THE SAFEST CARS FOR FAMILIES IN 2024
When buying a car for driving your family around, safety is a top priority. Keeping your most precious cargo safe is about more than just airbags, and most automakers make advanced driver assists readily available in their cars. That means finding the right car shouldn't be a chore - even less so if you're able to look at a list of cars that have been rated highly for their ability to keep occupants safe.
The Aulsbrook Law Firm recently shared a study through their website, The Texas Law Dog, ranking the safest cars for families in 2024, based on a number of factors including accident rates and IIHS scores, with special attention paid to child safety seat scores. The firm specializes in injuries resulting from vehicle collisions, and using the IIHS as a guide, researched which passenger cars rank the highest for safety. While it's not explicitly stated, this pertains to SUVs.
Your Guide To Crash Testing And Car Safety Ratings
How car crash tests are done in the US to identify our safest cars.
CarBuzz has also curated various safest car lists and found this study to be quite useful for those who are wondering what the safest family car is on the market, currently. Here we break down the results of the study, and add NHTSA and IIHS ratings and accolades to provide a comprehensive overview of which cars rank highest: These are the top ten highest-scoring cars, ranked from lowest to highest.
Data has been sourced from Texas Law Dog, the IIHS, and NHTSA. Ranking is determined by composite safety score, which is calculated based on IIHS child seat safety scores, average yearly fatal crashes, and crash incident per 1,000 cars, as per the. This study was aimed at finding the safest cars for families taking safety ratings, comfort, and affordability into account, not just one safety metric. The 'average price' listed here represents what buyers paid for each model on average and does not represent the base MSRP.
BMW X1
Composite Safety Score: 77.63
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.0255 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Average Price | $46,195 |
The BMW X1 lost its Top Safety Pick+ award in 2024, but retains a Top Safety Pick, and still boasts mostly-perfect crash test scores. The X1 is the smallest vehicle on this list, at just 138.20 cubic feet of interior space, but in our own review we found it to be exceptionally well laid out in terms of maximizing the available room. In particular, we like how the roof doesn't slope too sharply in the back, so most adults can sit in the back without bumping their heads. Given the SUV's relatively small size, it should come as no surprise that you only get two child seats hookups in the back.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 0.4
- NHTSA overall score: 4 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick
Acura MDX
Composite Safety Score: 78.96
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 1.6217 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Average Price | $64,275 |
The Acura MDX managed to retain its Top Safety Pick+ award for 2024, with the biggest concerns being a Poor rating for seat belt reminders, Acceptable for front crash prevention systems and the updated moderate overlap front test. The car otherwise scored a perfect Good score in every other category. Representing a mid-range luxury brand, the Acura MDX packs road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low speed follow, lane keeping assist system, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, and traffic jam assist as standard - all for a $50k-odd starting price.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 85.6
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick +
Tesla Model Y
Composite Safety Score: 79.08
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.0482 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Acceptable |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Average Price | $48,490 |
Here's something worth knowing about the Tesla Model Y if you're on the fence about buying an electric car for the family: it has a perfect five-star rollover rating with the NHTSA, which is a relatively impressive feat for an SUV. The Model Y is able to achieve that score in large part due to being an EV. That is, the battery pack is the heaviest part of the vehicle, and it's situated under the floor, so the Model Y is more likely to stay grounded. The Model Y also has more interior space than you'd guess from the outside, at 139.10 cubic feet, making room for three child seats in total. It achieves really impressive safety scores from both the NHTSA and the IIHS overall.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 9.8
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick +
Mazda CX-50
Composite Safety Score: 80.32
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.0061 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Average Price | $38,220 |
The Mazda CX-50 might rank around the middle of the pack overall, but it boasts the lowest crash rate, the lowest average price, and the lowest number of fatal crashes each year, at 0.2, with an average annual sales number of 32,962, according to the study. Our biggest criticism of the CX-50 when it comes to safety: the surround-view camera is exclusive to the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus trim. That's pretty much all there is to complain about, though, as the car's five-star NHTSA rating and IIHS Top Safety Pick + award speak to a well-built SUV packed with excellent standard safety features, including blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. It's worth noting that the higher trims with the upgraded headlights earn higher scores.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 0.2
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick +
Honda Odyssey
