Safest Cars for 2026 That Earn IIHS Top Safety Picks and 5-Star NHTSA Ratings

After a year of contraction, the list of safest cars for 2026 is growing again, even as the bar for earning top safety honors keeps getting higher. This year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) added a new vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test while also tightening other requirements for crash avoidance technology and occupant protection. That makes the longer list especially encouraging; it shows automakers are continuing to improve safety in the face of ever stricter standards.

Our list is as strict as it gets, as we include only vehicles that earn one of the IIHS’ two top honors (Top Safety Pick+ or Top Safety Pick) and a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The good news is a range of cars made the cut, everything from efficient hybrid midsize family sedans and sporty hatchbacks to upscale luxury cruisers. Read on to see which models made the list of safest cars for 2026.

The Mazda 3 makes a strong case for itself among the safest cars for 2026, and unlike the Honda Civic, both the Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback body styles earn the top IIHS distinction. That hardware comes wrapped in one of the most upscale interiors in the small car class, backed by solid handling and the added versatility of available turbocharged and all-wheel-drive versions for drivers who want a little more capability.

Every Mazda 3 comes standard with a well-rounded safety suite as part of Mazda’s i-Activsense collection of systems. Among those systems are adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep, a driver focus monitor, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beams.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Mazda 3

Another top-ranked compact sedan earns a place on our safest cars list, again with the caveat that the Elantra holds an IIHS Top Safety Pick award rather than the more stringent Top Safety Pick+ distinction. That in no way minimizes the Hyundai’s solid everyday value: The Elantra is efficient, offers generous passenger space for the class, and carries a price tag that won’t strain the budget.

Hyundai equips every 2026 Elantra with a thorough active safety suite, too, including front and rear automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, side cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beams, all of which are standard regardless of trim.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Hyundai Elantra

The Civic represents the compact car class on our safest car list, although it’s worth noting that only the hatchback model holds a current 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick award (the sedan still carries a 2025 rating). Like the larger Accord, the Civic also earns the Top Safety Pick designation rather than the more stringent Top Safety Pick+.

That aside, the Civic remains one of the most well-rounded compacts money can buy, available in sedan or hatchback form, gas or impressively efficient hybrid, and even sporty Si and Type R trims. Honda Sensing is standard across the Civic lineup, covering automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and traffic sign recognition, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert included on every Civic, as well.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Honda Civic

The Honda Accord earns its place on this list of safe cars for 2026, though it's worth noting the midsize sedan captured an IIHS Top Safety Pick award rather than the higher Top Safety Pick+ distinction some other competitors achieved. What it lacks in that top-tier rating it makes up for in the broader package, including a sophisticated interior, a pleasant ride and composed handling, and solid fuel efficiency with a strong real-world driving range.

Honda sweetens the deal by making its Honda Sensing driver assist suite standard across every Accord trim. That means every buyer gets automatic emergency braking, lane keep, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and traffic sign recognition.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Honda Accord

Toyota’s venerable Camry has long been a benchmark sedan, and the 2026 model may be the best-driving version yet. Toyota makes a powerful hybrid powertrain standard across the lineup, delivering an impressive blend of performance and efficiency, and pairs it with a modern, well-equipped interior that feels a step above previous generations.

Safety tech for the midsize hybrid sedan is equally comprehensive. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard, bundling a pre-collision alert system, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and centering (through lane tracing), road sign assist, and automatic high-beams. The Camry also adds Toyota’s Proactive Driving Assist, which applies some braking and steering inputs to help maintain distance from vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, and eases the car into curves. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert round out the generous standard safety tech.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Toyota Camry

The Prius closes out this list of our safest cars for 2026 on a high note, though it’s worth mentioning that it earns an IIHS Top Safety Pick award rather than the Top Safety Pick+ distinction achieved by the Camry. What hasn’t been compromised is everything else: The current Prius is the best-looking model in the nameplate’s history; it’s more pleasant to drive than you might expect, returns excellent fuel efficiency, and packages its interior cleverly for the hybrid hatchback class.

Standard safety tech is thorough, including front automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, side and rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and road sign recognition. Toyota’s Proactive Driving Assist is also included.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Toyota Prius

The Honda Accord earns its place on this list of safe cars for 2026, though it's worth noting the midsize sedan captured an IIHS Top Safety Pick award rather than the higher Top Safety Pick+ distinction some other competitors achieved. What it lacks in that top-tier rating it makes up for in the broader package, including a sophisticated interior, a pleasant ride and composed handling, and solid fuel efficiency with a strong real-world driving range.

Honda sweetens the deal by making its Honda Sensing driver assist suite standard across every Accord trim. That means every buyer gets automatic emergency braking, lane keep, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and traffic sign recognition.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Honda Accord

One of the safest cars for 2026 also happens to be one of the most stylish entries in the large luxury family sedan segment. The G80 delivers a compelling blend of comfort, brisk acceleration, and premium build quality. Note that these safety scores apply to the standard G80; the G80 Electric does not yet carry 2026 IIHS or NHTSA ratings.

True to Genesis form, the G80 punches above its price point when it comes to standard equipment. The safety tech roster is impressively comprehensive, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, front and rear automatic emergency braking, and both rear and side cross-traffic alert.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Genesis G80

A fresh face in the compact car class, the K4 makes a statement with bold exterior styling that stands apart from more conservative competitors, and it earns its place among the safest cars for 2026 to boot. One note: Only the sedan has been fully evaluated by IIHS. The newly introduced hatchback body style has only been partially assessed, so these ratings apply to the sedan specifically.

Kia keeps the value proposition strong with a generous standard safety suite on every K4. This includes front automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, driver focus monitoring, and rear occupant alert.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the 2026 Kia K4