These Compact and Subcompact Cars Perform the Best in Safety Testing

Safety is a big concern for shoppers of these small cars. While compact and subcompact cars are often viewed as budget buys, the safest small cars come with the kind of advanced driver assistance systems found in luxury vehicles. Though lighter than most vehicles, these small cars utilize technology such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking to help make them safest in the class. 

We’ll explore the top 25 small cars when it comes to safety, starting with models that have above average scores and concluding on those with excellent scores. Note that scores may change as additional safety reporting comes to light, and may not match the score seen on the individual vehicle reviews. Also, only vehicles that have been tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are eligible for this list.

We have also included crash test ratings done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well, when applicable. By law, all new cars must have rearview cameras as of May 2018, so consider that standard equipment on all these models unless noted otherwise.

2019 Nissan Versa

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.0/10 | USN Overall Score: 6.7/10 | $12,460

The 2019 Nissan Versa sedan earned a four-star overall crash rating from the NHTSA, earning four stars on each of the four tests. 

In IIHS testing, Nissan’s smallest car did not fare as well. While it earned top marks of Good in side-impact, rear crash protection, roof strength, and moderate overlap tests, it was rated Poor for the small overlap driver test. The two frontal crash tests by the IIHS represent the most common type of crash that causes fatalities. The small overlap frontal test replicates what happens if a vehicle hits another vehicle or a stationary object such as a tree.

The Versa earned a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

Unlike most competitors, the only standard safety technology on the most inexpensive car on this list is a rearview camera. Nissan fixed this with the redesigned 2020 model, which comes standard with automatic emergency braking.

2019 Fiat 500

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.2/10 | USN Overall Score: 6.3/10 | $16,495

The 2019 Fiat 500 two-door hatchback earned a four-star overall crash rating from the NHTSA.

Like the Nissan Versa, the 2019 Fiat 500 earned Good ratings from the IIHS on all but the small overlap front driver test, which was rated Poor. 

The subcompact comes standard with a rearview camera, which was mandated in 2018, and comes available with rear parking sensors. First launched for the model year 2012, the aging 500 trails the competition in the latest safety technology.

2019 Mitsubishi Mirage

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.3/10 | USN Overall Score: 5.0/10 | $13,795

The 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage four-door hatchback earned a four-star overall crash rating from the NHTSA.

IIHS gave the rough-riding hatchback the highest rating of Good on four tests, but unlike the NIssan Versa and Fiat 500, the Mirage earned a Marginal rating on the driver-side small overlap test. The G4 trim, which is the sedan version, was rated as Acceptable in side-crash testing instead of Good like the hatchback. Otherwise the ratings were the same. 

Both the sedan and hatchback have a rearview camera, but only the hatch comes available with front and rear parking sensors.

2019 Ford Fiesta

The 2019 Ford Fiesta subcompact car earned a four-star overall crash rating from the NHTSA. 

The four-door hatchback earned Good ratings from the IIHS on all but the small overlap front driver test, which was rated at Marginal. 

While a rearview camera is standard, Ford has appealed to inexperienced and younger drivers, or parents of younger drivers, with Ford MyKey. It has speed and volume limits, extra seat belt reminders, and an early low-fuel warning. The Fiesta has been mostly untouched since 2011, so the aging model lacks other safety technology.

2019 Volkswagen GTI

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.4/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.4/10 | $27,595

The 2019 Volkswagen GTI hatchback earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, thanks in part to five-star side crash protection. In frontal crash and rollover tests, it earned four stars.

The number one compact car in our ratings, the GTI also gets a Good rating from the IIHS on the five main tests. Additionally, it received an Acceptable rating on the small overlap front passenger test. 

Considering the four-door GTI is on the more expensive end of this list, it is equipped accordingly with a rearview camera and rain-sensing windshield wipers, but comes available with just about every other safety technology. The GTI can be had with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping that can nudge the vehicle back into the lane, park assist that helps steer the car into a parallel parking spot, and active high beam control that automatically reverts to normal lights when it senses a car coming. 

Those extra features got a Top Safety Pick designation from IIHS.

2019 Mini Cooper

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.6/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.2/10 | $21,900

The 2019 Mini Cooper subcompact car earned a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, but fared better on the more rigorous testing from the IIHS with a Good rating across the top five tests. The two-door hardtop hatchback was a Top Safety Pick due to an Acceptable rating for headlights, and an Advanced rating for front crash prevention when properly equipped. The Signature trim four-door received an Acceptable headlight rating as well, due to LED projectors and the Corning Lights package. The four-door and the convertible have not yet undergone the full battery of IIHS tests. 

Standard on the 2019 Mini Cooper is a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Available safety equipment includes front parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and parallel park assist. 

2019 Chevrolet Cruze

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.7/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.2/10 | $17,995

The 2019 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan earned five stars in front crash tests from the NHTSA, and four stars in the rollover test. The IIHS only conducted the side-impact and moderate front overlap tests on the Cruze, in which it earned a Good rating. 

