2012 Top Safety Picks
Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.
These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.
Minicars
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Fiat 500 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Fiesta 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Fiesta 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda Fit 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Nissan Versa 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Prius c 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Toyota Yaris 4-door hatchback
Small cars
Top Safety Pick
2013 Acura ILX 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chevrolet Cruze 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chevrolet Sonic 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chevrolet Volt 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2013 Dodge Dart 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Focus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Honda Civic 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda CR-Z 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda Insight 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Elantra 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Kia Forte 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Kia Soul 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012 Lexus CT 200h 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mini Countryman 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-door sedan
Does not apply to Ralliart and Evolution models.
Top Safety Pick
2012 Nissan Cube 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Nissan Juke 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012 Nissan Leaf 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2013 Scion FR-S 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Scion tC 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012 Scion xB 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012 Scion xD 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2013 Subaru BRZ 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2013 Subaru Crosstrek 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan
except WRX models.
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Golf 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen GTI 4-door hatchback
Midsize cars
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Audi A3 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Buick Verano 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chrysler 200 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Dodge Avenger 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2013 Ford Fusion 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Ford Fusion 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Kia Optima 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Prius v 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Passat 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo C30 2-door hatchback
Midsize luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Acura TL 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Acura TSX Sport Wagon 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Audi A4 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 BMW 3 series 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2013 Lexus ES 350 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Lincoln MKZ 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen CC 4-door sedan
Does not apply to 4-wheel drive V6 models.
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo S60 4-door sedan
Large cars
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Buick LaCrosse 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Buick Regal 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chrysler 300 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Dodge Charger 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Taurus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Azera 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan
Large luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Audi A6 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 BMW 5 series 4-door sedan
Does not apply to 4-wheel drive and V8 models.
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Cadillac CTS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Equus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Genesis 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Infiniti M37/M56 4-door sedan
excluding M56x 4-wheel-drive models
Top Safety Pick
2013 Lexus GS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Lincoln MKS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2-door coupe
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Saab 9-5 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo S80 4-door sedan
Small SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2013 Ford Escape 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda CR-V 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Hyundai Tucson 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Jeep Patriot 4-door SUV
with optional side torso airbags
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Kia Sportage 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2013 Mazda CX-5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Subaru Forester 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Tiguan 4-door SUV
Midsize SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chevrolet Equinox 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Dodge Durango 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Dodge Journey 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Edge 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Explorer 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford Flex 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 GMC Terrain 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda Pilot 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Kia Sorento 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Saab 9-4X 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Subaru Tribeca 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Venza 4-door SUV
Midsize luxury SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Acura MDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2013 Acura RDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Audi Q5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 BMW X3 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Cadillac SRX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Infiniti EX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Lexus RX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Lincoln MKT 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Lincoln MKX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz GLK 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz M-Class 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo XC60 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo XC90 4-door SUV
Large SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Buick Enclave 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chevrolet Traverse 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 GMC Acadia 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volkswagen Touareg 4-door SUV
Minivans
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Chrysler Town & Country minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda Odyssey minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Toyota Sienna minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Volkswagen Routan minivan
Large pickups
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Ford F-150 crew cab pickup
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Honda Ridgeline crew cab pickup
Top Safety Pick
2012 Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup
2012 criteria
To qualify for 2012 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests.