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Toyota has always been known for producing some of the most reliable, efficient, and safest cars on the planet. When you slip into any new Toyota vehicle, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to travel without worry and be safe in the unfortunate event of an accident. If safety is high on your list of must-haves, check out the three safest Toyota cars you can buy in 2023.

1. 2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

A white 2023 Toyota Corolla sedan, red 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, and blue 2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
2023 Toyota Corolla lineup | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

For 2023, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback received Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS gave the Corolla Hatchback this award for its stellar scores in the myriad of crash tests performed on it. Some of those tests included the small overlap front crash test, the side crash test, and a roof strength test – all of which the Corolla scored a “good” rating on.

However, the 2023 Corolla Hatchback received an ” acceptable ” mark on the updated side crash test, which prevented it from receiving a Top Safety Pick + award. According to the IIHS results, the driver-side test dummy received pelvic area injuries, resulting in a “marginal” score for that section.

That’s not to say that the Corolla Hatchback isn’t safe. Every trim on the small commuter car is equipped with Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0. This package includes a host of safety features, including:

  • Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection
  • Lane-departure alert with steering assist
  • Automatic high beams
  • Full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control
  • Road sign assist
  • Lane-tracing assist

The Corolla Hatchback also comes standard with 10 airbags. However, blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert is optional.

2. 2023 Toyota Corolla Sedan

A red 2023 Toyota Corolla hybrid, which is one of the reasons hybrids are more reliable than electric cars.
2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

The 2023 Toyota Corolla sedan is another one of the brand’s safest cars. Considering it shares platforms with the Corolla hatchback, it’s no wonder that it received the same scores on the IIHS test. That means it, too, received a “good” rating in every category except for the updated side crash test.

In that test, the IIHS gave the Corolla sedan an “acceptable” rating for the same reason as the Corolla hatchback, thus awarding the Corolla sedan with a Top Safety Pick award. Hopefully, a Top Safety Pick + award is in the Corolla’s future.

3. 2023 Toyota Camry

2023 Toyota Camry Nightshade
2023 Toyota Camry | Toyota

The 2023 Toyota Camry faired much better than its smaller stablemates as it took home the coveted Top Safety Pick + award for 2023. Regarding the testing results, the Camry scored “good” marks across the board and “superior” marks in each crash avoidance category. Those categories cover the car’s safety systems to avoid crashes – i.e., driver-assist features.

The 2023 Camry is outfitted with Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.5+ as standard equipment. The system offers a host of features to avoid an accident, including:

  • Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection
  • Lane-departure alert with steering assist
  • Automatic high beams
  • Full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control
  • Road sign assist
  • Lane-tracing assist

Some safety features, like blind-spot monitors with a rear cross-traffic alert and front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, are optional. However, there’s no denying that the Camry is very safe.

What do Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick + mean?

A car crashes into a wall
A car crashes into a wall. | Getty Images

In case you’re wondering, there is a difference between the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick + awards that the IIHS awards to various cars. To earn a Top Safety Pick award, a new vehicle must earn ratings of “good” in all of the IIHS crash tests. This includes the passenger-side small overlap test incorporated in 2020.

Additionally, each vehicle must earn an “advanced” or “superior” rating in the front crash prevention tests, which include vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. To receive a Top Safety Pick + award, a new vehicle has to ace all of the tests with “good” scores across the board. According to U.S. News, “TSP+ winners also need a front crash prevention rating of Advanced or Superior in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios.”

The three safest Toyota cars

If you’re in the market for a safe and reliable sedan, it’s hard to beat a Toyota. By picking a Corolla or a Camry, you know you’ll be safe in the event of an accident, whether the car received a Top Safety Pick + award or not.