IIHS has named dozens of vehicles to its top tier this year, and a mix of mainstream sedans and SUVs made the cut. The group spans economy compacts, family crossovers and a luxury model, and some winners carry notable caveats. Here are eleven of them, with what the ratings say about each.
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1. Toyota Camry: Good Across the Board
Among the 45 winners IIHS announced on March 24, 2026, the IIHS awards release lists the Camry with a TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation. The institute gave 63 awards in all, 18 of them the plain TOP SAFETY PICK level. The sedan earned Good ratings in all three crash tests.
For a shopper comparing midsize sedans, that sweep of Good results is the headline credential. The plus-level badge speaks to more than structure alone. The Camry is the only item in this group backed by the news release rather than a model page.
2. Hyundai Sonata: Headlight Strength
The IIHS Sonata rating shows a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award for 2026. The sedan scored Good in the small overlap test, in the updated moderate overlap test and in the updated side test. Its headlights also rate Good, which is a common weak spot among otherwise capable vehicles.
Sonata buyers get the full set of top results across the tests that decide the award, not a single standout figure. Good headlights alongside those crash results round out the record.
3. Mazda3: A Sedan With a Catch
IIHS gives the 2026 sedan version of the Mazda3 sedan rating a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, with Good in all three crash tests. The headlight result is more qualified. Good headlights appear only on the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus trim.
Anyone wanting the award-level lighting needs to look at the trim sheet, not just the model name. Other trims carry the same crash-test strength, but the headlight rating that comes with the top Turbo trim does not extend to every version of the car. The distinction matters most for shoppers who weigh nighttime visibility as heavily as impact protection.
4. Nissan Sentra: Pedestrian Prevention
The IIHS Sentra page records a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award for the 2026 model. Two results stand out on that page: Good headlights and Good pedestrian crash prevention. Both fall in the crash-avoidance and lighting categories that the institute has pushed automakers to improve.
A plus-level award for a compact sedan reaches a wide audience. The pedestrian result suggests the standard front-crash technology performs well when a person steps into the road. The headline credential is that a compact sedan sits on the same list as luxury and three-row models.
5. Honda HR-V: Strong Crashes, Weaker Lights
The IIHS HR-V rating credits the small SUV with TOP SAFETY PICK+ status on the strength of Good crash test results. Headlights are the one soft spot, rating only Acceptable. That is a step below the top mark, yet the award still stands.
The result shows that the plus designation tolerates an Acceptable headlight rating when the rest of the record is strong. Shoppers who drive often after dark may still prefer a rival with Good lighting, while those focused on crashworthiness will find little to fault. Among the small SUVs here, the HR-V is the clearest case of a split between structure and lamps.
6. Hyundai Tucson: Whiplash Drags the Rating
A Tucson safety rating from IIHS comes with an unusual wrinkle. The compact SUV earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ even though its whiplash rating is Poor, with 10 demerits. Headlights are Good on the Limited trim and Acceptable on the other trims.
The Poor seat result shows how the award weighs the full picture and does not demand a perfect score in every category. Buyers worried about neck injuries in rear-end collisions should note that figure, since the seat and head restraint performance is a real shortcoming. Anyone after the best lighting would need to choose the Limited trim.
7. Mazda CX-50: Strong Tests, Weak Seats
The 2026 CX-50 holds a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, according to its IIHS CX-50 listing. Its crash tests all come back Good. Whiplash prevention, however, rates Poor with 11 demerits.
Two numbers tell the story: strong occupant protection in the crash tests, and a weak showing for seats and head restraints in rear impacts. The whiplash tally is one demerit worse than the Tucson figure elsewhere on this list. Owners and shoppers can treat the badge as proof of solid crash performance while keeping the seat result in mind.
8. Honda Passport: Midsize Allrounder
Midsize SUVs rarely collect top honors, but the IIHS Passport results show the Honda doing it. The Passport earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ with Good crash tests, Good headlights and Good pedestrian prevention. That combination covers the structure, the lighting and the avoidance technology.
For families that need more space than a compact crossover offers, the Passport shows that size does not have to cost safety credentials. No weak category is listed in its summary, unlike several other vehicles here that carry a headlight or whiplash caveat. The award reads as a clean sweep.
9. Subaru Outback: Headlights on Every Trim
A TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation appears on the IIHS Outback page for 2026. The Outback earns Good headlights on all trims, not just the top one. Pedestrian crash prevention also rates Good.
Trim-level consistency is the practical takeaway. The Mazda3 on this list limits Good headlights to one trim, but the Outback’s result applies across the lineup, so a buyer need not upgrade to get award-level lighting. The pedestrian rating adds to the record.
10. Lexus NX: Luxury Compact Scores
Luxury shoppers get a strong result from the IIHS Lexus NX rating. The compact SUV earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ with Good crash tests and Good headlights. Those two strengths cover both the structure and the lighting that decide a plus-level award.
The NX is the premium entry among the compact SUVs here, and its summary lists no weak area. Buyers cross-shopping against cheaper rivals will find that the plus badge is not exclusive to higher prices, since mainstream models such as the Camry reach it too. Still, the Lexus delivers the award without trim-specific qualifications noted on its rating page.
11. Kia EV9: Three Rows, Top Marks
The IIHS EV9 rating places the three-row electric SUV among the 2026 winners. It earns TOP SAFETY PICK+ with Good crash tests, Good headlights and Good pedestrian prevention. The listing shows no weak category.
Three-row electric vehicles are a small group, so an award for the EV9 matters to families who want seating for more people without a gasoline engine. The record suggests that the extra mass and battery packaging of an electric SUV need not compromise occupant protection or avoidance performance. It is the only electric model among the eleven.
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