Top 10 Safest SUVs & Sedans for Seniors (+Awards List)
Crash safety ratings are a crucial factor in choosing the safest cars for senior citizens, besides ride comfort, driver visibility, and ease of entering and exiting the vehicle.
While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also rates vehicle safety, the tests that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts are arguably more stringent, thus the ideal reference.
The following are some of the safest vehicles for seniors, grouped by size and body style.
Safest Small SUVs for Seniors
#1 Honda CR-V
Japanese and Korean car manufacturers produce among the most reliable and safest vehicles in the industry.
Compact SUVs are perfect for retirees given their affordability and ideal ride height, and the Honda CR-V is one of the safest SUVs for elderly drivers.
The latest-generation CR-V which, debuted in 2023, heads the small crossover pack with IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus award, the organization’s highest accolade, besides incredible roominess and outward visibility for the driver.
Except for some model years, the Honda CR-V has been earning IIHS awards for many years:
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2021 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2020 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2019 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2018 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2017 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2014 Honda CR-V | – |
| 2013 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2012 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2011 Honda CR-V | – |
| 2010 Honda CR-V | – |
| 2009 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2008 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
| 2007 Honda CR-V | Top Safety Pick |
#2 Toyota RAV4
Toyota is an ultra-dependable auto brand, and the RAV4 is the Japanese marque’s best-selling crossover, and for excellent reasons.
Toyota RAV4 has rock-solid reliability, excellent vehicle design, and solid crash-worthiness, making it an impeccably safe SUV for seniors in the compact crossover segment.
Opting for the regular RAV4 or plug-in-hybrid Prime affords you the same level of crash safety.
Like its famous Honda rival, the Toyota RAV4 comes with a long list of IIHS awards:
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2020 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2019 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2017 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2014 Toyota RAV4 | – |
| 2013 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2012 Toyota RAV4 | – |
| 2011 Toyota RAV4 | – |
| 2010 Toyota RAV4 | – |
| 2009 Toyota RAV4 | Top Safety Pick |
#3 Mazda CX-5
Mazda is a class leader in producing fun-to-drive vehicles.
While its Japanese counterparts are more-famous nameplates, the Mazda CX-5 boosts a stronger crash safety record, making it arguably the safest small SUV for seniors.
The CX-5 has earned an exhaustive list of IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus accolades:
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2022 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2020 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2017 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2014 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2013 Mazda CX-5 | Top Safety Pick |
#4 Volkswagen ID.4
As the industry transitions to alternative sources of energy to power modern automobiles, electric cars are solid options worth considering.
Since Volkswagen introduced the ID.4 EV in 2021, the model has garnered top safety awards from IIHS, and this electric SUV is an incredibly safe small vehicle for older drivers and retirees.
It is an easy get-in-and-drive EV, with plenty of helpful driver safety aids, besides being a solid option from a mainstream European manufacturer.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 | Top Safety Pick + |
Safest Midsize SUVs for Seniors
#5 Subaru Outback
Larger vehicles are logically safer than smaller ones, and midsize SUVs are ideal for older drivers needing more interior space and cargo room for the occasional road trips in their golden years.
The Subaru Outback SUV is probably the safest midsize SUV for seniors, with helpful attributes and an extended list of IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus awards.
Subaru Outback comes with standard all-wheel drive for greater wet-weather traction, and the above-average ride height enables the sports utility to go places where most peers would struggle, perfect for more-adventurous older couples.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2020 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2017 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2014 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2013 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2012 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick |
| 2011 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick |
| 2010 Subaru Outback | Top Safety Pick |
#6 Hyundai Palisade
If you need a third row for the extra seating capacity, the three-row midsize Hyundai Palisade is hard to beat, with an incredibly roomy interior, excellent ride quality, and many standard safety features at an attractive price.
Except for its 2021 debut year, the Hyundai Palisade has gained the IIHS’s highly-acclaimed award for consecutive years, making it a solid proposition for a safe midsize SUV for retirees.
The Korean carmaker’s industry-leading warranty is another strong reason to own a Palisade.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Hyundai Palisade | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Hyundai Palisade | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Hyundai Palisade | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Hyundai Palisade | Top Safety Pick |
Safest Luxury SUVs for Seniors
#7 BMW X3
As smaller crossovers suit retirees and older couples, the BMW X3 is a solid pick as one of the safest luxury cars for seniors in the compact SUV space.
While the X1 exhibits similar positive traits as an extra-small crossover, the slightly larger X3 is the ideal size with an appreciable roomy cabin that elderly drivers and passengers will find easy to slide in and out of.
The BMW X3 has amassed a string of Top Safety Pick Plus honors since its third generation debuted in 2018.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 BMW X3 | – |
| 2020 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2017 BMW X3 | – |
| 2016 BMW X3 | – |
| 2015 BMW X3 | – |
| 2014 BMW X3 | – |
| 2013 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2012 BMW X3 | Top Safety Pick |
#8 Volvo XC-90
Should the older couple need a larger SUV to regularly ferry grandkids and friends, this Volvo model is an excellent choice.
The Volvo XC90 is a midsize three-row sports utility vehicle and one of the safest luxury SUVs for seniors, with an admirable history of picking up many Top Safety Pick accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The XC90 is an elegant-looking vehicle that drives as capably as it protects its occupants in a beautifully-finished cabin.
Plus, outward visibility is excellent, and sliding in and out of the vehicle is effortless with the XC90’s large door openings.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2020 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2018 Volvo XC90 | – |
| 2017 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2016 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Volvo XC90 | (hiatus) |
| 2014 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2013 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2012 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2011 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2010 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2009 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2008 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
| 2007 Volvo XC90 | Top Safety Pick |
Safest Sedans for Seniors
#9 Subaru Legacy
Although small sedans cost less, midsize models are ideal for elderly passengers, providing more interior room to stretch and get comfortable without being too unwieldy.
The two mainstream midsize sedans on this list are exemplary in the crash safety aspect.
The Legacy is Subaru’s all-rounded midsize entrant and one of the safest sedans for older drivers, with impeccable safety ratings across several generations.
It offers standard all-wheel drive for enhanced grip in inclement weather and unimpeded driver sightlines for a safer drive.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2022 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2020 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2017 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2014 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2013 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2012 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2011 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2010 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2009 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2008 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2007 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick |
| 2006 Subaru Legacy | Top Safety Pick (Gold) |
#10 Toyota Camry
Retirees and older drivers after a fuel-efficient, comfortable, and super-reliable car will be pleased with this Toyota midsize.
As an ultra-competitive vehicle in the various practical metrics, the Toyota Camry is the safest sedan for seniors, having won heaps of safety awards with its solidly constructed body.
Camry’s long-running success is a testament to the car’s low running costs and ever-dependable build quality and crash safety.
| IIHS Award | |
| 2023 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2022 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2021 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2020 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2019 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2018 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2017 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2016 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2015 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick + |
| 2014 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick |
| 2013 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick |
| 2012 Toyota Camry | Top Safety Pick |
References:
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks
https://automobiles.honda.com/cr-v
https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/cx-5
https://www.vw.com/en/models/id-4.html
https://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback.html
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/palisade
https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/x-models/x3/sports-activity-vehicle/overview.html
https://www.volvocars.com/us/cars/xc90/
