The Safest Car Models

As both awareness and advances in car safety and its technology continue to occur, newly released car models will become safer than ever before. In recent years, the safety of new cars has increased exponentially. Spurred on by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also known as the NHTSA, in the United States, new cars are being put through stringent crash-text examinations. In fact, many organizations like the NHTSA, have also improved their testing methods and requirements, meaning that seemingly every aspect of a car's safety is currently being examined.

For 2014, here are the top ranked cars in terms of safety:

2014 Audi A4 / S4

Both models, the A4 and S4, earned 5 star ratings from the NHTSA in the overall categories. Furthermore, what makes the 2014 Audi A4 and S4 special is that even the base models that are front-wheel-drive earned 5 star ratings in the categories of rollover protection and frontal and side crash tests. Audi includes additional safety features as options, including forward collision warning.

2014 Cadillac ATS

As a luxury sedan, the 2014 Cadillac ATS has garnered 5 star ratings in most categories, including in its all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive versions. While these two features don't come with the base model, Cadillac offers forward collision warning and and lane departure warning features.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro

The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro may be a surprising listing. It not only has extremely powerful breaks and quick responsive steering, but also has performed exceptionally well in frontal, rollover, and side crash tests. It does offer a convertible option, which, so far, has only been tested in the rollover category, which it scored a 5 star rating in.

2014 Ford Focus Electric.

The 2014 Ford Focus Electric is notable because it's the only version of the Ford Focus lineup to score a 5 star rating in each category that it was tested on. More specifically, it scored 5 star ratings in the front and rollover tests, while the gasoline-powered sedan and hatchback models only scored 4 star ratings. Though this model costs more than the other two, it also has extra features and is cheaper if one factors in gasoline costs, plus is also eligible for some federal and state incentives due to being an EV.

2014 Honda Accord Coupe.

It features top overall ratings from the NHTSA, as well as from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, known as the IIHS. It actually has been awarded the Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. Its sister model is the 4-door Honda Accord Sedan, also earning top scores, though only got a 4 star rating in the front crash test performed by the NHTSA.

2014 KIA Optima and Optima Hybrid.

As a midsize vehicle, KIA offers it in both hybrid and conventional models. Its relatively low price of $21,500 is a great value when one considers how it has received top ratings from both the NHTSA and IIHS, including also being awarded the Top Safety Pick+. However, it's not available with any of the extra safety features, such as forward collision warning or even lane departure warning, that its competitors can offer.

2014 Subaru Legacy.

The 2014 Subaru Legacy comes with all-wheel drive in its standard model and features improvements in its traction and handling. It also has the options for lane departure warning and forward collision warning, in addition to earning 5 stars in all of the categories that the NHTSA and IIHS tests for.

2014 Tesla Model S

As another all-electric car on this list, it is costly, as it has a $70,000 suggested price. However, despite scoring 5 star ratings, it doesn't offer either forward collision warning or lane departure warning. When one considers how expensive it is, this doesn't make much sense, meaning that the Ford Focus mentioned in this list may be the better option.

2014 Volvo S60

This car model continues to solidify Volvo's stellar reputation for safety. Not only does it have top ratings in every category, but it also comes with forward collision warning in its standard model. Its side crash ratings, for both its front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models, scored 5 stars. This is an exceptionally safe vehicle.

Keep in mind that while these are some of the safest car models available, in real life, many other factors can affect the severity of a car crash. However, if you're looking for car models that offer the best in safety available today, you can't go wrong with any of these models.

Visit the National Highway Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.gov and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at http://www.iihs.org for more information.