If you’re like a lot of people, the impending arrival of the new year might have you in the mind to buy a new car. If that’s the case, hopefully safety is a top priority.
Here are the 2019 vehicles with the best safety features
To help with your vehicle selection, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released its safety awards for 2019. Fifty-seven vehicles qualified for the Top Safety Pick Plus or Top Safety Pick award from the institute.
The highest ratings, the Top Safety Pick Plus designation, went to 30 “first-tier” vehicles that exhibited elite passenger-side protection in a crash as well as good-rated headlights.
Twenty-seven other “second-tier” winners qualified for acceptable or higher ratings during IIHS crash tests and nighttime headlight evaluations.
Cars and SUVs make up the majority of the awardees, according to the IIHS. Noticeably absent are microcars, minicars, and pickups.
Top Safety Pick Plus Awardees
The three criteria for Plus awards are:
- Good ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests
- Advanced or superior ratings for front-crash prevention
- Good headlight rating
Small cars
- Honda Insight
- Hyundai Elantra (built after September 2018)
- Kia Forte
- Kia Niro hybrid
- Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
- Subaru Crosstrek
- Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan
- Subaru Impreza wagon
- Subaru WRX
Midsize cars
Midsize luxury cars
Large car
- Toyota Avalon (built after September 2018)
Large luxury cars
Small SUVs
Midsize SUVs
Midsize luxury SUVs
Top Safety Pick Awardees
The four criteria for the Top Safety Pick Award are:
- Good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests
- Acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test
- Advanced or superior ratings for front-crash prevention
- Acceptable or good headlight rating
Minicars
Small cars
- Hyundai Elantra GT
- Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
- Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid (built after July 2018)
- Kia Soul
- Nissan Kicks
- Toyota Corolla 4-door hatchback
Midsize cars
Midsize luxury cars
Large car
Small SUVs
Midsize SUVs
- Honda Pilot
- Hyundai Santa Fe XL
- Mazda CX-9
- Nissan Pathfinder (built after August 2018)
- Toyota Highlander
Minivans
The IIHS test verification program expects the winner’s list to expand as new models are evaluated in 2019
Want more tips? Check out the Clark Smart way to buy a vehicle.
