Safety remains one of the top priorities for car buyers, and for good reason. Every year, around 40,000 people die and hundreds of thousands more are injured in crashes on U.S. roads.
While those numbers are staggering, modern cars are better than ever at protecting their occupants. When it comes to especially tall vehicles, however, the same cannot be said for pedestrians.
Which new vehicles are the best at preventing crashes altogether while shielding you and your family? To find out, Consumer Reports evaluated cars based on three core safety factors: their ability to avoid a crash, protect occupants in a collision, and keep others on the road safe. It also factored in braking and handling performance, crash-test results, and standard advanced driver-assistance technologies like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warnings, and rear cross traffic warnings.
“The safest cars don’t just protect passengers in a crash. They may avoid a crash in the first place. They may also lower risks to pedestrians and people in other cars,” Emily Thomas, the manager of safety at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, said.
Below, we’ve compiled the nine vehicles it recommends.
