When you're buying a new car, reliability and fuel efficiency are important, but ultimately nothing is more important than safety. If your car won't start you'll lose time and money, but a crash in an unsafe car could mean losing a loved one or even your own life. And while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does its own crash testing , the gold standard for vehicle safety is actually the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety.
It also makes sense when you think about it, as keeping drivers safe in a crash also means insurance companies spend less money. The IIHS also regularly raises its standards , which means that while 71 vehicles were eligible for awards last year, only 48 qualified this year. Of those 48, though, 36 earned the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award.
"We're once again challenging automakers to make their new models even safer than those they were building a year ago," IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. "Every vehicle that earns a 2025 award offers a high level of safety in both the front seat and the second row." So which cars, trucks and SUVs made the cut? Let's take a look.
Small cars The safest small cars you can buy in 2025 are: Midsize cars The safest midsize cars you can buy in 2025 are: Midsize luxury The safest midsize luxury car you can buy in 2025 is (yes, sadly, there's only one): Small SUVs The safest small SUVs you can buy in 2025 are: Midsize SUVs The safest midsize SUVs you can buy in 2025 are: Midsize luxury SUVs The.