The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its list of the safest vehicles for 2025. The diverse list spans multiple segments, including sedans, SUVs, pickups, and electric vehicles. This year's testing placed an increased emphasis on rear passenger safety.
Evaluations included crash tests, automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, and headlight performance. Results are rated as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.
The safest vehicles earn either a Top Safety Pick (TSP) or the highest accolade, Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+). The recently published list encompasses 2025 models. The IIHS plans to test additional vehicles throughout the year, awarding TSP and TSP+ designations to those that meet the criteria.
The 2025 Top Safety Pick+ award recipients are listed below:
| Segment | Model |
| Small Car | Honda Civic hatchback Hyundai Elantra Kia K4 sedan Mazda3 Toyota Prius hatchback |
| Midsize Car | Honda Accord Hyundai Ioniq 6 Hyundai Sonata Toyota Camry |
| Midsize Luxury Car | Mercedes C-class sedan |
| Small SUV | Genesis GV40 Honda HR-V Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Kona Hyundai Tucson Mazda CX-30 Mazda CX-50 Subaru Solterra Toyota bZ4X |
| Midsize SUV | Buick Enclave Ford Mustang Mach-E Hyundai Santa Fe Kia EV9 Kia Telluride Mazda CX-70 (including PHEV version) Mazda CX-90 (including PHEV version) Nissan Murano Nissan Pathfinder |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | Audi Q6 e-tron BMW X5 Genesis GV70 (gas and electric versions) Genesis GV80 Lincoln Nautilus Mercedes GLC Mercedes GLE Tesla Model Y Volvo XC90 (including PHEV version) |
| Large SUV | Audi Q7 Infiniti QX80 Nissan Armada Rivian R1S |
| Large Pickup | Toyota Tundra (crew cab) |
To qualify for a TSP rating, vehicles must earn an Acceptable rating in the moderate overlap front crash test, simulating a scenario where 40% of the front of a vehicle strikes another vehicle of similar size at 64 km/h. They must also achieve a Good rating in the side impact test, driver-side small overlap front test, and pedestrian front crash prevention test, along with an Acceptable or Good rating for headlights.
The TSP+ designation requires vehicles to meet all TSP criteria and obtain a Good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test.
 |
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric vehicle during a front crash test. Screenshot. |
The IIHS has progressively raised its standards. For example, in 2024, an Acceptable rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test was sufficient for a TSP+ award. Consequently, some vehicles absent from this year's list are not necessarily less safe but reflect stricter standards.
Notably, this year's list excludes minivans and includes only two pickup trucks.
"This is unfortunate as minivans are marketed as family vehicles, and extended cab and crew cab pickups are often used for that purpose," IIHS president David Harkey said.
Changes in crash tests often reflect real-world collision data. The IIHS conducts the front crash test with a dummy positioned behind the driver to assess rear passenger protection. The organization introduced new performance criteria for rear passenger and pedestrian protection in 2024 and updated its side impact test in 2021.
These changes contribute to improved vehicle safety. Most automakers enhance their vehicles' crashworthiness over time to meet increasingly stringent testing requirements.
My Anh
