These Are The 10 Safest Car Brands For Day-to-Day Living

Consumer Reports’ new Safety Verdict is designed to make safety shopping simpler. Instead of focusing only on crash-test results, it rolls multiple factors into one easy score—how well a vehicle helps you avoid a crash in the first place, and how well it protects you if one happens.

We’re using CR’s brand-level results to spotlight the Best 10 automakers based on how much of each lineup earns CR’s highest Safety Verdict ratings. Be sure to check out our list of the Bottom 10 automakers as well.

What “Safety Verdict” Measures

CR’s system groups vehicles into three tiers:

Basic: Meets federal safety requirements, but may lack safety features that should be standard, or fall short in other areas CR evaluates.

Better: Adds stronger performance in CR’s braking/handling evaluations and includes certain safety tech—though some items may not be standard or may vary by model/trim.

Best: The strongest overall mix—excellent crash-test performance, standard crash-prevention tech, predictable emergency behavior, and controls that don’t distract you behind the wheel.

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By AutoGuide.com Staff

What It Takes to Score Higher

Brands tend to rank well when more of their vehicles:

Perform strongly in emergency braking and handling
Include key driver-assistance features as standard equipment across trims
Earn strong marks in major crash tests
Use controls and infotainment layouts that are easy to operate without pulling your eyes off the road

These Are The 10 Safest Car Brands For Day-to-Day Living

What “Safety Verdict” Measures

What It Takes to Score Higher

10) Kia

9) Subaru

8) Audi

7) Nissan

6) Honda

5) Hyundai

4) Lincoln

3) Acura

2) Genesis

1) Mazda