Each year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ranks vehicles’ safety features, rating them against increasingly tougher standards. The highest ranking on the list, a Top Safety Pick+, has 11 more vehicles than 2014’s list despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention- great news for consumers.

“This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet,” says IIHS President Adrian Lund. “The quest for Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards is driving improvement in the small overlap front crash test and getting manufacturers to offer automatic braking technology on more and more vehicles.”

How does a vehicle earn the 2015 Top Safety Pick+ designation? A vehicle must meet the following criteria:

• a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap front test
• a good rating in each of the Institute’s four other crashworthiness evaluations — moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints
• an available front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating

The vehicles with the top ratings on this year’s list- a “good” crashworthiness rating and “superior” front crash prevention rating are:

• Subaru Impreza, XV Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, Forester
• Acura TLX
• Infiniti Q50
• Hyundai Genesis
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The other Top Safety Pick+ vehicles ranked highly receiving either a “good” or “acceptable” crashworthiness rating combined with lower front crash prevention ratings but still qualified as “superior” or “advanced.” Those vehicles include:

• Mazda 6, CX-5, 3
• Chrysler 200
• Lexus CT 200h, RC, NX
• Toyota Prius, Prius V, Camry, Highlander, Sienna
• Acura RLX, MDX
• Audi A3
• BMW 2 Series
• Infiniti Q70 (except V8 4WD)
• Volvo S60, V60, S80, XC60
• Mercedes-Benz M-Class
• Honda CR-V
• Mitsubishi Outlander

To view the complete list and see where your family’s vehicle ranks, visit iihs.org.

image courtesy of Subaru