Small Cars With Top Safety Ratings
Now there's good news - the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named six small cars, including two hybrids, for the Top Safety Pick designation.
The vehicles are:
- 2012 Ford Focus
- 2012 Honda Civic
- 2011 Hyundai Elantra
- 2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid
- 2011 Nissan Juke
- 2011 Toyota Prius
Criteria to win include top ratings of Good in front, side, rear and roof-strength crash tests. The vehicle must also have electronic stability control.
Frontal crash-worthiness is based on a 40 MPH frontal-offset crash test.
Side evaluation is based on a vehicle being struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph.
Seat and head restraints are tested using a dummy that measures forces on the neck, simulating a collision in the rear at 20 mph.
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
June 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Jun 19, 2025
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared June 2025 Jun 19, 2025
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Jun 19, 2025
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Jun 19, 2025
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Jun 12, 2025
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Jun 12, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Jun 12, 2025
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Jun 12, 2025
- Best 0% Finance Deals June 2025 Jun 05, 2025
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars June 2025 Jun 05, 2025
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Jun 05, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Jun 05, 2025
May 2025
- Best Car Deals by Category May 29, 2025
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now May 29, 2025
- Real Prices of Large SUVs May 29, 2025
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates May 29, 2025
- Best Car Deals Around the Country May 22, 2025
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks May 22, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars May 15, 2025
- Real Prices of Compact Cars May 01, 2025
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy May 01, 2025
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals May 01, 2025
