The IIHS updates its testing standards for its “Top Safety Pick” ratings each year.
For the past few years, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has mainly honed in on headlight performance and daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian protection ratings in determining the safest cars on the market. Now, the firm has fully implemented its updated side crash test for 2023 and is also testing nighttime pedestrian detection and collision avoidance systems. The tougher tests knocked several vehicles out of the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating, though there are still a handful of contenders across most vehicle classes.
Compared to 101 vehicles that won Top Safety Pick awards last year (65 won TSP+), only 48 managed it this year (28 TSP+ and 20 TSP).
Defining this year’s criteria
Generally speaking, a vehicle has to score at least “Acceptable” in a battery of crashworthiness and front crash prevention system tests to earn a Top Safety Pick rating at all. The “Plus” part of the award tightens the criteria to only allow “Good” rating in all crash tests, including the updated side crash test.
The IIHS initially ran the side test back in October 2021 with a range of current SUVs, but this year sees that evalulation fully replace the old version. So, cars now have to weather a heavier two-ton test rig traveling at a faster 37 mph speed to earn top marks in side impacts.
Beyond the actual crash tests, vehicles have to score well in nighttime frontal crash prevention tests. As ever, headlights are also an important consideration. The organization contends its already pushed several inferior headlight options off the market, and an improvement in headlight performance has led to a 15-19 percent reduction in single-vehicle crashes at night.
Top Safety Pick winners: The list
Significantly, several models that had a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2022 have been demoted to the standard list thanks to the updated tests. Of the 28 total vehicles awarded with a Top Safety Pick this year, Toyota leads the pack with 15 vehicles, including Lexus models. Honda and Acura models come in second with 8, followed by Mazda with 6 and Subaru with 5.
Small cars:
- Honda Civic hatchback (excluding the Type R)
- Honda Civic sedan
- Mazda 3 hatchback
- Mazda 3 sedan
- Toyota Corolla hatchback
- Toyota Corolla sedan
Midsize cars (including luxury cars):
- Hyundai Sonata (built after December 2022)
- Lexus ES 350
- Subaru Legacy
Small SUVs:
- Mazda CX-30
- Mazda CX-5
- Mazda CX-50
- Nissan Rogue
- Subaru Forester
- Toyota RAV4
- Toyota RAV4 Prime
- Toyota Venza
Midsize SUVs (including luxury SUVs):
Top Safety Pick+ recipients
Apart from Mazda, Toyota and Honda did land several models in the Top Safety Pick+ category. Unsurprisingly, small cars had a tougher time winning top marks in this year’s rounds of tests, with the Acura Integra being the only car in that segment to do so, at least in this round of evaluation.
Small cars:
Midsize cars (including luxury cars):
- Genesis G90
- Subaru Outback
- Toyota Camry (built after January 2023)
Small SUVs:
- Honda CR-V
- Honda HR-V
- Lexus UX
- Subaru Solterra (built after October 2022)
Midsize SUVs (including luxury SUVs):
- Acura MDX
- Acura RDX
- Infiniti QX60
- Lexus NX (including the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid)
- Hyundai Palisade
- Kia Telluride
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Subaru Ascent
- Tesla Model Y
- Toyota Highlander
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Volvo XC90 (including the Recharge plug-in hybrid)
Minivans:
Two trucks also earned top marks
In addition to all the cars listed above, two 2023 model trucks also managed to earn Top Safety Pick+ ratings: the Rivian R1T and the Toyota Tundra. We have more truck-specific information over on TFLtruck.com, so check that out!
