Car and Driver's ranking is based on two major bases: first, the large-scale instrument test data we conduct on hundreds of vehicle models every year, and the second, the subjective feelings accumulated by our expert editors in actual driving. We select the safest cars based on data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and then rate each car based on approximately 200 data points, covering acceleration performance, handling, comfort, cargo space, fuel economy, cost performance, and driving pleasure. We are very strict about ranking because we want you to know the models you are interested in. This list includes all cars that won the 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick and were rated a five-star safety rating by NHTSA.
