Safety is an important factor to consider when buying a new car, especially if you’re looking for a family car. Thankfully, the crash test experts at Euro NCAP take the guesswork out of identifying the safest cars on sale by slamming (almost) every new model into walls and barriers to see how well they protect their occupants in the event of an accident.
Euro NCAP tests each car’s active safety systems – also known as driver assistance systems – to see how effective they are in reacting to hazards in the road ahead. We’re talking about things like cars stopping suddenly and pedestrians running into the road. The whole assessment is broken down into four areas: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection and driver assistance systems. Once the dust has settled from the carnage, the percentage scores for each area are combined into an overall star rating, from zero to five.
Below, we’ve listed the top 10 safest cars on sale in the UK, according to Euro NCAP. Each car scored a full five-star safety rating and its position on the list is determined by the combined total of its scores in the four areas of safety assessed. We’ve also listed the top scorers in each area. We’ve only included cars assessed since 2020, when Euro NCAP introduced its current testing protocols.
Top-scoring cars in each area Euro NCAP assesses:
Best cars for adult occupant protection: Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 6 – 97%
Best car for child occupant protection: Mercedes-Benz T-Class – 93%
Best cars for vulnerable road user protection: Mazda CX-60, Lexus RX – 89%
Best cars for driver assistance systems: Tesla Model S, Tesla Model Y – 98%
Top 10 safest cars
One of the safest cars on sale since its introduction
The Tesla Model S has been around for over a decade and it’s showing that age in many ways. The styling hasn’t changed much, quality isn’t great and the competition is better to drive. It’s no longer available with right-hand-drive, either. Still, it offers long range and the 1,000hp Plaid is stupefyingly fast.
The Model S is also the UK’s safest car. Its strong construction and huge front crash structure provide great occupant protection and the pop-up bonnet looks after pedestrians. But it’s the near-perfect score it gets for the effectiveness of its safety tech that really stands out.
To find out more, read our full Tesla Model S review
Pros
- Long range
- Immense turn of speed
- Very practical
Cons
- Showing its age
- Quality lags behind rivals
Best-selling EV provides great protection
The Tesla Model Y has proven to be hugely popular, both as a biggish premium SUV and as an electric car. That’s because it’s a great family car with vast passenger space and a massive boot, its range is longer than many rivals’ and Tesla’s Supercharger network is really convenient. But the competition is rapidly catching up and sales have recently fallen off a cliff for undetermined reasons.
The Model Y shares its safety tech with the Model S, scoring an identical 98% for that part of Euro NCAP's assessment. It’s actually a bit better at protecting adults but lags behind on child occupant and vulnerable road user protection.
To find out more, read our full Tesla Model Y review
Pros
- Hugely spacious and practical
- Great range
- Supercharger network makes long journeys a doddle
Cons
- Poor ride quality
- Button-free interior
Lexus RX
Posh SUV is as safe as it is eye-catching
Few large, luxurious SUVs look as distinctive as the Lexus RX. With its stand-out exterior styling, you certainly won’t lose it in a car park and the interior is lined with a palette of lavish materials. The ride is geared towards comfort (the handling won’t delight enthusiastic drivers) but it’s spacious and practical, and the hybrid powertrains are very quiet and refined.
Lexus has always focused on safety and that’s particularly true here. The RX scores strongly across the board and ties with the Mazda CX-60 (not on this list) for best vulnerable road user protection.
To find out more, read our full Lexus RX review
Pros
- Fabulous interior
- Refined powertrains
- Vastly improved infotainment
Cons
- Unengaging to drive
- Ride could be better
Farmers’ favourite off-road estate is a safe bet
The Subaru Outback is a really useful car in many ways. It’s a fine estate with loads of passenger and boot space, it groans under the weight of standard features and it’ll go further off-road than many big SUVs. No wonder it’s so popular in hill country where the roads can be a real challenge, particularly in winter. Just a shame it’s hamstrung by a gutless engine and annoying CVT gearbox.
Scores for crash protection are strong if not outstanding, but 95% for the Outback’s many driver assistance features boosts it up the rankings.
To find out more, read our full Subaru Outback review
Pros
- Genuine off-road ability
- Huge boot
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Needs a better powertrain
- Low fuel efficiency
Archetypal executive saloon is loaded with tech
The latest Mercedes E-Class is a proper techno-showcase. The huge touchscreen display/control system that comes as standard is a deeply impressive thing, though not as much as the optional screen that occupies the entire dashboard facia. Is it a tech overload? Maybe, especially as the E-Class's core mission seems to have taken a back seat. It's just not quite as comfortable or refined as we expect.
