Safety is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a car. When you hit the road in a vehicle with a high car safety rating and advanced safety tech, you get peace of mind from having the best possible protection in case something goes wrong.
But which are the safest cars in Canada? What features do safe cars in Canada offer? Keep reading to find out.
How we chose the safest cars in Canada
We’ve chosen the best safe cars on this page based on vehicles available in Canada. These vehicles are not representative of the entire market. When choosing our picks for the safest cars in Canada, we considered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ratings, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) car safety ratings, awards won and features offered, including safety features. No single car will be the best choice for everyone, so compare your options to find the best fit for your situation.
Best safe small car: 2024 Mazda3
If you’re comparing small safe cars, it’s hard to go past the Mazda3. This award-winning car features a fuel-efficient 2.5-litre engine, all-wheel drive and an elegant interior finish. The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada also named the Mazda3 the Best Small Car in Canada three times in the four-year period from 2020-2023, so there are lots of good reasons why Mazda could be the ideal choice for your next set of wheels.
Price: $24,200
Why it’s one of the safest
Both the sedan and hatchback versions of the 2024 Mazda3 won Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Both models received Good ratings in front and side collision crash tests, and Superior ratings for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention systems.
The Mazda3 also features an extensive suite of safety tech features as part of the Japanese manufacturer’s i-ACTIVSENSE safety suite. These include advanced blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and dynamic stability control.
Pros and cons
Unlimited mileage warranty
Loaded with advanced safety features
Premium interior fit and finish
There are cheaper small cars available
Headlights only get an Acceptable rating from IIHS on several trims
The Honda Accord offers impressive levels of comfort, reliability and safety for Canadian drivers. It’s powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine that produces 192 horsepower and is paired with a continuously variable transmission in the base trim. From top to bottom, the Accord is loaded with features to make each journey as enjoyable as possible for drivers and passengers alike. Some of the highlights include an eight-speaker sound system and seven-inch touchscreen, assisted opening trunk and heated front seats.
Price: $37,500 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Accord received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, scoring well in terms of crashworthiness, crash avoidance and seat belts and child restraints. It also comes with more passive and active safety features than you can poke a stick at, such as Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System, a forward collision warning system and vehicle stability assist with traction control.
Best safe luxury car: 2023-2024 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan offers luxury, refinement, sporty performance and impressive on-road safety, making it the complete package if you’re searching for the best safe luxury car. The C 300 4MATIC features a 2-litre turbo engine paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, and the sort of high-end features and interior quality you’d expect from a luxury brand.
Price: $58,600
Why it’s one of the safest
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class with optional front crash prevention won a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. The C-Class also comes with an extensive list of safety tech inclusions such as active brake assist, blind spot assist and seven airbags. The Attention Assist feature monitors as many as 70 parameters of driving behaviour and alerts you if you’re showing signs of drowsiness.
Pros and cons
Wide range of optional driver assistance features to help you stay safe
Smooth and powerful engine
Heated front and rear seats
You’ll want the optional front crash prevention system for maximum safety
Searching for the safest minivan to get your family around town? The Honda Odyssey ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people. Boasting a 3.5-litre V6 engine, 10-speed automatic transmission and a comfortably appointed interior, the Odyssey offers plenty of useful features and a pleasant driving experience. Because it offers seating for up to 8 people, there’s room for the whole family.
Price: $51,970 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Odyssey has earned a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. It also features a long list of active safety technologies, including a Forward Collision Warning System, Collision Mitigation Braking System and Lane Departure Warning System.
Pros and cons
Flexible interior layout for seating and cargo capacity
CabinWatch and CabinTalk features let you monitor and communicate with passengers
The Hyundai Tucson is a small SUV that packs a big punch. It boasts a 2.5-litre engine that churns out 187 horsepower. Its Drive Mode Select feature allows you to easily switch to your preferred engine, transmission and steering control settings. Other highlights include 19-inch alloy wheels, a spacious cabin, heated front and rear seats as well as dual-zone automatic climate control.
Price: $34,199 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Tucson earned a 5-star NHTSA safety rating along with a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. It boasts a suite of Hyundai SmartSense safety features, including adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, a driver attention warning and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist.
The Volvo XC90 is a luxury SUV that delivers impressive on-road performance and a host of thoughtful features. Its refined interior promises high levels of passenger comfort, while a 295hp mild hybrid engine and all-wheel drivetrain get you where you want to go smoothly and efficiently. Throw in a host of tech features and seating for seven, and it’s clear that the Volvo is a great all-round package for midsize SUV buyers.
Price: $71,550 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Volvo XC90 is a regular inclusion on lists of the safest cars and for good reason. It has a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and Top Safety Pick+ status from the IIHS. The XC90 is also loaded with intelligent safety features, such as a Blind Spot Information System when you’re changing lanes, a system that detects and corrects when you’re drifting out of your lane and autobraking to avoid a collision when turning across oncoming traffic.
If you’re shopping for a large SUV, there are lots of good reasons to check out the Audi Q7. This luxurious seven-seater boasts a bold design, a powerful turbocharged engine and an 8-speed tiptronic transmission. The Q7’s interior has also been designed with maximum comfort in mind, offering the sort of refinement you’d expect from this high-end German brand.
