Under $40,000 Β· IIHS data updated 2026-09-03

Safest Cars and SUVs Under $40,000 in 2026

Forty thousand dollars covers most family SUVs, every minivan, and a few luxury-brand entries. This page ranks every current model with a base MSRP under $40,000 by the same published score used across the site.

See the ranking

The safest vehicle under $40,000 in our current 2026 ranking is the 2026 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, scoring 96.8/100 with an IIHS Top Safety Pick award. It leads 65 under $40,000 with complete IIHS records; 2 more are still missing at least one test and are listed separately below.

All current under $40,000 ranked by safety

Equal scores share a rank. The score is 55% primary IIHS tests, 25% selected occupant-protection details, 10% pedestrian front crash prevention, and 10% class context. Missing evidence never counts as passing.

RankVehicleClassIIHS awardRear restraintsStarts atScore
#1 2026 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Midsize SUVs TSP Good ~$38,300 96.8
#2 2026 Ford Mustang Mach E Midsize SUVs TSP Good ~$37,795 95.6
#2 2026 Mazda CX 5 Small SUVs TSP+ Good ~$29,990 95.6
#4 2026 Honda Accord Midsize cars TSP Good ~$28,395 94.4
#5 2026 Ford Explorer Midsize SUVs TSP Acceptable ~$38,465 94.3
#5 2026 Mazda CX 90 Midsize SUVs TSP+ Good ~$39,300 94.3
#5 2026 Subaru Forester Small SUVs TSP+ Good ~$29,995 94.3
#5 2026 Subaru Outback Midsize SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$34,995 94.3
#5 2026 Volkswagen Atlas Midsize SUVs TSP Acceptable ~$39,310 94.3
#10 2026 Hyundai Elantra Small cars TSP Good ~$22,625 94.1
#11 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Small SUVs TSP+ Good ~$35,000 93.1
#11 2026 Hyundai Tucson Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$29,450 93.1
#11 2026 Kia Sportage Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$28,690 93.1
#14 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Midsize SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$34,800 92.3
#15 2026 Hyundai Kona Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$25,500 91.7
#15 2026 Tesla Model 3 Midsize luxury cars β€” Good ~$36,990 91.7
#17 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Small cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$33,995 91.0
#18 2026 Mazda CX 30 Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$25,975 90.6
#18 2026 Mazda CX 50 Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$29,900 90.6
#20 2026 Toyota Camry Midsize cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$29,100 89.9
#21 2026 Nissan Sentra Small cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$22,600 89.8
#22 2026 Kia K4 Small cars TSP+ Good ~$22,290 89.6
#23 2026 Hyundai Sonata Midsize cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$27,450 89.4
#24 2026 Hyundai Palisade Midsize SUVs TSP+ Marginal ~$38,935 89.3
#25 2026 Honda HR V Small SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$26,200 89.2
#25 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Midsize SUVs TSP+ Acceptable ~$39,045 89.2
#27 2026 Honda Civic Small cars TSP Acceptable ~$27,895 89.1
#28 2026 Toyota Prius Small cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$28,550 89.0
#29 2026 Mazda 3 Small cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$25,650 88.5
#29 2026 Mazda 3 Small cars TSP+ Acceptable ~$24,650 88.5
#31 2026 Kia Sorento Midsize SUVs TSP+ Marginal ~$32,390 87.9
#32 2026 Honda Prologue Midsize SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$39,900 86.9
#33 2026 Nissan Rogue Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$29,090 86.5
#34 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$28,800 85.8
#35 2026 Nissan Leaf Small cars β€” Acceptable ~$29,990 85.6
#36 2026 Acura ADX Small SUVs β€” Marginal ~$35,000 81.5
#37 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Small pickups β€” Acceptable ~$29,750 81.2
#38 2026 Honda Civic Small cars β€” Marginal ~$24,595 80.0
#39 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Small SUVs β€” Marginal ~$24,635 78.8
#40 2026 Jeep Gladiator Small pickups β€” Good ~$39,820 78.3
#41 2026 Acura Integra Small cars β€” Marginal ~$33,400 78.0
#42 2026 Subaru Solterra Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$38,495 77.5
#42 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$39,995 77.5
#42 2026 Toyota Bz Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$34,900 77.5
#45 2026 Jeep Wrangler Midsize SUVs β€” Good ~$36,035 77.3
#46 2026 Toyota Corolla Small cars β€” Marginal ~$22,725 74.9
#47 2026 Nissan Frontier Small pickups β€” Acceptable ~$33,550 74.8
#48 2026 Toyota Highlander Midsize SUVs β€” Marginal ~$40,000 74.4
#49 2026 Ford Maverick Small pickups β€” Marginal ~$27,145 74.2
#50 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Small cars β€” Marginal ~$26,995 73.6
#50 2026 Subaru Impreza Small cars β€” Marginal ~$26,595 73.6
#52 2026 Toyota Tacoma Small pickups β€” Poor ~$34,205 72.8
#53 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Midsize SUVs β€” Poor ~$30,805 70.3
#54 2026 Kia K4 Small cars β€” Marginal ~$24,890 69.8
#55 2026 Kia EV6 Small SUVs β€” Poor ~$37,900 69.3
#56 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Small SUVs β€” Marginal ~$31,845 69.1
#57 2026 Nissan Kicks Small SUVs β€” Marginal ~$22,730 68.2
#58 2026 Subaru WRX Small cars β€” Marginal ~$32,495 67.0
#59 2026 Honda CR V Small SUVs β€” Poor ~$30,920 66.6
#60 2026 Buick Envista Small SUVs β€” Good ~$26,495 63.7
#60 2026 Chevrolet Trax Small SUVs β€” Good ~$21,700 63.7
#62 2026 Kia Seltos Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$23,790 61.5
#63 2026 Volkswagen Taos Small SUVs β€” Acceptable ~$26,500 61.2
#64 2026 Jeep Compass Small SUVs β€” Good ~$29,550 54.1
#65 2026 Nissan Altima Midsize cars β€” Poor ~$27,580 39.1

