Here Are The 15 Safest Cars For 2018, And Only One Is American, IIHS Says

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed 15 vehicles qualified for their Top Safety Pick+ award following the decision to strengthen the requirements to include “good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.”The winners were predominately German, Korean and Japanese cars including the Kia Forte sedan and Soul as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport. The list also includes the popular Toyota Camry as well as several different Subaru models including the Impreza, Legacy, Outback, and WRX. Several luxury vehicles came away with the Top Safety Pick+ award and they include the BMW 5-Series, Lincoln Continental (the only American brand to make the list), and Genesis G80 and G90. Mercedes also made the list thanks to the E-Class sedan and GLC crossover. 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick award and the updated requirements mean they all have either good or acceptable headlights. You can view the full list here but notable compact vehicles that earned the award include the Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Corolla. Other award winning sedans including the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Nissan Altima. On the crossover side, the IIHS gave honors to the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, and Mitsubishi Outlander. Other notable models included the Honda Pilot, Lexus RX, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Volvo XC60. Trucks and minivans had a poor showing overall but the Chrysler Pacifica as well as the Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline made the cut. The decision to increase the requirements was made because the IIHS says it “became clear that some manufacturers weren’t paying sufficient attention” to offering effective headlights and a safe environment for passengers. According to IIHS President Adrian Lund, “Drivers expect that their passengers, who are often family, will be protected just as well as they are.” He added, “Manufacturers have been taking this issue seriously since we first shed light on it, and we’re confident that good small overlap protection will become the norm on the passenger side, just as it has on the driver side.” Video IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Small cars Kia Forte (sedan)Kia SoulSubaru ImprezaSubaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru LegacySubaru OutbackToyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 seriesGenesis G80Genesis G90Lincoln ContinentalMercedes-Benz E-Class (sedan) Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa FeHyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize Luxury SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLC Top Safety Pick Small cars Chevrolet VoltHyundai Ioniq HybridHyundai ElantraHyundai Elantra GTMazda 3Subaru CrosstrekToyota CorollaToyota PriusToyota Prius Prime Midsize cars Honda AccordHyundai SonataKia OptimaNissan AltimaNissan Maxima Midsize luxury cars Alfa Romeo GiuliaAudi A3Audi A4BMW 3 series (sedan)Lexus ESLexus ISVolvo S60Volvo V60 Large cars Kia CadenzaToyota Avalon Small SUVs Honda CR-VHyundai TucsonKia SportageMazda CX-3Mazda CX-5Mitsubishi OutlanderNissan RogueSubaru ForesterToyota RAV4Midsize SUVs Honda PilotKia SorentoMazda CX-9Toyota Highlander Midsize luxury SUVs Acura MDXAcura RDXBuick EnvisionLexus NXLexus RXMercedes-Benz GLE-ClassVolvo XC60 Minivans Chrysler PacificaHonda OdysseyLarge pickup Honda Ridgeline