Safety is an important consideration when shopping for a vehicle, especially if you’re raising a family. Beyond that, cars with the best safety ratings may also be eligible for lower car insurance rates, putting money in your pocket.
Take a look at these cars and keep in mind their safety features, as well as what criteria you can look for when you’re in the market for a new car.
Shortlisted cars with the best safety ratings
Each year, a variety of organizations rate new car models based on factors like safety, and these lists are a great research tool for consumers who are looking to buy a new vehicle. Often, these organizations will rate cars in different classes, including luxury cars, SUVs, small, and mid-sized sedans or coups, vans, and pickup trucks.
For 2018, here are 15 vehicles that made one of the most prestigious lists around, the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ list:
- Toyota Camry
- Lincoln Continental
- Kia Soul and Forte (sedan)
- BMW 5 Series
- Genesis G80 and G90
- Subaru Impreza, Legacy, Outback, and WRX
- Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class (sedan) and GLC
Safety features to look for in top-rated cars
There are many things that manufacturers, consumers, auto insurance providers, and safety associations look for when rating cars for safety. These include things like driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety.
Here are some of the features you might want to look for when car shopping:
- Total car rollover crash protection.
- Passenger crash test safety ratings.
- Lane departure and blind spot warnings.
- Leading-edge headlight, high beam, and daytime running light technology.
- Crash prevention features.
- ABS brakes and automatic collision braking.
- Pedestrian detection.
- Electronic stability control and traction control.
- Advanced seat belt features and LATCH systems for car seats.
- Cameras and monitors.
About the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
The cars in this list were all qualified for the Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, a non-profit organization that’s concerned with increased safety standards for vehicles. The organization was founded in 1959 with the aim of reducing crashes, reducing injuries from accidents, and reducing damage caused by collisions.
Each year, the IIHS releases a list of cars that meet the Top Safety Pick+, with 2018 having the most rigorous standards to date.
There are so many reasons to look for cars with high safety ratings, including:
- Passenger safety.
- Other drivers on the road.
- Minimizing vehicle repairs to save money.
- Improving your auto car insurance premiums.
Each year, car manufacturers take vehicle safety to a new level, and this year there has been a greater focus on passenger safety. All of this means that the cars listed here not only take driver safety very seriously, but also the safety of the loved ones you may have in the car with you.
There’s nothing more important than that, but saving money with lower insurance premiums is a nice bonus anyway.
