These Are the 38 Safest Cars of 2017
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its list of Top Safety Picks for 2017.
This year, IIHS made it more difficult to earn the Top Safety Pick+ award by adding new headlight evaluations that were launched in 2016. A total of 44 vehicles earned a Top Safety Pick rating, while 38 vehicles earned the “plus” accolade.
For both awards, vehicles most earn “good” ratings in the institute’s small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention with standard or optional autobrake. Headlights are factored in only for the top award.
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Toyota and Lexus led the way this year with nine Top Safety Pick+ winners, while Honda and Acura combined for five Top Safety Pick+ awards. Among all the 2017 models tested, only seven vehicles are available with good-rated headlights: Chevrolet Volt, Honda Ridgeline, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subary Legacy, Toyota Prius v and Volvo XC60.
“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,” said Adrian Lund, IIHS president. “Manufacturers are focusing on improving this basic safety equipment, and we’re confident that the winners’ list will grow as the year progresses.”
Below are this year’s Top Safety Pick+ award winners.
Small Cars
Midsize Cars
- Honda Accord 4-door
- Mazda6
- Nissan Altima
- Nissan Maxima
- Subaru Legacy
- Subaru Outback
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Prius v
- Volkswagen Jetta
Midsize Luxury Cars
Large Luxury Cars
- Genesis G80
- Genesis G90
- Lexus RC
Small SUVs
- Mazda CX-3
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Nissan Rogue
- Subaru Forester (built after October 2018)
- Toyota RAV4
Midsize SUVs
- Honda Pilot
- Hyundai Santa Fe (built after March 2016)
Midsize 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)
Large Pickup
- Honda Ridgeline
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Wondering if these ratings aren't bought and paid for.
At the least, the Chevrolet Volt driver and front passenger would lose their legs, as shown here.