity and three-row design with ample passenger space is simply unmatched for passenger comfort, a must for long road trips with children. Even the Subaru Ascent’s, one of the biggest SUVs on the market, 86 cu ft cargo space cannot hope to compete with the Odyssey’s 144.9 cu ft. As long as consumers can get over the soccer mom image, the Odyssey simply can’t be beaten for practicality and safety.