- “Big changes this year include a new kind of crash test and a higher bar for pedestrian crash avoidance technology,” said the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- The IIHS for decades has frustrated automakers by pushing crash-test requirements that exceed federal standards.
- Hyundai Motor Group, consisting of Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis brands, has the most 2024 awards overall, with six Top Safety Pick+ and 10 Top Safety Pick awards.
On the way to naming its 2024 Top Safety Picks, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety this week announced toughened crash test criteria.
“Big changes this year include a new kind of crash test and a higher bar for pedestrian crash avoidance technology,” IIHS said in a press release.
“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria in 2024,” David Harkey, IIHS president, said in the release. “This year’s winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.”
The IIHS for decades has frustrated automakers by pushing crash-test requirements that exceed federal standards. The standards also are used by insurance companies to raise rates on vehicles that fail to meet minimal “acceptable” standards and bolster the fortunes of personal injury attorneys.
By pushing side-impact and rollover standards, the IIHS can be credited for increasing the size and weight over the years of modern cars and trucks.
Hyundai Motor Group, consisting of Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis brands, has the most 2024 awards overall, with six Top Safety Pick+ and 10 Top Safety Pick awards.
Toyota (including Lexus) is next, with one Top Safety Pick+ award and 12 Top Safety Picks, while Mazda has the most awards of any single brand, with five pluses and one Top Safety Pick.
Segment-wise, small, midsize, and midsize luxury SUVs each have five Top Safety Pick+ awards and midsize lux SUVs have 12 more Top Safety Pick awards. That gets back to our point about size and weight, though IIHS’s Harkey cites other reasons.
“The high number of SUVs that earn awards probably reflects the dominance of those vehicles in the US market,” he said in the release. “But it’s disappointing that only four pickups and four midsize cars earn awards, considering the popularity of those vehicles.”
2023 Honda Accord received a good rating in moderate overlap crash test.
IIHS 2024 Top Safety Pick+
Small Cars
Acura Integra, Mazda3 hatchback and sedan, Toyota Prius
Midsize Cars
Honda Accord, Hyundai Ioniq 6
Large Luxury Cars
Genesis Electrified G80
Small SUVs
Genesis GV60, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Mazda CX-50 (built after August 2023)
Midsize SUVs
Ford Explorer, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-90, Nissan Pathfinder (built after November 2023), Subaru Ascent
Midsize Luxury SUVs
Acura MDX, BMW X3, Genesis GV80 (built after August 2023), Mercedes-Benz GLE Class (with optional front crash prevention), Tesla Model Y
2023 Toyota Crown earns good rating in small overlap crash test.
IIHS 2024 Top Safety Pick
Small Cars
Hyundai Elantra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Prius Prime
Midsize Cars
Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry
Large Cars
Toyota Crown
Midsize Luxury Cars
BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Large Luxury Cars
Genesis G80, Genesis G90
Small SUVs
BMW X1, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Lexus UX, Lexus RZ, Subaru Solterra
Midsize SUVs
Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Mazda CX-90 PHEV, Nissan Ariya, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Large SUVs
Audi Q7, Audi Q8 e-tron, Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron, Rivian R1S
Midsize Luxury SUVs
Acura RDX, Audi Q4 e-tron, Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, Genesis Electrified GV70, Genesis GV70 (built after November 2023), Infiniti QX60, Lexus NX, Lexus NX PHEV, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Volvo XC90, Volvo XC90 Recharge
Minivans
Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna
Small Pickups
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Large Pickups
Rivian R1T crew cab, Toyota Tundra crew cab, Toyota Tundra extended cab
Have you experienced a crash in any of the vehicles listed above? If so, how did they hold up? Please comment below.
As a kid growing up in Metro Milwaukee, Todd Lassa impressed childhood friends with his ability to identify cars on the street by year, make, and model. But when American automakers put an end to yearly sheetmetal changes, Lassa turned his attention toward underpowered British sports cars with built-in oil leaks. After a varied early journalism career, he joined Autoweek, then worked in Motor Trend’s and Automobile’s Detroit bureaus, before escaping for Mountain Maryland with his wife, three dogs, three sports cars (only one of them British), and three bicycles. Lassa is founding editor of thehustings.news, which has nothing to do with cars.
