Insurance Institute Awards Top Safety Picks for 2018
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards to 68 2018-model-year vehicles in 10 categories. Of the winners, 21 vehicles have earned the Top Safety Pick+, while 47 others have earned the Top Safety Pick.

Photo of 2018 Toyota Camry crash test courtesy of IIHS.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards to 68 2018-model-year vehicles in 10 categories. Of the winners, 21 vehicles have earned the Top Safety Pick+, while 47 others have earned the Top Safety Pick.
Winners were announced for small cars, midsize cars, midsize luxury cars, large cars, large luxury cars, small SUVs, midsize SUVs, midsize luxury SUVs, minivans, and large pickups.
Sixteen cars earned a Top Safety Pick+, which means the vehicle earned good ratings in the driver-size small overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restrain tests, as well as acceptable or good ratings in the passenger-side small overlap front test. It must also earn an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good headlight rating.
Winners included the Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Subaru Impreza, Subaru WRX, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outlook, and Toyota Camry. Luxury models that earned the award included the BMW 5 Series, Genesis G80, Genesis G90, Lexus RC, Lincoln Continental, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Five utility vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick+ including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Kia Sorento, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Several categories didn't include vehicles that earned the top award, including midsize luxury cars, large cars, small SUVs, minivans, and large pickups.
View the full list of Top Safety Pick winners here.
More Safety
From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel
Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-Time Prevention (Part 2 of 2)
Part Two: Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Continue learning more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab
Read More →
How 5-Second Telematics Data Is Changing Fleet Safety
This episode connects with Steve Santostasi of Ford Pro and covers how a few seconds of data can make a difference in fleet safety.
Read More →
Managing Road Risk at Scale: Why Fleet Safety Needs a Data-Driven Framework
Insights from the FIA Road and Driver Safety Indexes reveal how to manage road risk on a larger scale.
Read More →
Stellantis Recalls 1.3 Million Jeep Vehicles Worldwide Over Fire Risk
Stellantis is recalling more than 1.3 million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models worldwide over a fire risk linked to power steering pump wiring.
Read More →
Coaching Is Not Training, Even When AI Is Doing It
AI-powered safety platforms can detect risky behaviors and deliver immediate feedback. But effective driver development still requires a foundation of training followed by coaching that reinforces those skills.
Read More →
How Emotions Behind the Wheel Can Affect Fleet Safety
During National Safety Month, fleets are encouraged to look beyond distracted driving and recognize how stress, fatigue, and emotional well-being influence driver performance and crash risk.
Read More →
Nominations Open for 2026 Fleet Safety Award
Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 Fleet Safety Award Winner.
Read More →
