Life, in a lot of ways, is a lot like driving a car. You might not be able to see further than your headlights, but by setting high standards for the things you do, you can challenge yourself to put in maximum effort, drive improvement, and achieve better results.

Perhaps that’s what the brains at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS had in mind when they rolled out this year’s safety tests.

After decades of significant improvements to driver seat safety, thanks to automaker advancements in seatbelt and airbag technology, this year, it focused on the little guy—the one in the back seat.

The IIHS is funded by insurance companies, which means that safety is its main priority. Every year, it conducts a series of crash tests on new vehicles, rating them as Advanced, Superior, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.

The highest-rated vehicles earn the designation of either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, which meet its most stringent safety requirements.

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This year’s tests were the Institute’s toughest yet, because they challenged automakers with stricter protection standards for second-row passengers. As a result, the IIHS’ list of top vehicles was cut dramatically—in 2024, 71 vehicles were designated Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, while in 2025, only 48 vehicles made the cut.

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Which safety criteria are new in 2025?

In its updated moderate overlap front test, a vehicle simulates a head-on collision, striking a vehicle of equal size and weight at 40 mph. This year, the Institute toughened the test by adding a second crash dummy in the second row.

This dummy represented a small woman or 12-year-old child and was positioned behind the driver. According to the IIHS, the test “uses new metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in rear-seat occupants.”

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The IIHS also increased its standards for its Top Safety Pick+ designation. Last year, vehicles that scored a rating of “acceptable” or “good” received the topmost designation. This year, they had to earn a “good” rating to rank as a Top Safety Pick+, and an “acceptable” rating to be considered a Top Safety Pick.

Why has the backseat lagged behind?

Advanced seatbelt technologies and front-seat airbags have greatly decreased the risk of fatal injury to drivers and front-seat passengers—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), when used together, seatbelts and airbags reduce the risk of death in frontal crashes by 61%.

IIHS updated its moderate overlap front test in 2022, challenging automakers to strengthen vehicle structures, or “crumple zones,” improve airbag technology, and develop more advanced seat belts that could absorb the force produced in a crash.

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However, many of those advancements were only applied to front-seat occupants. In fact, according to the IIHS, in the event of a collision, the risk of fatal injury is now higher for backseat passengers than it is for front-seat passengers, assuming all passengers are wearing seatbelts.

While automakers have started to focus more on improving rear-seat safety, the IIHS has discovered certain vehicle classes—especially minivans and pickup trucks—that have lagged behind. Minivans were noticeably absent from this year’s IIHS Top Safety Picks and Top Safety Pick+ vehicles, while only two pickup trucks made the list.

The safest new cars of 2025, according to the IIHS

This year’s list includes sedans, SUVs, EVs, and two pickup trucks, as mentioned—the Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra.

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Mazda was the automaker with the most Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ models with seven, while Honda, Hyundai, and Genesis each had five.

Here’s the complete list:

2025’s Top Safety Pick+ winners

Small cars

• Honda Civic hatchback
• Mazda 3 hatchback
• Mazda 3 sedan

Midsize cars

• Honda Accord
• Hyundai Ioniq 6
• Toyota Camry

Midsize luxury car

• Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Small SUVs

• Genesis GV60
• Honda HR-V
• Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Hyundai Kona
• Hyundai Tucson
• Mazda CX-30
• Mazda CX-50
• Subaru Solterra

Midsize SUVs

• Ford Mustang Mach-E
• Hyundai Santa Fe (built after November 2024)
• Kia EV9
• Kia Telluride
• Mazda CX-70
• Mazda CX-70 PHEV
• Mazda CX-90
• Mazda CX-90 PHEV
• Nissan Pathfinder

Midsize luxury SUVs

• BMW X5
• Genesis Electrified GV70
• Genesis GV70 (built after April 2024)
• Genesis GV80
• Lincoln Nautilus
• Mercedes-Benz GLC
• Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class with optional front crash prevention
• Volvo XC90 (built before December 2024)

Large SUVs

• Audi Q7
• Infiniti QX80
• Rivian R1S (built after August 2024)

Large pickups

• Toyota Tundra crew cab

2025’s Top Safety Pick winners

Small cars

• Acura Integra hatchback
• Honda Civic sedan

Large luxury cars

• Genesis G90

Small SUVs

• Subaru Forester (without Wilderness trim)

Midsize SUVs

• Chevrolet Traverse
• Honda Pilot
• Subaru Ascent

Midsize luxury SUVs

• Acura MDX
• Infiniti QX60
• Lexus NX
• Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid (built before December 2024)

Large pickup

• Rivian R1T

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