10 Cars with a 5-Star Safety Rating

Cars with a 5-star safety rating from NHTSA are pretty easy to find nowadays, but you may be surprised at which entries, especially in the smaller size segments, actually can’t claim that distinction. Further, just because a car does have a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating doesn’t mean it’s earned 5 stars in each individual crashworthiness test—and there are different evaluations for front impacts, side impacts, and rollover resistance.

With that in mind, Autobytel experts have poured over the NHTSA database to identify the 10 mainstream vehicles with 5-star safety ratings in all three categories. Also, though the 5-star safety ratings don’t take into account the latest high-tech safety measures, NHTSA does ID certain “Recommended Technologies,” so we’ve followed suit.

Among compact cars with a 5-star safety rating, the 2017 Honda Civic stands out with 5 stars in all three testing categories for both sedan and hatchback body styles; the Civic coupe has a 5-Star Overall safety rating, but with 5 stars for side impacts and rollover resistance, and 4 for frontal impacts. As for NHTSA’s recommended safety technologies, the Civic sedan showcases three: a standard rearview camera plus available forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems. The latter two are included in the Honda Sensing package that also bundles collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control. The sedan is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, too, with the highest possible grades for crashworthiness and front-crash prevention technology.

If you like compact cars with a 5-star safety rating and a versatile hatchback configuration, the 2017 Honda Civic checks in with a 5-door version that—like the sedan—scores 5 stars across the board in NHTSA evaluations. It also shares the recommended technologies and Honda Sensing package as the sedan, and if it doesn’t have Top Safety Pick certification, that’s likely because it hasn’t been fully tested yet. It does earn top grades in all IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, however. The obvious difference-maker is in the rear, where the Civic sedan has a 15.1-cubic foot trunk and the Civic hatch has a class-leading 25.2 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats—and 46.2 cubic feet with those seats folded.

Meanwhile, the only one of the modern-day muscle cars with a full slate of 5-star safety ratings is the 2017 Ford Mustang. The Mustang also gets recognized by NHTSA for offering a pair of recommended technologies: a standard rearview camera and an available forward collision warning system. Nor is that the end of the Mustang’s occupant protection resources. The Blue Oval’s BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with cross traffic alert, for example, is on the options menu, as are adaptive cruise control and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Even better is that many of those features can be ordered on the EcoBoost and GT ’Stangs. That pony-car pair rocks, respectively, a 310-horsepower twin-turbo V6 and naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 with 435 horses on tap.

Only one other mainstream brand can provide compact cars with 5-star safety ratings in the three NHTSA testing regimens, and there are some interesting similarities between the two. Thus, like the Honda Civic, the 2017 Subaru Impreza accomplishes the feat with both sedan and hatchback body styles, and both have three key recommended technologies, including a rearview camera (standard), forward collision warning (optional), and lane departure warning (optional). Next, the Impreza sedan serves up its own safety bundle. Subaru’s available EyeSight package pulls together adaptive cruise control, automatic pre-collision braking, and lane departure and vehicle sway warnings. Separately, lane keeping assistance, and a blind spot monitor with cross traffic alert are available. The Impreza sedan additionally impresses with full Top Safety Pick+ status and standard symmetrical all-wheel drive.

The second of Subaru’s compact cars with a 5-star safety rating is the 2017 Subaru Impreza hatchback, which complements the Impreza sedan with the most total cargo space in the segment. There’s 55.3 cubic feet when the car’s rear seats are folded, along with a none-too-shabby 20.8 cubic feet with the back seats in use. Naturally, the Impreza hatch matches its 4-door sibling with standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, optional automatic reverse braking, and available steering-responsive LED projector beam headlights. Indeed, it’s those high-tech headlights that helped the Impreza—sedan and hatch alike—achieve that Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. Remember, the “+” requires not only acing the IIHS crashworthiness and crash-mitigation evaluations, but also passing the new headlamp illumination test.

Proving it’s more than just another pretty face, the stylish 2017 Kia Optima also joins our list of cars with a 5-star safety rating in each of the NHTSA categories. Kia’s current midsize sedan also can be configured with three recommended technologies—a rearview camera, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning—as well as a blind spot monitor, rear parking assistance, rear cross traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view monitor. In fact, all of that comes standard in the range-topping SXL 2.0T trim, with its 2.0-liter, 245-horsepower turbocharged engine. And yes, the Optima has received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, after taking home top grades for both crashworthiness and front crash prevention.

Cars with 5 star safety ratings and hybrid powertrains are particularly rare. The only one with five stars for frontal crash protection, side crash prevention, and rollover resistance is the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The Optima Hybrid’s sterling safety record makes sense, of course, since it features all the content found in the traditionally powered Optima, except for its propulsion system. In the hybrid models, that combines the best efforts of a 4-cylinder engine and a lithium-polymer battery pack to produce a total of 192 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. EPA ratings? How about 39 mpg city/46 mpg highway/42 mpg combined—high enough to save $2,750 in 5-year fuel costs (as compared to “the average new vehicle”).

The only brand with two differently sized cars with 5-star safety ratings in the three NHTSA categories is Subaru. Beyond the previously mentioned Subaru Impreza compact, the 2017 Subaru Legacy midsize sedan also manages the task. The Legacy also leverages Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive, rearview camera, blind spot detection system, rear cross traffic alert, reverse automatic braking, and EyeSight package, which in this case consists of adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assistance. As readers may recall, three of those driver assistance measures—the rear vision camera, lane departure system and forward collision warning—are recommended technologies from NHTSA. The Legacy’s IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating is notable for including the best grades given for crashworthiness, front crash-prevention technology, and headlight performance.

It’s true: The 2017 Nissan Maxima also is one of the cars with a 5-star safety rating in every facet of NHTSA testing. That means high levels of occupant protection come standard with high levels of performance, since the Maxima more than lives up to its “4-Door sports cars” positioning. A potent 3.5-liter V6 makes sure of that, backed by 300 horsepower, 261 lb.-ft. of torque, and a sophisticated, track-friendly suspension with ZF Sachs dampers. Also plenty sophisticated are the Maxima’s driver assistance technologies. For instance, along with the usual suspects, the Nissan boasts a driver attention monitor and predictive forward collision warning, which can sense stopped or slowing traffic two vehicles ahead of the Maxima.

How’s this for a shocking conclusion to our look at cars with a 5-star safety rating: The 2017 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle makes the cut, complete with 5 stars in NHTSA’s front impact, side impact, and rollover resistance tests, and a Top Safety Pick+ recognition from the IIHS—with top grades in all individual categories, too. Yet at the same time, the Volt’s top-notch EPA ratings start with a zero-emissions, all-electric driving range of 53 miles. After that, the Volt’s range-extending gas engine can kick in and power the car for another 367 miles in hybrid mode. To be clear, that does require some gasoline, although not much. EPA ratings for the Volt are set at 42 mpg combined when running on gas.