The safest sedan in our current 2026 ranking is the 2026 Audi A6, scoring 94.9/100 with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. It leads 20 sedans with complete IIHS records; 11 more are still missing at least one test and are listed separately below.
All current sedans 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.
| Rank | Vehicle | Class | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2026 Audi A6 | Large luxury cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 94.9 |
| #2 | 2026 Audi A5 | Midsize luxury cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 94.7 |
| #2 | 2026 Mercedes-Benz C Class | Midsize luxury cars | TSP | Good | 94.7 |
| #4 | 2026 Honda Accord | Midsize cars | TSP | Good | 94.4 |
| #5 | 2026 Hyundai Elantra | Small cars | TSP | Good | 94.1 |
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| #6 | 2027 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron | Large cars | TSP+ | Good | 92.6 |
| #7 | 2026 Tesla Model 3 | Midsize luxury cars | β | Good | 91.7 |
| #8 | 2026 Toyota Camry | Midsize cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 89.9 |
| #9 | 2026 Nissan Sentra | Small cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 89.8 |
| #10 | 2026 Kia K4 | Small cars | TSP+ | Good | 89.6 |
| #11 | 2026 Hyundai Sonata | Midsize cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 89.4 |
| #12 | 2026 Mazda 3 | Small cars | TSP+ | Acceptable | 88.5 |
| #13 | 2026 Honda Civic | Small cars | β | Marginal | 80.0 |
| #14 | 2026 Genesis G80 | Large cars | TSP+ | Marginal | 79.9 |
| #15 | 2026 Audi A3 | Midsize luxury cars | β | Good | 79.7 |
| #16 | 2026 Genesis G90 | Large cars | β | Marginal | 75.8 |
| #17 | 2026 Toyota Corolla | Small cars | β | Marginal | 74.9 |
| #18 | 2026 Mercedes-Benz E Class | Large cars | β | Marginal | 72.7 |
| #19 | 2026 Subaru WRX | Small cars | β | Marginal | 67.0 |
| #20 | 2026 Nissan Altima | Midsize cars | β | Poor | 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.
Safest sedans 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 budget | Safest choice | Score | Starting around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $22K | 2026 Kia K4 | 89.6 | ~$22,290 |
| $22Kβ$22K | 2026 Nissan Sentra | 89.8 | ~$22,600 |
| $22Kβ$28K | 2026 Hyundai Elantra | 94.1 | ~$22,625 |
| $28Kβ$49K | 2026 Honda Accord | 94.4 | ~$28,395 |
| $49Kβ$64K | 2026 Mercedes-Benz C Class | 94.7 | ~$49,650 |
| $64K+ | 2026 Audi A6 | 94.9 | ~$64,100 |
11 current sedans 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.
| Vehicle | Primary tests reported | Detail results reported | IIHS award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia | 1/4 | 1/4 | β |
| 2026 BMW 3 Series | 3/4 | 3/4 | β |
| 2026 BMW 5 Series | 3/4 | 3/4 | β |
| 2026 BMW i4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | β |
| 2026 Cadillac CT5 | 3/4 | 3/4 | β |
| 2026 Genesis G70 | 2/4 | 2/4 | β |
| 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 6 | 3/4 | 4/4 | β |
| 2026 Kia K5 | 3/4 | 4/4 | β |
| 2026 Lexus Is | 2/4 | 2/4 | β |
| 2026 Toyota Crown | 3/4 | 3/4 | β |
| 2026 Volkswagen Jetta | 2/4 | 3/4 | β |
What the class context means
Small cars have a standardized driver death rate well above the all-vehicle average; large and luxury cars sit below it. Because the class-context term is only 10% of the score, a small sedan with complete Good results can still outrank a larger car with weaker tests.
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 sedan in 2026?
The 2026 Audi A6 leads our current ranking of sedans with a score of 94.9/100 from published IIHS tests and a Top Safety Pick+ award. 20 sedans have complete records; ties share a rank.
Are sedans less safe than SUVs?
On average, drivers of small cars die at higher rates than drivers of SUVs, largely because of mass. A sedan with complete Good ratings in the updated IIHS tests still protects its occupants far better than an older or lower-rated SUV. Compare specific models, not body styles.
Which sedans earned Top Safety Pick+?
The award column in the table shows current award status for each model year. The award itself carries no weight; the tests behind it are 80% of the score and the pedestrian front crash prevention result it requires is scored directly at 10%.
Keep comparing
Other rankings by type: Small SUVs Β· Midsize SUVs Β· Large SUVs Β· Luxury SUVs Β· Compact cars Β· Pickup trucks Β· Electric vehicles Β· Hybrids Β· Under $30,000 Β· Under $40,000 Β· Under $50,000 Β· Top Safety Pick winners Β· Teen drivers Β· Lowest-rated