Safest Full-Size Truck Isn’t a Ford, Ram, or Chevy
The Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado 1500 are not only three of the most popular full-size pickup trucks — but they also top the sales charts for all vehicles sold in the United States. These trucks are powerful, can tow a heavy load, and provide high-level utility. However, when it comes to safety, they have deficiencies. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the safest full-size truck isn’t a Ford, Ram, or Chevy. It’s the 2023 Toyota Tundra — the only one in the segment to earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
2023 Toyota Tundra is the safest full-size pickup truck, says IIHS
The 2023 Toyota Tundra is the safest full-size pickup truck available, according to IIHS. The organization recently gave the Tundra the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, which is the highest safety honor. Both the crew cab and extended cab models of the Tundra were awarded. No other full-size truck earned an IIHS award in 2023. The only other truck to get an award from IIHS in 2023 is the all-electric 2023 Rivian R1T, which is a midsize model.
Last year, the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 received the second-tier IIHS Top Safety Pick award. However, with IIHS implementing stricter safety requirements in 2023, these models didn’t make the cut. Also, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 didn’t get any IIHS awards in 2022 or 2023.
Why did the 2023 Tundra get an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award?
The 2023 Toyota Tundra received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety because of its strong performance in crash tests and other safety evaluations. This includes the best-possible “good” rating in crash tests for small overlap front (driver-side and passenger), roof strength, side, moderate overlap front, and head restraints and seats.
The Tundra also earned a best-possible “superior” rating for front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian (day) — and a “good” rating for seat belt reminders. An evaluation in which the full-size truck didn’t get a perfect score was front crash prevention: vehicle-to-pedestrian (night) — with a second-tier “advanced” rating. Also, for headlights, while some Tundra trims earned a “good” rating, others received an “acceptable score.”
Conversely, the 2023 Ford F-150, 2023 Ram 1500, and 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 didn’t perform as well in the evaluations. As a result, they didn’t get an IIHS safety award — with the Tundra topping them as the safest full-size truck.
Toyota Tundra safety and driving assistance features
The 2023 Tundra comes equipped with a range of safety features. All models have eight airbags and the Toyota Star Safety System, which includes traction control, brake assist, smart stop technology, electronic brake-force distribution, an anti-lock brake system, and vehicle stability control.
Additionally, the full-size pickup truck comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 suite of driving assistance technologies. This includes road sign assist, automatic high beams, lane tracing assist, lane departure alert, steering assist, adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system, and pedestrian detection. Some trims also have a blind spot monitor, trailer merge warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.
For pickup truck drivers that place a premium on high-level safety, the 2023 Toyota Tundra is a better choice than the 2023 Chevy Silverado, 2023 Ram 1500, and 2023 Ford F-150. With its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, the Tundra is the safest full-size truck.
