Safest Cars: It All Depends on What You’re Looking For

Buying a car before your next road trip? You'll probably want to research the safest cars. Before you wade through pages of information on frontal impact and side impact tests, we’d like to give you a few pointers.

You'll probably start by compiling a list of cars in your desired category and price range. We'll direct you to sites where you can compare specific safety features side-by-side, leading to a more informed decision.

But car safety is about much more than just buying the right vehicle. So we’ll also share some automobile safety tips that will keep your vehicle – any vehicle – in good working order.

Armed with this information, you’ll be ready to buy a new car online, if that’s what you choose to do. Or, if you were hoping to find a used car, we’ll help you do that too.

Car safety rating. Get clear, concise information about the safety performance of specific makes and models.

Mazda 5. We're biased in favor of this multipurpose vehicle from Mazda, because it's what we drove on our epic road trip. But we do believe it's one of the safest cars out there.