Safest New Cars of 2024, According to the IIHS
Vehicles must now meet more stringent requirements to earn the safety group's Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ designations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety added new requirements for vehicles to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ designations in 2024, including new performance criteria for rear-seat passenger and pedestrian protection. As a result, far fewer vehicles earn the Top Safety Pick+ ranking this year compared with last year, but the cars on this year’s list are safer than ever.
“There’s still progress to be made in the protection that vehicles provide for their occupants, as the introduction of the updated moderate overlap test shows,” Harkey said in a statement. “But many of the biggest gains of the future will come from automakers and policymakers, along with all of us as car buyers and drivers, taking steps to protect everyone on the road, not just our own families.”
As always, vehicles must protect occupants in driver- and passenger-side small-overlap front crash tests. These tests mimic a crash with a tree, a telephone pole, or the front corner of an oncoming car. Vehicles must also have high-performing headlights across trim lines.
The IIHS says it will continue to announce award winners as it completes testing, and that more vehicles will likely be added to both the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ lists as automakers implement changes to improve their performance in the updated moderate overlap crash test.
Adapting these coveted ratings to include tests and technologies that reflect where and how people are killed and injured makes vehicles safer over time, says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “Each iteration means the next step in identifying cars that provide the highest levels of safety, a key element for consumers when choosing a vehicle for themselves and their families,” she says. That’s true for those both in and out of the vehicle.
Rear-seat safety is especially important, says Emily A. Thomas, PhD, auto safety manager at Consumer Reports. But safety advances for front passengers have outpaced those for the back seat. “Consumer Reports has been rewarding manufacturers for including advanced safety technology in the rear seat since 2021, and the IIHS ratings are evaluating the implementation of these safety systems,” she says. “Together, both programs are pushing safety forward for back-seat passengers.”
2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Winners
Small Cars
Acura Integra
Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan
Toyota Prius
Midsized Cars
Honda Accord
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Large Luxury Car
Genesis Electrified G80
Genesis G80 (built after October 2023)
Genesis G90 (built after October 2023)
Small SUVs
Genesis GV60
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Kona
Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-50 (built after August 2023)
Midsized SUVs
Ford Explorer
Kia Telluride
Mazda CX-90
Nissan Pathfinder (built after November 2023)
Subaru Ascent
Midsized Luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
BMW X3
Genesis GV80 (built after August 2023)
Mercedes-Benz GLE Class (with optional front crash prevention)
Tesla Model Y
2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick Winners
Small Cars
Hyundai Elantra
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Prius Prime
Midsized Cars
Hyundai Sonata
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry
Large Car
Toyota Crown
Midsized Luxury Cars
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Large Luxury Cars
Genesis G80 (built before November 2023)
Genesis G90 (built before November 2023)
Small SUVs
BMW X1
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage
Lexus UX
Lexus RZ
Subaru Solterra
Midsized SUVs
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Nissan Ariya
Toyota Highlander
Volkswagen Atlas
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport