Is Subaru the Safest Car Brand?

November 6th, 2023 by Our Dealership

One of the most common questions that we receive here at Serra Subaru Champaign is, “Is Subaru the safest car brand?” We’re happy to share the data, which shows that Subaru vehicles consistently outpace their competitors when it comes to safety ratings from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). In fact, five Subaru models are among the safest new cars of 2023, according to the highly respected IIHS.

Here is some information about the safety ratings in Subaru models and how they compare to the competition.

IIHS Safety Ratings

This year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety strengthened the requirements for its TOP SAFETY PICK and TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards. They now demand even better side crash protection and improved pedestrian crash protection systems. These changes are designed to replicate real-world situations where crashes take place.

As a result of these changes to the criteria, only 48 total car models even qualify for the two 2023 awards.

Subaru TOP SAFETY PICK Award Winners

Even though the safety standards are getting stricter, Subaru cars are winning even more awards, which is a testament to their improving top-of-the-line safety features. Subaru has three models that earned the highest TOP SAFETY PICK+ award:

The 2023 Subaru Outback (Midsize Car category)
The 2023 Subaru Solterra EV (Small SUV category)
The 2023 Subaru Ascent (Midsize SUV category)

In order to win these awards, a vehicle must have the highest Good ratings in the passenger- and driver-side small-overlap front crash test and the original moderate-overlap front crash test. It also needs a Good rating in the updated side crash test.

Two more Subaru models took home the TOP SAFETY PICK award: the Subaru Forester in the small SUV category, and the Subaru Legacy in the Midsize Car category.