Which Car Brand Has The Highest Safety Ratings In 2026?

Consumer Reports' latest safety assessment puts Mazda in the top spot as the safest car brand in 2026. Not only is the verdict based on how well a car performs across various crash tests, but it also takes into account how intuitive its controls are, how well it handles, and whether it comes standard with some of the important crash-prevention features. Rounding out CR's top five safest brands in 2026 are Genesis, Acura, Lincoln, and Hyundai, in that order. Honda, Nissan, Audi, Subaru, and Kia complete the top 10, respectively.

Nearly all of Mazda's current lineup has been awarded the 2026 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) — the only exception is the MX-5 Miata, which the organization hasn't yet tested. Despite some of its cars earning the 2026 Top Safety Pick and Pick+ awards from the IIHS, Volvo — a brand synonymous with safety — is not even in CR's top 10. The reason, rather unsurprisingly, has to do with how many modern Volvos lack physical interior controls. According to Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at CR, "A safe car has predictable handling and braking in everyday driving and emergencies, controls that don't distract you, technology that can prevent a crash in the first place, and a design that protects occupants if a crash occurs."

U.S. News, however, ranks the Swedish marque ninth in its 2026 list of safest car brands. But there is no disagreement about the number one spot — U.S. News also ranks Mazda as the safest car brand for 2026.

Out of the 29 brands in CR's list, Land Rover ranks dead last, with Tesla, Rivian, Jeep, and Mitsubishi finding a spot among the bottom five. But here's the thing: just because a brand ranks last doesn't mean it's unsafe. Since CR takes into account the crash tests performed by the IIHS, vehicles that haven't yet been tested, like Land Rovers, for example, can be relegated to the bottom of the pack. That's not helped by the fact that the brand, much like other automakers on the list, has large SUVs in its lineup, which, according to CR's senior director of auto testing, Jake Fisher, typically "take longer to stop and don't handle well in emergency situations."

That explains why Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, and GMC occupy the midfield, with Lincoln being the notable exception, sitting among the top five. That's because more than 50% of Lincoln's lineup (all SUVs, by the way) meets CR's "Best" safety verdict, meaning a vehicle can't have CR's lowest usability rating (i.e., finicky interior controls) and must fulfill all federal safety requirements, as well as meet CR's Core and Advanced safety criteria.

Mazda has the highest percentage of cars in its portfolio with the "Best" rating, more than 75%. The aforementioned American legacy brands (except Jeep, which sits at zero) have less than 25% of their lineup meeting CR's "Best" safety verdict. Tesla and Rivian mirror Jeep in this context, with not a single model eligible for the "Best" rating. The reliance on a center screen for most controls in the Model 3 and Model Y contributed to Tesla ranking as the fourth-least-safe car brand in 2026, per CR's rankings.