One of the great things about the modern automotive industry is how far designers and engineers have come in regard to safety. Ever since Volvo and Mercedes pioneered safety technology in the late 1950s with seat belts and crumple zones, the pursuit to create the safest car in its respective segment has never stopped.
Today, you can have confidence that in the event of an accident, you and your passengers will be able to walk away. With multiple airbags, clever crumple zones, and a plethora of technological assists, cars have never been safer as this compiled list of the safest cars in 2022 proves. In 2023, you are spoiled for choice as far as cars with 5-star safety ratings go.
Here is a list of the safest cars on sale rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for 2023 from a number of different vehicle segments.
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10 Toyota Avalon
The Toyota Avalon has been rated by the NHTSA as one of the safest large sedans for the 2023 model year. And this should give you immense confidence if you don't want to sit up in an SUV or crossover.
Scoring 5/5 in the side crash rating, a rollover risk of just 10.5% as well as offering a wash of features such as auto emergency braking and cross-traffic alert, the Avalon easily cruised to an overall NHTSA 5-star safety rating.
Standing out from the crowd as Toyota chose to continue production of a 4-door sedan unlike Ford with the Taurus and General Motors with the Chevrolet Impala, the Avalon is a compelling choice of car if you want a conventional, reliable car that will not only cause you little fuss but will also protect its occupants with confidence.
9 Honda Accord
Honda scores well on this list as two of their models are rated by the NHTSA as some of the safest cars in their respective segments. The Accord ties with the Toyota Avalon as the Japanese brands continue to impress in the conventional sedan segment.
The Accord has been on sale since the 1970s, and in 2023, has truly reached its peak in occupant safety as well as general driving dynamics and engineering refinement. The Accord is a truly great car and Honda should be proud to be one of the highest-scoring manufacturers for safety.
With 5 stars awarded in all categories for 2022, the Accord will no doubt be a winner continuing into 2023.
8 Honda Civic
Honda also scored impressively with the popular Civic model, making it one of the safest cars in the hatchback segment. With its added size, comes extra safety gear, and the NHTSA rate it highly as a result.
With 4 stars awarded for front collision, but 5 awarded everywhere else along with a rollover risk of just 9.5%, the Civic is a safe bet for sturdy transport to carry your loved ones around in.
It may be smaller than a lot of cars available on the American market, but don't let that be a deterrent as the Civic boasts immense safety qualities to its name and also made an appearance on a list of more of the safest cars you can buy.
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7 Mazda 3
Impressively, Mazda has something to boast about as well. Alongside the Civic, the Mazda 3 also ranks as one of the safest hatchbacks in the segment according to the NHTSA.
The beautifully-styled hatchback scored 5 stars all-round in 2022 with the model unchanged for the 2023 model year, marking a proud moment for the Japanese brand.
The Mazda 3 it seems, is as safe to travel around in, as it is fantastic to look at. Japanese manufacturers score highly for safety in this list, and how impressive is it for one to look cool while doing so.
6 Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger has been one of America's staple sedans since the rebirth of the iconic nameplate in the mid-2000s. It was popular with not only regular buyers but also police forces. So having the reassurance that the troops are driving one of the safest cars on sale is a great thing.
The Charger scored a front collision rating of 4 stars, but 5 was awarded everywhere else. The NHTSA also liked the host of safety features now available such as auto emergency braking and lane-keeping assist.
It's good to know, therefore, that a car that many occupants will do lots of miles in will protect them as much as possible.
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5 Nissan Maxima
Another high scorer in the sedan segment is the Nissan Maxima, which scored 5 stars all-round from the NHTSA as well as their top safety pick for their large car category.
The Maxima impressed with its long list of safety equipment which for 2023, includes driver attention monitoring and a surround-view camera. The Maxima is officially rated as one of the safest cars on sale today, which is a good confidence booster for consumers.
If you're thinking about buying a Maxima for yourself, it's worth having a look at a guide of what to look out for!
4 Volkswagen ID4
The Volkswagen ID4 is the brand's volume fully-electric vehicle, and they should be proud of the fact that the NHTSA classed it as their top pick for the safest EVs on the market in 2023.
With 5 stars on front and side collisions and 4 stars on rollover, the ID4 is a sturdy vehicle for a high-riding electric SUV, and complete with pre-collision warning among a host of modern safety features, the EV Volkswagen is a safe bet as far as this segment goes.
Many people may be understandably skeptical of the overall safety of EVs in the event of an accident, but the ID4 impressed the safety judges as it scored a 5-star safety rating and formally slaps the EV=unsafe rumor in the face. We would be very interested in seeing how the ID Buzz will fare.
3 Ford Expedition
For the larger luxury SUV segment, it appears popular cars like the Acura MDX and Kia Telluride mentioned on our 2022 list, have been outshone by Ford's entry to the market known as the Expedition.
The Expedition is one of the largest Ford models and SUVs on sale, and as well as its impressive array of features, it has an equally impressive safety rating to go with it.
The Expedition has been declared one of the safest cars on sale today. It scores 4 stars on the rollover test and 5 stars everywhere else due to its vast array of safety features such as lane-centering and steering assist. Given that it will likely be carrying several occupants from time to time, that's a huge selling point for Ford and the target marketplace.
2 Honda Ridgeline
The popular mid-size truck by Honda officially scored a 5-star all-round safety rating, making it the highest in its segment with rivals managing just 4 stars at most. The Ridgeline is a competitor to the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger which don't even score equal safety ratings.
It's reassuring, therefore, that in the event of a collision, the Ridgeline will protect you and your occupants with the title of the safest mid-size trucks currently on sale. Whether new versions of trucks from American brands will outclass the Ridgeline, remains to be seen.
1 Honda Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of, if not the most popular minivan on sale in the United States, and rightly so given its impressiveness in relevant areas. With huge updates introduced for the 2021 model year, the Odyssey can now boast the top pick for safety in the minivan segment from the NHTSA for 2023.
With 4 stars for rollover and 5 stars everywhere else, the Odyssey beats its competitors and is one of the safest family cars on sale today. This is an especially important consideration for the target market - which is likely to be a couple with a large family to carry around. Buying the safest car on sale is a huge selling point to this audience and Honda has delivered impeccably with the Odyssey.
Sources: National Highway Transport Safety Association
