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safest cars in the world/safest auto 2025

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced the leaders of its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ competition. As every year, the awards are given in 12 categories, ranging from small cars to large pickup trucks. Let’s have a look at the winners and their advantages over competitors.

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Safest Autos 2025

To gain a Top Safety Pick+ award, the IIHS requires vehicles to pass an updated moderate overlap test (introduced for 2022). It uses new scoring criteria based on a recalculated formula and tests for second-row passenger safety. The top safest cars of 2025 are:

Mazda 3
Toyota Prius
Honda Civic
Acura Integra
Honda Accord
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Toyota Camry
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Crown
Genesis G80 and G90
Genesis GV60
Mazda CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, CX-90
Nissan Kicks
Genesis GV70, GV80
Rivian R1S
Rivian R1T
Toyota Tundra
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Toyota Tacoma

Mazda earned two Top Safety Pick+ awards in the small-car category with the 2024-2025 Mazda 3 sedan and Mazda 3 hatchback, along with the 2024 Toyota Prius conventional hybrid (the Prius plug-in hybrid earned a Top Safety Pick award), 2025 Honda Civic sedan, and 2024-2025 Acura Integra hatchback. Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota earned Top Safety Pick+ awards in the midsize car category with the 2024-2025 Accord, 2024 Ioniq 6, and 2025 Camry, respectively.

Only one midsize luxury car earned the top honor, the 2024-2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Only the Toyota Crown earned an award in the regular large car category, but it was a Top Safety Pick award, not a Pick+. There are only three Top Safety Pick+ awards in the Large Luxury Car category, and they go to Genesis with the Electrified G80, regular G80, and G90 sedan.

The Small SUV category is full of Top Safety Pick+ awards, including several electric vehicles, including the Genesis GV60 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Mazda earned two more awards in this category with the 2024-2025 CX-30 and CX-50. Mazda also earned four Top Safety Pick+ awards in the Midsize SUV category with the 2024-2025 CX-70 and CX-70 PHEV, as well as the corresponding CX-90 models. CarBuzz’s Budget Car of the Year winner, the Nissan Kicks, earned a Top Safety Pick award.

Midsize luxury SUVs once again stood out thanks to Genesis with three models — the regular and plug-in hybrid versions of the GV70, as well as the GV80. Things were more interesting in the large SUV category, where the Rivian R1S was the sole winner. In the large truck category, the Rivian R1T was followed only by the Toyota Tundra. The minivan and small truck categories were the only Top Safety Picks, going to the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Hyundai Santa Cruz, and Toyota Tacoma.

Here are several winners in different categories and their distinctive safety features.

Mazda Mazda 3: Top Safety Pick+ in the small-car category

The Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback meet the requirements with all standard equipment. The front collision prevention system received the highest ratings in daytime and nighttime vehicle and pedestrian safety tests. Two different headlight versions are offered in different finishes, one receiving a "good" and the other a "fair" rating.

Among the safety features, Mazda can boast:

The Road Sign Recognition System (TSR);
The Smart City Brake Support (SCBS;
The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM);
Lane-Keep Assist System (LKA) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDW);
The adaptive lighting system with automatic light flow control (ALH);
ERA-GLONASS for calling emergency services, and more.

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Toyota Prius: safest hybrid car in 2025

Standard on all 2024 Toyota Prius models is the new Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) suite of safety systems with improved detection capabilities. It includes:

Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection;
Adaptive Cruise Control with Full-Speed Dynamic Radar;
Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist;
Automatic High Beams;
Lane Keeping Assist;
Road Sign Recognition Assist;
Proactive Driving Assist that monitors the distance to a vehicle or pedestrian/cyclist in front.

Honda vs. Toyota reliability

Honda Accord: safest midsize auto

Based on its vision of a collision-free society, Honda works to improve the safety of all road users, an approach Honda calls "Safety for Everyone."

The car's advanced ACE body structure and next-generation front airbags offer superior crash protection in a collision. The advanced driver assistance and active safety systems featured in Honda Sensing technologies are designed to reduce the severity of collisions and serve as a technological and perceptual bridge to the more automated vehicles of the future.

The key safety features in the Honda Accord include:

Standard Honda Sensing with a new front camera and radar;
New Blind Spot Detection System (BSI);
Updated Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS);
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA);
Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS);
Road Departure Mitigation (RDM);
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR);
Traffic Jam Assist (TJA);
Rear Cross Traffic Monitor (CTM);
Pedestrian Protection Hood (PUH);
Driver Attention Monitor (DAM);
Cornering Assist (CSA) and more.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Safest midsize luxury car in the world

The manufacturer has equipped the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan in the 2024 version with an expectedly impressive list of active and passive safety technologies. Among the key points, we highlight the following:

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC;
PRE-SAFE System tightens the seat belts, and closes the sunroof and windows, preparing passengers for a potential impact. In the event of a side impact, it can also raise the car to minimize the consequences of the accident.
Parking package with 360° view.

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Toyota Tacoma: safest small truck in the world

The Toyota Tacoma 2024 model is a dependable and robust midsize pickup truck. It offers a combination of rugged performance, modern technology, and practical features. Whether for everyday driving, work activities, or off-road adventures, the Tacoma delivers reliable performance and is well-equipped to meet drivers' needs.

Toyota prioritizes safety in the 2024 Tacoma, equipping it with several systems designed to protect passengers and driver. Standard safety systems include Toyota Safety Sense, which provides: