The Safest Cars of 2014
Written by Staff Writer
Every year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performs independent safety testing on automobiles to determine the safest cars. For 2014 the IIHS has added an additional test to its criteria, the small overlap front test. Cars earn a score of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor in each of five tests. A score of Good in all five earns the automobile the distinction of IIHS Top Safety Pick.
This year the IIHS has a new rating above Top Safety Pick, called Top Safety Pick+. This means the car earned a score of Good in all five tests and also is equipped with collision prevention systems, such as warning sounds when the car is about to hit another car or object.
IIHS 2014 Top Safety Picks
Minicar
- Chevrolet Spark
Small Car
- Dodge Dart
- Ford Focus
- Honda Civic 2-Door
- Hyundai Elantra
- Scion tC
- Subaru Impreza
- Subaru XV Crosstrek
Midsize Moderately Priced Car
- Chrysler 200 4-door
- Dodge Avenger
- Kia Optima
- Nissan Altima
- Toyota Camry (built after 2013)
- Volkswagen Passat
Midsize Luxury Car
- Acura TL
Small SUV
- Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Midsize Luxury SUV
- Volvo XC90
IIHS 2014 Top Safety Picks+*
Small Car
- Honda Civic 4-Door
- Mazda 3 (built after 2013)
- Toyota Prius (built after 2013)
Midsize Moderately Priced Car
- Ford Fusion
- Honda Accord 2-door
- Honda Accord 4-door
- Mazda 6
- Subaru Legacy
- Subaru Outback
Midsize Luxury Car
- Infiniti Q50
- Lincoln MKZ
- Volvo S60
Luxury Car
- Acura RLX
- Volvo S80
Small SUV
- Mazda CX-5 (built 2013)
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Subaru Forester
Midsize SUV
- Toyota Highlander
Midsize Luxury SUV
- Acura MDX
- Mercedes-Benz M-Class (built after August 2013)
- Volvo XC60
Minivan
- Honda Odyssey
*The cars designated as Top Safety Pick+ only qualify for this title when equipped with optional front crash prevention systems, typically not included in the base models. Only the Volvo S60, S80, and XC60 and Honda Civic 4-door come with these systems as standard equipment.
SafeMotorist.com Driving Safety Articles:
This article was written by SafeMotorist.com defensive driving staff writers and reviewed for accuracy by defensive driving instructors. All articles are based on current traffic laws and defensive driving practices. This article is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be taken as legal advice or literal interpretation of any specific traffic law.