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The 13 Safest Cars for Your Money
December 27, 2012
Even before price, one of the more important decision factors when it comes to buying a vehicle is just how safe it is.
Forbes has recently listed what they consider the top 13 safest cars for your hard earned cash, using the moderately-priced and entry-level luxury vehicles that were "Top Safety Pick+" award winners by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The list includes the Acura TL, which earned top marks in all five crash tests condused by the IIHS, the Dodge Avenger, and both the Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe.
As always, I recommend you start with the to get the best deal on any of these vehicles.
13 Safest Cars for Your Money
| Vehicle | Why |
|---|---|
| Acura TL | Top marks in all 5 IIHS crash tests for 2013 |
| Chrysler 200 | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Dodge Avenger | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Ford Fusion | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Honda Accord Sedan | Top marks in all 5 IIHS crash tests for 2013 |
| Honda Accord Coupe | Top marks in all 5 IIHS crash tests for 2013 |
| Kia Optima | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Nissan Altima Sedan | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Subaru Legacy | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Subaru Outback | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Suzuki Kizashi | “Good” score in moderate- and small-overlap frontal, side, and rear crash tests; “Acceptable” for roof-crush protection. |
| Volkswagen Passat | “Good” score in moderate-overlap frontal, side, rear and roof-crush crash tests; “Acceptable” in new small-overlap frontal crash test. |
| Volvo S60 | Top marks in all 5 IIHS crash tests for 2013 |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
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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.
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