Gallery: these are the safest cars you can currently buy
Cars are getting safer. Of the 55 cars Euro NCAP crashed last year, 41 were judged safe enough to earn the top five-star rating, meaning that a), Euro NCAP needs to rationalise its scoring system and b), if you’re in the market for a brand-new car, when it comes to safety you can’t really go far wrong.
But if only the safest of the safe will do, keep on reading. Because every year NCAP calculates the very safest cars it’s tested over the last 12 months, using the scores from all four areas of assessment: adult occupant, child occupant, pedestrian and safety assist. These are those cars.
Small Family Car
The new Mercedes CLA comes out on top, with the Mazda3 finishing a close second.
Click here to read our Mazda3 review.
Supermini
It’s a tie between the new Renault Clio and the Audi A1. Then comes the new Ford Puma (which we’d argue isn’t a supermini at all).
Small Off-Road/MPV
The Subaru Forester wins this class, ahead of the Mazda CX-30 and VW T-Cross.
Click here to read our first drive report of the Mazda CX-30 courtesy of our friends from across the causeway.
Hybrid/Electric
The Tesla Model 3 beats its big brother, the Model X, into second place.
Click here to read our review of the Tesla Model 3.
Large Family Car
It’s a dead heat - the BMW 3 Series and Tesla Model 3 are the safest ‘Large Family Cars’, ahead of the Skoda Octavia.
Click here to read our review of the BMW 3-Series.