Standard safety features include a rearview camera and Teen Driver Assist, which lets the owners set speed and volume limits for their secondary, more-expensive-to-insure teen drivers. Available safety features run the gamut and come in two packages called Driver Confidence or Driver Confidence II, which is more comprehensive. The latter of which is available only on the top Premier trim. It includes automatic high beam headlights, automatic emergency braking at low speeds, front pedestrian braking, lane-keeping, and front, rear, and blind-spot alerts. It does not come with adaptive cruise control.

2019 Volkswagen Beetle

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.8/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.1/10 | $20,895

The people’s car is cuter than it is safe. The NHTSA gave the VW Beetle four stars on its frontal crash and rollover tests, but it hasn’t been through the other two tests. It was mostly Good for the IIHS testing, except for a Marginal result in the driver-side small overlap test. 

Standard safety technology includes a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Available features are minimal, with just front and rear parking sensors.

2019 Volkswagen Golf

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.9/10 | $21,845

The NHTSA gave the 2019 Volkswagen Golf an overall five-star safety rating, with five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the front and rollover crash tests. The four-door hatchback earned the highest Good rating from the IIHS on all but the passenger-side small overlap front test, which earned a second-best Acceptable rating.

The Golf improves in our rating with standard safety features such as rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Available autonomous safety features include automatic high beams, front and rear parking sensors, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

2019 Chevrolet Sonic

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.9/10 | $15,420

A five-star overall rating from the NHTSA complements the top Good rating from the IIHS for the 2019 Chevy Sonic four-door compact car. Sonic models equipped with the optional forward collision alert provide a Basic level of front crash prevention.

Though the Sonic only comes standard with a rearview camera, an optional $495 package that Chevy calls Driver Confidence comes with rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and forward-collision warning.

2019 Volkswagen Jetta

U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.7/10 | $18,745

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta has an overall five-star rating from the NHTSA, though it earned four stars for front crash and rollover ratings. The IIHS rated the four-door midsize sedan as Good on six key tests, but the headlights were rated as Marginal on the top SEL trim and Poor on the lower trims. The IIHS found visibility was inadequate on the sides of the road.

The Jetta only comes standard with a rearview camera, which is standard by law on all 2019 models. Available autonomous safety features on base models include the aforementioned Driver Assistance package with forwarding collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, and a blind-spot monitor. Other available features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

2019 Nissan Sentra

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.0/10 | USN Overall Score: 6.9/10 | $17,890

A Top Safety Pick when properly equipped, the 2019 Nissan Sentra got the highest rating of Good from the IIHS on every crash test. The compact sedan earned a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

Available features, beyond the standard rearview camera, include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

2019 Honda Fit

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.2/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.4/10 | $16,190

The 2019 Honda Fit is the top dog in our subcompact car rankings, thanks in part to its standard autonomous safety features. The NHTSA gave it five out of five stars in overall crash testing, with the only four-star rating in the rollover test. 

The IIHS rated the mini car as Good in all its crash tests. In front crash prevention, models equipped with the optional Collision Mitigation Braking System earned a top rating of Superior. The Fit didn’t fare as well in headlight testing. Higher trims earned the second-lowest rating of Marginal for how well the headlights illuminate the road ahead, and the base and Sport trims received the lowest rating of Poor.

Honda Sensing is standard on top EX and EX-L trims and available on LX and Sport models of the Fit. It bundles a collision mitigation braking system, a road departure mitigation system, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. Forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and Honda LaneWatch are available. LaneWatch projects a camera image from the passenger side mirror down the passenger-side blind spot when you use the right-hand turn signal. This is so you can see cyclists or other moving objects coming up on the blindspot.

2019 Hyundai Accent

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.2/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10 | $14,995

The 2019 Hyundai Accent four-door sedan is an IIHS Top Safety Pick when equipped with forward-collision avoidance and certain LED projector headlights. The NHTSA has yet to test the 2019 Accent. 

Rearview camera is standard, and available driver assistance features are forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking. The Accent also has an industry-leading 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty and 5-year/50,000 limited vehicle warranty. Because of this and its overall value, we rank it near the top of our subcompact car rankings.

2019 Hyundai Elantra

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.2/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10 | $17,200

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra four-door compact is a Top Safety Pick+, which is the highest-ranking bestowed by IIHS. However, that only applies to models that come with forward collision-assist with pedestrian detection as part of the optional Ultimate Package. You also need to have the LED projector headlights available on vehicles made after September 2018. The GT hatchback is also a Top Safety Pick+ for the same reasons. 

The NHTSA gave the sedan a four-star rating out of five. 

While the only standard safety equipment is the rearview camera, the Elantra comes available with all kinds of autonomous safety features, including driver drowsiness monitoring, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Other available features include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe exit assist, which lets you know when you can safely open your car door on a busy street, for example.

2019 Toyota Corolla

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.3/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.5/10 | $18,700

Both the 2019 Toyota Corolla sedan and hatchback are an IIHS Top Safety Pick when equipped with LED projector lights. It’s unusual for an outgoing model to earn the distinction, especially with the standard safety features on the redesigned 2020 model. The NHTSA gave it a five-star overall rating as well.

