Minivans are generally thought of as being very safe. In fact, that’s one of its biggest draws. Minivans are hugely popular with families because of their space, functionality, and safety. For the 2022 model year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated four minivans and found that three of them are safe enough for its top award. That’s the Top Safety Pick+ award, and it’s given only to those vehicles that meet the IIHS’ strictest standards.

The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the safest new minivans you can buy

The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the best new minivans you can buy. It’s one of the three 2022 minivans on the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ list. To be an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ minivan, the vehicle has to have all good crashworthiness scores. These categories include things like the small overlap test on the driver and passenger side as well as the moderate overlap test and the original side crash test. It also most have superior or advanced safety systems as well as good or acceptable headlights available on all vehicles. 

The Pacifica’s vehicle-to-pedestrian safety system is just advanced but it’s only available headlights are acceptable. The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica price starts at $38,690 for the base model Touring. This (and all Pacifica trim levels) come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 287 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. This is matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission. and front-wheel drive. You can upgrade to all-wheel drive.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+

The 2022 Honda Odyssey is another minivan on the Top Safety Pick+ list. The Honda Odyssey has all good ratings and acceptable headlights. The 2022 Honda Odyssey price starts at $34,265 for the base model LX.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey also comes standard with important safety features. These tend to be a priority for people shopping for minivans. These include forward collision mitigation, which alerts the driver to a potential collision. It can also apply the breaks at certain times, according to Edmunds.

The Odyssey also has lane departure mitigation, which will send a signal when the minivan is leaving its lane without a directional signal. Finally, the Odyssey LX comes with adaptive cruise control to help the driver maintain a safe distance between it and the vehicle in front of it.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna is a very safe minivan

And the Toyota Sienna has an advanced vehicle-to-pedestrian system and good headlights. The 2022 Toyota Sienna LE price starts at $35,775. The Sienna LE (and all Sienna trim levels) come with a hybrid powertrain. This makes 245 hp with its four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. You can upgrade to all-wheel-drive. The LE has seating for seven, but you can upgrade to eight.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna LE comes with some pretty important safety features, like forward-collision mitigation. This warns you of a potential collision. In some situations, emergency braking will also be deployed. The Sienna LE also has lane departure warning with steering assist. This lets you know if your van is drifting into another lane and you don’t have a directional on. It can even steer you back into your lane.

In addition, adaptive cruise control comes in the base model Sienna, helping you keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Finally, automatic high beams and blind-spot monitor are standard. Blind-spot monitor alerts you to a vehicle in your blind spot.

If you’re in the market for one of the safest 2022 minivans, you can’t go wrong with any of these choices. Each of these minivans offers plenty of safety features, excellent crash test ratings, and good headlights – just make sure you buy a trim level that wins the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.