2017 Top Safety Picks

Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.

These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.

Small cars

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Chevrolet Volt 4-door hatchback

with optional front crash prevention

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Hyundai Elantra 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to sedans;
applies only to vehicles built after March 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT 4-door hatchback

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 4-door hatchback

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after May 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Kia Forte 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after March 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda 3 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Subaru Crosstrek 4-door wagon

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after October 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Subaru Impreza 4-door wagon

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Subaru WRX 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback

applies only to vehicles built after August 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Prius Prime 4-door hatchback

Midsize cars

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Honda Accord 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Kia Optima 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after March 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda 6 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Nissan Altima 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Nissan Maxima 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Prius v 4-door wagon

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Midsize luxury cars

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after May 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Audi A3 4-door sedan

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Audi A4 4-door sedan

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 BMW 2 series 2-door coupe

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to coupe models

Top Safety Pick+

2017 BMW 3 series 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to 4-door sedans;
applies only to vehicles built after November 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lexus ES 350 4-door sedan

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lexus IS 4-door sedan

with specific headlights
applies only to vehicles built after July 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Volvo S60 4-door sedan

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Volvo V60 4-door wagon

with specific headlights

Large cars

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Kia Cadenza 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan

with specific headlights; applies only to vehicles built after March 2017

Large luxury cars

Top Safety Pick+

2017 BMW 5 series 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Genesis G80 4-door sedan

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Genesis G90 4-door sedan

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lexus RC 2-door coupe

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lincoln Continental 4-door sedan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4-door sedan

Small SUVs

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Honda CR-V 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Hyundai Tucson 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to vehicles built after May 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Kia Sportage 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after June 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda CX-3 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda CX-5 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Nissan Rogue 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Subaru Forester 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to vehicles built after October 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Toyota RAV4 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Midsize SUVs

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Honda Pilot 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after March 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to vehicles built after June 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Kia Sorento 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to vehicles built after May 2017

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mazda CX-9 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after November 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV

Midsize luxury SUVs

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Acura MDX 4-door SUV

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Acura RDX 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Audi Q5 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Buick Envision 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lexus NX 4-door SUV

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Lexus RX 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017-18 Mercedes-Benz GLC 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Volvo XC60 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Volvo XC60 4-door SUV

with specific headlights

Minivans

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after August 2016

Top Safety Pick+

2018 Honda Odyssey minivan

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

Small pickups

Top Safety Pick+

2017 Honda Ridgeline crew cab pickup

with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights

2017 criteria

Top Safety Pick

To qualify for 2017 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.

Top Safety Pick +

To qualify for 2017 Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and an acceptable or good headlight rating.

Vehicles with optional front crash prevention qualify for either award only when equipped with the technology.

Other years