Price: $73,965 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Audi Q7 features the Pre Sense City system, which scans the road ahead to warn of potential hazards. It also comes with features like adaptive cruise control for convenience and safety on the road, plus optional Night Vision Assistant with a thermal imaging camera. Best of all, the Q7 has a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a 5-star safety rating from the NHTSA.
Pros and cons
Premium interior
Smooth handling and performance
Tech features galore
Cramped third-row seating
Infotainment system isn’t the most user-friendly
The all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an EV that’s sure to turn heads. The first thing you notice is its eye-catching modern design, but step inside and you’ll find a spacious interior with comfortable seats, a high-quality finish and tech features galore. The Ioniq 5 offers a range of almost 500km thanks to its 77.4 kWh battery, HRAC all-wheel drive with Snow mode, and the ability to charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes using a 350 kW DC ultra-rapid charger.
Price: $54,999
Why it’s one of the safest
The Ioniq 5 is fitted with Hyundai’s SmartSense technology features, including Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist and the Driver Attention Warning system. It performs well in crash tests too, having earned a 5-star NHTSA rating and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS.
The Mazda CX-90 plug-in hybrid features a 2.5-litre PHEV engine that delivers 323 horsepower. It also has an electric range of up to 42km. There’s comfortable seating for up to 8 people along with plenty of cargo space and a premium fit and finish.
Price: $54,900
Why it’s one of the safest
The Mazda CX-90 PHEV has been given Top Safety Pick+ status from the IIHS as well as a 5-star rating from the NHTSA. It also comes with a wide range of standard and optional i-ACTIVSENSE safety features, from Smart Brake Support Front to help you avoid collisions, to front and rear cross traffic alerts to warn you of vehicles approaching in your blind spots.
The Toyota Tundra features a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 with plenty of punch, but there’s also a hybrid model available. Designed to tackle rugged terrain, the Tundra features a large bed for all your cargo carrying needs, an available 14-inch touchscreen display and a surprising level of interior comfort and refinement.
Price: $51,450 (2024 model)
Why it’s one of the safest
The Tundra features 8 airbags and comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5. This includes a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection & Bicycle Detection, Lane Tracing Assist and Left Turn Intersection Support. The Tundra performs well in crash tests too, with both the crew cab and extended cab versions earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. It also has a 5-star NHTSA car safety rating.
The Hyundai Elantra four-door sedan is an excellent value proposition for a wide range of buyers. It’s powered by a 2-litre 147 horsepower engine, with turbocharged and hybrid options also available. The Elantra also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, touchscreen displays, a Bose sound system and dual-zone automatic climate control. Throw in impressive fuel consumption figures, and it’s easy to see how this model offers plenty of bang for your buck.
Price: $21,999
Why it’s one of the safest
The Elantra is a solid performer in crash tests, earning a 5-star NHTSA rating along with Top Safety Pick+ status from the IIHS. It also boasts Hyundai’s SmartSense safety features such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist and the Driver Attention Warning system.
Pros and cons
Good fuel economy
Spacious cabin
Stylish appearance
Some buyers might want more performance than the standard engine offers
Tesla’s Model Y is a versatile EV with room for 7 passengers and flexible cargo space. It also offers rapid acceleration, a driving range of almost 500km, and a 15-minute recharge of up to 225km at Supercharger locations. Model Y also features Autopilot, Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system designed to help you stay safe on the road.
Price: $57,990
Why it’s one of the safest
Model Y received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award with top ratings for crashworthiness and front crash prevention. It also gets a 5-star NHTSA car safety rating. With the advanced safety features included in its Autopilot system, this is a vehicle that puts safety first.
Volvo is a car manufacturer with a long-standing reputation for vehicle safety, and it regularly features on lists of the world's safest cars. However, there are many other manufacturers that also have a strong commitment to safety. To find the safest car for you, check NHTSA and IIHS car safety ratings, and consider what advanced driver assistance tech features a vehicle includes.
The safest car for teens and new drivers is one that has a 5-star NHTSA rating and/or a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, and that includes advanced driver assistance technology. You may also want to choose a vehicle that doesn't have too much power or sporty performance, to make it easier for a new driver to control.
Yes. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are generally considered just as safe as gasoline-powered cars and EVs.
There is no one-size-fits-all safest car in the world. To find the safest car for you, check its NHTSA and IIHS car safety ratings and what sort of passive and active safety technology it includes.
Self-driving cars are still being developed. While many modern cars come with some automated driving features, full automation is still yet to become a reality. So while self-driving cars do offer a host of potential safety benefits, plenty of testing and development still needs to be done before safe self-driving cars become widely available.
A car with a rebuilt title is a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by an insurance company, but then repaired to make it roadworthy again. While buying a rebuilt car might help you get a low price, it also comes with a big risk of encountering future problems. It might also be difficult to obtain insurance for your vehicle.
According to Consumer Reports, Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura and Mazda earned the most Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards from the IIHS in 2023.
A 2007 study by Australia's Monash University Accident Research Centre found that black, blue, grey, green, red and silver vehicles were "associated with higher crash risk" than white vehicles. A separate 2010 study found that "no colour had a statistically significantly lower crash risk than white," but crash risks for several other colours were not statistically significantly different from white. High-visibility colours such as yellow and orange are also commonly mentioned as safe car colours.
Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.
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