Safest New Cars of 2024, According to IIHS

Vehicles must now meet stricter requirements to earn the safety group’s Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ designations

The Genesis Electrified GV70 has earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation for 2024.

By Keith Barry

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has added new requirements for vehicles to earn the 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 earned the Top Safety Pick+ ranking this year compared to last year, but the cars on this year’s list are safer than ever.

For 2024, the majority of winners are small and midsize SUVs. Few cars and pickup trucks earned the nods this year, which IIHS President David Harkey attributes to the dominance of SUVs in the current market. Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, which share ownership, have the most awards overall. Toyota and Lexus are in second place, and Mazda is in third.

To earn this year’s Top Safety Pick+, vehicles must score Acceptable or Good in an updated moderate frontal overlap crash test, in which a dummy is placed in the seat behind the driver to evaluate the rear seat’s impact protection. The test mimics what happens when a vehicle crosses a center line and 40 percent of its front end hits an oncoming vehicle of the same size going 40 mph. Vehicles must also score Good in an updated side impact test, introduced for 2021.

The IIHS, which is funded by the insurance industry, has been testing automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection since 2019. But in another change to the award requirements, this is the first year that a vehicle must score Acceptable or Good for its combined performance in both daylight and nighttime conditions to earn Top Safety Pick status. Last year, a car could earn a Top Safety Pick based on daytime performance alone. The change is part of a renewed focus on the safety of all road users, not just those inside the car, the IIHS said.

The 2025 Toyota Camry, shown here after a moderate-overlap frontal crash, earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating.

Photo: IIHS

“There is still progress to be made in the protection vehicles provide to their occupants, as the introduction of the updated moderate overlap test demonstrates,” 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 small overlap frontal crash tests on the driver and passenger sides. These tests simulate a collision with a tree, a telephone pole or the front corner of an oncoming car. Vehicles must also have full-length, high-performance headlights.

The IIHS says it will continue to announce award winners as testing is completed and that more vehicles will likely be added to the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ lists as automakers implement changes to improve their performance in the updated moderate overlap crash test.

By tweaking these coveted ratings to include tests and technologies that reflect where and how people are killed and injured, vehicles will become safer over time, says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “Each iteration represents a step forward in identifying cars that offer the highest levels of safety, an important element for consumers as they choose a vehicle for themselves and their families,” she says. That goes for both people inside and outside the vehicle.

Safety in the backseat is especially important, says Emily A. Thomas, PhD, auto safety manager at Consumer Reports. But safety advances for front-seat passengers have outpaced those for the backseat. “Consumer Reports has been rewarding manufacturers for incorporating advanced safety technology into the backseat since 2021, and the IIHS ratings evaluate the implementation of these safety systems,” she says. “Together, both programs make for a safer backseat passenger experience.”

The Tesla Model Y is one of several electric cars to receive the Top Safety Pick+ rating.

Photo: Tesla

2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Winners

Small cars
Acura Integra
Honda Civic sedan (2025)
Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan
Toyota Prius

Medium size cars
Honda Accord
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Toyota Camry (2025)

Big 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
Hyundai Tucson (built after March 2024)
Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-50 (built after August 2023)
Subaru Solterra

Mid-size SUVs
Ford Explorer
Honda Pilot (model year 2025)
Kia Telluride
Mazda CX-90
Nissan Pathfinder (built after November 2023)
Subaru Ascension

Luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
BMW X3
BMW X5
Genesis electrified GV70
Genesis GV70 (2025)
Genesis GV80 (built after August 2023)
Lexus NX
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (with optional frontal impact protection)
Tesla Model Y
Volvo XC90

2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick Winners

Small cars
Honda Civic hatchback (2025)
Hyundai Elantra
Subaru Impreza
Subaru WRX
Toyota Prius Prime

Medium size cars
Hyundai Sonata
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry

Big car
Toyota Crown

Mid-size luxury cars
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Big 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
Mini farmer

Mid-size SUVs
Honda pilot
Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Kia EV9
Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Nissan Ariya
Toyota Highlander
Volkswagen Atlas
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Volkswagen ID.4

Large SUVs
Jeep Wagoneer

Small pick-up truck
Toyota Tacoma

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