Composite Safety Score: 80.46
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 2.8139 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 8 |
| Average Price | $45,700 |
The Honda Odyssey has recently been thrust into the spotlight by Deadpool & Wolverine, where the minivan features as the central location for an inventive fight scene between the titular heroes. They couldn't have picked a better family car for it, as this is the most spacious model on the list, with 163.60 cubic feet of interior volume, and four child seat anchor points. The 2024 Odyssey holds a Top Safety Pick award with the IIHS, and has a multi-angle backup camera and excellent collision avoidance tech that comes standard on all trims. It didn't score particularly well in terms of seatbelt reminders and in the updated front overlap tests, but it achieves good scores in all other evaluations.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 212.6
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick
Infiniti QX60
Composite Safety Score: 83.28
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.9081 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Average Price | $46,725 |
The Infiniti QX60 attains only 'Good' scores from the IIHS for 2024 for the main tests, while the structure and safety cage evaluation scores 'Acceptable'. Still, it gets a Top Safety Pick award from the authority, and full marks from the NHTSA for the overall and side crash tests. According to the study, over 23,500 people bought a QX60 in the USA, with the average price spent on these around $46,725. In our own review, we recommend the mid-range $55,700 Luxe model for its inclusion of a surround-view camera and blind spot intervention, plus creature comforts like ventilated seats.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 21.4
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick
Hyundai Palisade
Composite Safety Score: 84.11
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.1057 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Acceptable |
| Seating Capacity | 8 |
| Average Price | $41,406 |
The Hyundai Palisade had its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ downgraded to a Top Safety Pick for 2024, with the biggest hangups being Acceptable scores for child seat anchors and seat belt reminders. A nice thing about the Palisade is that most of the safety tech is available at the entry level, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and highway driving assist. The $47,950 Limited unlocks a surround-view camera, and you've got remote smart parking assist in the $53,850 Calligraphy Night model.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 7.8
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick
Subaru Ascent
Composite Safety Score: 85.76
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.7883 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Average Price | $42,765 |
The Subaru Ascent is a lesser known SUV, averaging just 9,133 sales a year. The Ascent is underappreciated, in our opinion, and offers a soft suspension and a smooth ride for the family - it also allows for venturing off the beaten path a little, with seven occupants piled in. For all these reasons, safety is even more important - and the Ascent delivers. It's one of just a handful of models that managed to retain its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award from 2023 to 2024, with mostly Good ratings from the authority. It's also well priced, making it a great deal for the active family.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 7.2
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick +
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Honda Pilot
Composite Safety Score: 86.64
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 1.6183 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 8 |
| Average Price | $48,485 |
One of the best sellers on this list, the Honda Pilot was bought by more than 122,300 Americans. It can seat up to eight and won't break the bank, so it stands to reason why so many have chosen to buy it. The safety ratings paint a good picture, too, with the IIHS awarding top marks in all categories barring the updated front overlap test. The shift from the 2024 to 2025 models seems to have been a good one because IIHS ratings improved and the Top Safety Pick award was upgraded to a Top Safety Pick +. NHTSA results concur. It's also one of the roomiest SUVs on the list, with 158.40 cubic feet of interior space. The study reflects 198 fatal crashes for the Pilot, but it's worth remembering it's sold quite a number more units than most other entrants on this list.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 198
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick
Audi Q7
Composite Safety Score: 91.32
| Crashes Per 1,000 Cars | 0.7554 |
|---|---|
| IIHS Child Seat Safety Score | Good+ |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Average Price | $61,695 |
The Audi Q7 gets the top spot on the Texas Law Dog's list. A three-row, the car ranks around the middle of the pack for space, with an overall interior volume of 144.10 and seating for 7, but all five rear seats can be equipped with a child seat - a boon for those with a larger family unit. The 2023 Audi Q7 earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, although this was downgraded to a Top Safety Pick in 2024, owing in part to the more stringent criteria the organization adopted this year. One of the issues is that not all trims come with a headlight setup that rates highly - only the top-end trims score 'Good'. Still, it would seem this is the car to buy if safety is your number one priority.
Important safety results:
- Average yearly fatal crashes: 19.6
- NHTSA overall score: 5 out of 5 stars
- IIHS award: 2024 Top Safety Pick +
2024-08-31T07:15:28Z dg43tfdfdgfdSources: The Texas Law Dog, NHTSA, IIHS.