Safest Cars 2023: IIHS Top Safety Picks

In the market for a new car? Safety should be high on your “needs” checklist and a great place to start is the list of the safest cars 2023. The good news? Each year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) releases a list of their top safety picks in various vehicle categories, such as midsize SUVs, large cars, etc. This year’s list includes fewer vehicles, with 28 models earning the Top Safety Pick+ award and 48 vehicles in total.

“The number of winners is smaller this year because we’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “These models are true standouts in both crashworthiness and crash prevention.”

So if you’re looking to haul the kids and dogs around in the safest SUVs or just want a safe car for your everyday commute, you have plenty to choose from.

Keep in mind that not all vehicles are built equally. Larger vehicles are typically able to offer more protection than smaller cars and SUVs. Thus, protections across categories may not necessarily be equal.

But let’s start with the IIHS rating system. The following is how the vehicles’ ratings are determined.

IIHS Rating System

The IIHS, a nonprofit research and education organization, was founded in 1959 and launched their first bumper tests in 1969. Their crash tests and data collection since then have led to major life-saving advances within the auto industry. They know a thing or two about safety.

The IIHS rating system consists of tests that measure:

• Crashworthiness
• Crash avoidance and mitigation
• Child seat anchors
• And other available safety features (like blind spot detection)

Over the years, the IIHS has strived to push automakers to put safety at the forefront. Changes to the tests this year include:

• A more challenging side impact test
• A rise in headlight rating criteria
• Added a nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test

While these changes have significantly shortened the list this year compared to last year, Harkey has confidence in automakers:

“It’s exciting that these manufacturers have been so swift to implement the substantial design changes and technological advancements that these new requirements demand,” said Harkey. “We’re confident that the number of winners will continue to grow throughout the year.”