But it is very safe, with one of the most consistently high sets of marks on this list. It's not far off top marks in every area however, given how much effort Mercedes puts into its driver aids, it probably hoped to do better there.
To find out more, rear our full Mercedes-Benz E-Class review
Pros
- Generous back seat space
- Looks great
- Impressive tech
Cons
- Comfort, refinement off the pace
- Too much tech?
Lexus NX
Family-friendly premium SUV is reassuringly solid
We rate the Lexus NX as one of the best SUVs currently on sale. That’s because it looks great, it’s so comfortable and refined, it’s build quality is virtually unmatched and Lexus finally has an infotainment system that’s genuinely good – the old one was deeply irksome. The PHEV powertrain offers a long EV range, as well. But it’s not quite as practical as its rivals.
Lexus has added high levels of safety to the NX’s list of talents. It provides ample protection in an accident and comes with a large selection of effective safety features.
To find out more, read our full Lexus NX review
Pros
- Distinctive styling
- Easy-to-use tech
- Strong PHEV range
Cons
- Dull to drive
- Some rivals are more practical
Upmarket EV saloon is as safe as it is luxurious
The Mercedes-Benz EQE may be a bit challenging to look at, but it’s a fine electric saloon. It’s a pleasure to drive, with responsive steering and a rapid turn of speed. The ride’s smooth and quiet. The tech-fest interior’s packed with useful features including highly effective active cruise control. There’s stacks of room up front, too, but the back seats and boot aren’t spacious enough for what’s supposed to be an electric Mercedes E-Class.
It's very safe, though, with the second-highest adult occupant protection score here. It scores strongly elsewhere, though we expected more of its driver assistance features.
To find out more, read our full Mercedes-Benz EQE review
Pros
- Long range
- So comfy and refined
- Genuinely impressive interior tech
Cons
- Cramped back seats and boot
- Some quality issues
The most affordable car here is a sound family choice
People in need of a mid-size family car once defaulted to a Ford Focus; now they get a Nissan Qashqai. The latest generation is the most spacious and practical yet with room for five and a big boot, it looks great, there’s loads of useful tech and interior quality is vastly improved. The quiet and smooth e-Power hybrid version is particularly good, but the Qashqai still isn’t an engaging drive.
It’s extremely safe, though, providing high levels of crash protection and the Intelligent Mobility safety features work very well. But it’s let down by a low vulnerable road users score.
To find out more, read our full Nissan Qashqai review
Pros
- Highest-quality interior of any Qashqai yet
- Packed with user-friendly tech
- Excellent hybrid powertrain
Cons
- So-so petrol mild hybrid, no diesel
- Competition is stronger than ever
Big electric hatchback with a vast boot and long range
The brand-new Volkswagen ID.7 is the German brand’s answer to the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BYD Seal – a big, family-friendly electric car. But the ID.7 trumps those rivals as a practical proposition because it’s a hatchback rather than a saloon, with a vast boot and huge back seat space. Claimed range is up to 436 miles and we'd happily to go that distance because the ID.7 is a consummate long-distance cruiser.
The ID.7 scores the second-highest marks for adult protection here, tying with the Mercedes EQE. Its scores in the remaining categories are very good, if not exceptional; we expected more of its driver assistance systems.
Read our full Volkswagen ID.7 review
Pros
- Hugely practical family car
- Claimed 382-mile range
- Accomplished on long journeys
Cons
- It’s very big
- Some interior quality issues
Big SUV posts strong marks across the board
The latest Nissan X-Trail shows how far the Japanese manufacturer has come in recent years. The previous version wasn’t a looker and its interior bordered on cheap and nasty. Now its styling stands out for the right reasons and it’s rather plush inside. Add in loads of user-friendly tech, quiet and efficient hybrid powertrains and a spacious interior and it’s a pretty compelling proposition for families with older kids. Don’t bother with the seven-seater, though.
The X-Trail has a near-identical set of marks to the Qashqai, showing the consistency of Nissan’s engineering. But it’s 1% down for child occupant protection.
To find out more, read our full Nissan X-Trail review
Pros
- Quiet and smooth hybrid power
- Lots of space for five
- Good value for money
Cons
- Not as practical as rivals
- Lack of powertrain choice
Graham King has over 10 years’ experience as a motoring journalist. He is a Senior Staff Writer on the Bauer Digital Automotive Hub, specialising in car buying and ownership advice. He writers for Parkers and CAR.
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