What Are The Most Reliable Cars With The Highest Safety Ratings in 2024?

The safety of you and your family is imperative, while a reliable vehicle will help to save you from costly headaches down the line which is a must if you’re spending tens of thousands on a new car.

With hundreds of different models from major manufacturers on the market, it can be difficult to know which are the most reliable cars with the highest safety ratings, which is exactly what we’ll be unpacking in this article.

What are the Most Reliable Car Brands in 2024?

The clearest picture we can get of reliable car brands is with the help of the latest J.D. Power Dependability study which, though it lacks local data, has been mapping reliability for 35 years and receives around 30,0000 responses for each study.

With the help of that dataset, combined with Australian dependability data from Canstar Blue, we can map out pretty clearly the most reliable car brands on sale in 2024.

The results show that Toyota and its more premium offering, Lexus, are atop the leaderboard when it comes to reliability, with Lexus scoring the outright lowest average of 133 problems per 100 vehicles.

They were followed closely behind by Hyundai and its luxury arm, Genesis, with Genesis scoring 152 PP100 vehicles, which was a tie with fellow Korean manufacturer, Kia.

• Lexus & Toyota
• Genesis & Hyundai
• Kia
• Isuzu UTE
• Mitsubishi
• Mazda
• Nissan
• Honda
• Suzuki
• Subaru

What are the Most Reliable Cars with the Highest Safety Ratings?

Now that we’ve got a clear picture of some of the industry’s most reliable names, we can take a look at individual models from these companies that have scored the highest ANCAP safety marks.

Lexus RX

Lexus’ super premium RX crossover SUV impresses with its sleek styling, luxurious interior, jam-packed technology suite and a generous list of active safety equipment that makes it one of the most reliable and safest vehicles in 2024.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2023) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 87%

• Child Occupant Protection: 89%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 84%

• Safety Assist: 84%

Toyota Corolla Cross

Toyota’s addition of the Corolla Cross to the lineup makes for one of the most appealing compact crossover SUV packages on the market, particularly in the ultra-fuel-efficient hybrid variants.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 85%

• Child Occupant Protection: 88%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 87%

• Safety Assist: 83%

Genesis G80

The Genesis G80 gives buyers looking for a super premium sedan package a mighty impressive value proposition that extends to everything from the powertrain, luxurious interior and features, as well as a long list of active safety gear.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2021) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 91%

• Child Occupant Protection: 86%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 77%

• Safety Assist: 80%

Hyundai IONIQ 6

Hyundai’s battery-electric sedan not only looks futuristic but comes as one of the company’s safest vehicles to date thanks to a range of high-tech safety features, while its battery-electric powertrains mean fewer moving parts that might cause mechanical problems down the line.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 97%

• Child Occupant Protection: 88%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 66%

• Safety Assist: 90%

Kia Sportage

Kia’s midsize SUV, the Sportage, is a super impressive package that offers a particularly family-friendly and practical cabin, a tonne of features in the base model and a class-leading warranty for long-term peace of mind.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 87%

• Child Occupant Protection: 87%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 66%

• Safety Assist: 74%

Isuzu D-Max

The Isuzu D-Max is one of Australia’s most popular ute options in 2024, with a heap of options within the range, outstanding versatility from its tough platform and a range of safety features that have brought this workhorse well into the 21st century.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 86%

• Child Occupant Protection: 89%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 69%

• Safety Assist: 84%

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi’s versatile Outlander SUV sits as one of the few midsize packages to accommodate seven people, while the company’s generous features lists and outstanding warranty that stretches out to ten years make for unrivalled peace of mind for owners.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 83%

• Child Occupant Protection: 92%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 81%

• Safety Assist: 83%

Mazda CX-60

The Mazda CX-60 stands as the company’s most impressive SUVs to date, with its sleek design, practical cabin, impressive on-road manners and a jam-packed entertainment and safety equipment list making for a great premium midsize SUV.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2022) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 91%

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 89%

• Safety Assist: 77%

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan’s latest Qashqai ranges make for the most sleek, practical and well-equipped compact crossover SUVs on the market, with the company happy to bundle in a tonne of active safety gear in the base model without needing to spend extra.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2021) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 91%

• Child Occupant Protection: 93%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 74%

• Safety Assist: 97%

Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback has become a go-to option for Australian families looking for a super practical wagon that rivals SUVs on space while offering far more versatility for Aussies looking to head outdoors on the weekend.

• ANCAP Safety Rating: Five-star (Tested 2021) 

• Adult Occupant Protection: 88%

• Child Occupant Protection: 91%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 84%

• Safety Assist: 96%

What are the Top Five Safety Features in a New Car?

Aside from obvious, mandatory safety features like autonomous emergency braking,  anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control and airbags, some relatively new safety features are a must-have in any modern car; these include:

• Blind-spot monitoring 

• Lane-keep assist & lane departure alerts 

• Forward & rear cross-traffic alerts 

• Adaptive cruise control 

• Junction assist, cyclist and pedestrian detection

How to Keep Your Vehicle Reliable

There are several simple preventative steps you can take to ensure you get the most out of your new car; these include:

• Servicing on time with a reputable mechanic 

• Replace fluids and filters regularly 

• Stick to recommended intervals for timing chains & belts 

• Regularly check tyre pressures

• Rotate tyres 

• Check coolant levels (never while the engine is hot) 

• Check power steering and transmission fluid levels

• Check battery health

• Do not ignore any engine warning lights on the dashboard

FAQ: What is the Safest & Most Reliable Car Brand?

While it’s near impossible to give one manufacturer and model the outright award for the safest and most reliable car brand, Lexus, Toyota, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan are all outstanding options in both respects.

FAQ: Which Car is the Safest in a Crash in Australia?

Using the latest data from the latest ANCAP ‘top safety performers’ report, we can see that the Tesla Model Y, Lexus NX and LDV Mifa were some of the highest-ranking vehicles in Australia.

Under the latest test protocols, vehicles like the BMW 5 Series, Lexus RZ, Mercedes-Benz EQE and the Kia EV9 are also super strong contenders, each scoring five-star safety ratings.

FAQ: Which SUV is Safest in a Crash?

According to ANCAP, SUVs like the Tesla Model Y, Lexus NX, Kia EV9, Mercedes-Benz EQE and the Lexus RZ are some of the safest SUVs in the event of a crash due to their recent testing under more stringent ANCAP protocols.

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