Rear restraints is the IIHS rear-passenger restraints and dummy-kinematics result from the updated moderate-overlap test; it is the single detail that most often separates otherwise similar vehicles. Prices are approximate base MSRPs excluding destination, last checked 2026-08.

Safest under $40,000 at every price

A vehicle appears here only if it is safer than every cheaper option, so each row is the best score available at that budget.

Your budgetSafest choiceScoreStarting around
Under $22K 2026 Chevrolet Trax 63.7 ~$21,700
$22K–$22K 2026 Kia K4 89.6 ~$22,290
$22K–$22K 2026 Nissan Sentra 89.8 ~$22,600
$22K–$28K 2026 Hyundai Elantra 94.1 ~$22,625
$28K–$29K 2026 Honda Accord 94.4 ~$28,395
$29K–$38K 2026 Mazda CX 5 95.6 ~$29,990
$38K+ 2026 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 96.8 ~$38,300
2 current under $40,000 still waiting on complete IIHS results

These vehicles are listed so you can see what has been tested. A missing result is never treated as a pass or a fail, so they are not ranked.

VehiclePrimary tests reportedDetail results reportedIIHS award
2026 Ford Escape 4/4 4/4 β€”
2026 Ford Ranger 4/4 4/4 β€”

What the class context means

Prices are approximate base-trim MSRPs excluding destination charges and were last checked on the date shown below the table.

Every vehicle on this page is scored with the same published formula as the main ranking. The full method, the exact weights, and the missing-evidence rules are on the methodology page.

Questions people ask

What is the safest car under $40,000 in 2026?

The 2026 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport leads our current ranking of under $40,000 with a score of 96.8/100 from published IIHS tests and a Top Safety Pick award. 65 under $40,000 have complete records; ties share a rank.

Is a three-row SUV under $40,000 safe?

Several three-row SUVs and every current minivan start under $40,000. The family SUV page shows the same scores with typical seating so you can compare them directly.

Does the score change with price?

No. Price is a filter, not an input. The safest-at-every-price table on the main ranking shows where each extra dollar actually buys a higher score.

Keep comparing

Related rankingSafest cars under $50,000 β†’ Related rankingSafest cars under $30,000 β†’ Related rankingSafest family SUVs β†’ Related rankingSafest minivans β†’

Other rankings by type: Small SUVs Β· Midsize SUVs Β· Large SUVs Β· Luxury SUVs Β· Sedans Β· Compact cars Β· Pickup trucks Β· Electric vehicles Β· Hybrids Β· Under $30,000 Β· Under $50,000 Β· Top Safety Pick winners Β· Teen drivers Β· Lowest-rated