Every automotive brand has its vehicles put to the test with NHTSA and IIHS. Some companies will get exceptional ratings for a car or an SUV, but how many can say their whole lineup of vehicles received a safety award? Subaru, at this time, is the only company that can say that. 

The automaker received safety awards for all the vehicle categories listed by the IIHS. So what actually goes into the testing that decides which vehicles receive safety awards and which are not up to the highest safety standards? 

The criteria for getting an IIHS safety pick award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has two different awards it hands out for vehicles that meet certain requirements. A car could get a Top Safety Pick rating or a Top Safety Pick+ award. It has pretty much the same requirements for both, with only one minor difference. 

To obtain a Top Safety Pick award, the vehicle must receive a Good rating in both the driver and passenger side overlap front tests. There also needs to be a Good rating in the moderate overlap front and side tests, as well as in the head restraints and roof strength evaluations. 

IIHS requires the vehicle also receive either an advanced or superior rating in the front crash prevention test. It must also receive either rating for vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to pedestrian tests. 

To receive the Top Safety Pick award, it needs to have an acceptable or good rating with the available headlights. To get the Top Safety Pick+ award, the acceptable or good rating must be for headlights that are standard on the vehicle and not just an available option. 

Which Subaru vehicles received Top Safety Pick and Pick+ awards?

Subaru has a few different vehicles that received the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick awards. To start, its Crosstrek 4-door wagon, with specific headlights and optional front crash prevention, got this award in the small car category. 

Both the Impreza sedan and wagon also received the safety pick award as well as the WRX car. In the midsize SUV category, Subaru’s Ascent 4-door SUV, with specific headlights, also got the Top Safety Pick award. 

As for the Pick+ award, Subaru’s Crosstrek Hybrid wagon is the only one in the small car category to receive one. In the midsize car segment, the Legacy sedan took home a Pick+ award. The Outback wagon also received a Pick+ award, but only for those built after October 2019. 

In the small and midsize SUV category,  the Subaru Forester and the Subaru Ascent both earned Top Safety Pick+ awards. 

How safe is a Subaru?

Safety is not something Subaru takes lightly. The automotive company spent quite a few years developing technology to make its cars some of the safest on the road. 

The most innovative system it’s come up, so far, is its Eyesight technology. It’s a safety system that gives drivers an extra pair of eyes, so to speak, to detect potential crashes and help to avoid them before the accident occurs. In fact, Subaru says that its Eyesight safety feature reduced the rate of injuries from rear-end accidents by up to 85%.

But Subaru hasn’t stopped there. It also have a DriverFocus technology to help keep the driver alert to all situations, and it continues to come up with innovative ways to construct its vehicles to prevent injuries in crashes or to avoid accidents altogether.

Then there’s the Starlink security system the automaker integrated into its cars’ computer banks. This will provide emergency or other aids as needed. 

It’s no surprise that Subaru is Kelley Blue Book’s most trusted brand. With its innovative safety equipment and technology, five star crash test ratings, and all its top safety awards, Subaru promises to be a leader in safety for the automotive industry.