As the IIHS tests vehicles throughout the year, more cars may be added to the list. According to Young, some models, including the Chrysler Pacifica and Cadillac CT6, have not yet completed all the tests necessary for a 2023 award. One or both of these vehicles could end up on the list by the end of the year. “Depending on how it works, it may still win an award,” he says.
More models are likely to earn Top Safety Pick+ status as the IIHS continues to raise the bar for the award, says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations for CR’s automotive test center. “Automakers are responding to tougher tests by designing new vehicles that can pass those tests,” he says. Manufacturers have been aware of the new side crash test since 2018, and models specifically designed with this test in mind are only now hitting the market.
Consumer Reports uses IIHS ratings as part of the safety component for our overall score, which also takes into account road test performance, reliability and owner satisfaction.
Young says buyers interested in a vehicle that isn’t on the list should first check where it underperforms. In the case of headlights, buyers can choose a higher trim level or an optional feature that performs better. If a vehicle falls short in several categories, he says, “consider other options within the same class that provide a higher level of crashworthiness and crash avoidance performance.”