The 2019 compact four-door sedan comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense P, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. 

The hatchback upgrades those standard safety features with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. It does everything TSS P does, but better, such as adaptive cruise control that can go down to a stop, as well as lane departure warning that can read the edge of the road and not just the lane markings. Road sign assist projects in the instrument cluster up to three traffic signs at a time. Blind-spot monitoring is available in the hatchback only.

2019 Toyota Yaris

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.3/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.0/10 | $15,600

The vehicle formerly known as the Scion iA earned Good ratings on five IIHS tests but got a Poor rating for headlights. The NHTSA gave the 2019 Toyota Yaris an overall rating of five stars. 

Standard safety features include a rearview camera, low-speed forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Unfortunately, Toyota does not offer Toyota Safety Sense Plus or Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 on the Yaris.

2019 Kia Rio

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.3/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10 | $15,390

The 2019 Kia Rio earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS when equipped with the Technology Package that includes forward collision warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, and LED projector headlights. 

But that is pretty much all you can get in terms of autonomous safety features, whereas the competition offers more for a price. Unfortunately, the Rio has yet to be tested by the NHTSA.

2019 Mazda3

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.4/10 | $21,000

The 2019 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback are both IIHS Top Safety Picks when equipped with “smart brake support,” which is automatic emergency braking at low speeds. The compact car earned a Good rating on six crash tests and an Acceptable rating on headlights. 

The outgoing 2018 model earned five stars from the NHTSA, but the redesigned 2019 model has not yet been tested.

Like the aforementioned Toyota Corolla, the higher-priced hatchback version has more standard safety features. Hatchback models have standard automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, driver attention and drowsiness monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. This equipment is available on the sedan.

2019 Subaru WRX

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.5/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.4/10 | $27,195

The 2019 Subaru WRX is a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS when equipped LED projector headlights and EyeSight, which is Subaru’s name for its suite of advanced driver assistance systems. The compact four-door sedan with standard AWD has not been tested by the NHTSA.

Eyesight includes some of the following active safety features: adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, pre-collision braking, reverse automatic braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, and Subaru's StarLink telematics system.

2019 Subaru Impreza

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.5/10 | USN Overall Score: 7.7/10 | $18,595

Like the WRX, the Impreza small wagon is a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, when equipped with EyeSight, which is Subaru’s name for its suite of advanced driver assistance systems, and LED projector headlights. It received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. 

A rearview camera comes standard in the Impreza. Several other safety features are available, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, reverse automatic braking, and automatic high-beam headlights. The EyeSight safety system adds forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

2019 Kia Forte

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.5/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.4/10 | $17,790

The 2019 Kia Forte compact four-door sedan is a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS when equipped with LED projector headlights. The NHTSA gave it five stars in side crash testing, but four stars in frontal crash and rollover tests.

The redesigned 2019 Forte comes with a good amount of standard safety technology such as lane departure warning, lane keep assist, a driver attention and drowsiness monitor, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. This is one of the reasons why it is tied atop our compact car rankings for 2019. 

Additionally, the top trim comes available with adaptive LED headlights, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, reverse parking sensors, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control.

2019 Honda Civic

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.3/10 | $19,550

The 2019 Honda Civic coupe, sedan, and hatchback earned Good ratings in IIHS crash testing. But the headlights were rated at Poor, which precluded it from earning a Top Safety Pick designation. It earned a five-star overall crash test rating from the NHTSA.

The 2019 Civic comes standard with the Honda Sensing package of driver assistance features. These include automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. Also standard is a multi-angle rearview camera. LaneWatch is available, which acts as a passenger-side blind-spot monitoring system projecting what’s in the blind spot on the rearview camera screen.

2019 Kia Soul

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.8/10 | $16,490

The 2019 Kia Soul is a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, but the 2020 model earns that extra plus sign. The 2019 model is a top safety pick when equipped with automatic emergency braking and HID projector headlights. 

The NHTSA awarded the 2019 Kia Soul a five-star overall safety rating, with only the rollover crash tests earning a less than perfect four out of five star rating. 

Available advanced safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.

2019 Hyundai Veloster

U.S. News Safety Score: 9.9/10 | USN Overall Score: 8.1/10 | $18,500

The 2019 Veloster three-door has the highest safety ranking on our comprehensive list of small cars. It earned the best rating of Good in all six crash tests conducted by the IIHS.

It comes with excellent standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane keep assist, and a rearview camera. Available features include a head-up display, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. Few cars under $20,000 come this well-equipped for safety. 

The Veloster has not yet been rated by the NHTSA.

Conclusion:

Before you decide to buy or lease any new vehicle be sure to get a My Car Price Check report done before you sign at any car dealership. This way you can rest easy knowing you’ve secured the best deal possible for your hard-earned dollars as well as the safest.

Remember: ”It’s better to be pennywise than dollar foolish!

Check before you sign

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