What are the safest new and used cars in Australia?

Safest new cars in Australia 2026

As of October 2026, ANCAP has rated 62 vehicles that were tested in 2025 and 2026 as having 5 stars for safety. 

ANCAP publishes safety ratings for new cars based on the level of safety they provide in the event of a crash and their ability to avoid or minimise the effects of a crash.

ANCAP 5-Star rated vehicles (2026 criteria)

ANCAP has recently revised  its ratings system, so vehicles tested in 2026 are scored against different criteria than in previous years. The most recent ratings score each make and model across four key areas:

• Safe driving (i.e. features that provide a safer driving experience for drivers and vehicle occupants)
• Crash avoidance (i.e. technologies that help prevent or mitigate collisions)
• Crash protection (the performance of built-in crash protection systems)
• Post crash (i.e. post crash rescue information and systems).

The 5-Star rated vehicles for 2026 under the new criteria (in alphabetical order) are:

Source: ANCAP Safety Ratings. Percentage ratings based on a point system calculated by the vehicle’s results for key safety metrics.

ANCAP 5-Star rated vehicles (2023-25 criteria)

Using ANCAP'S previous rating criteria, vehicles receive a 0–5-star safety rating based on their performance across these test areas:

• Adult occupant protection
• Child occupant protection
• Vulnerable road user protection (i.e., vehicles that score highly here are seen to be designed in a way that causes less injury to a pedestrian in an accident)
• Safety assist (i.e., active and passive safety features).

The 5-Star rated vehicles for 2025 - 2026 (in alphabetical order) are:

Source: ANCAP Safety Ratings. Percentage ratings based on a point system calculated by the vehicle’s results for key safety metrics.

If safety is a priority, ANCAP recommends buying the newest 5-star rated car you can afford, as rating criteria tends to become stricter each year. 

Safest used cars in Australia

The Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR) scheme provides used car safety ratings based on data from real-world crashes across Australia and New Zealand.

The ratings system considers three components of vehicle safety performance:

• Driver Safety rating: how well the vehicle protects its driver from being killed or seriously injured in a crash.
• Other Road User Safety rating: how well the vehicle protects other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists from being killed or seriously injured in a crash.
• Crash Avoidance rating: the reduction in the likelihood of being involved in a crash through key crash avoidance technologies being available in the vehicle.

The rating scale ranges from 1 to 5 stars, with the lowest performing 20% in a category receiving 1 star (very poor) and the top 20% receiving 5 stars (excellent). 

Vehicles can potentially also receive a ‘Safer Pick’ marker, which is assigned to vehicles that score a 5-star Overall Safety rating, a 5-star Driver Protection rating and at least a 4-star rating for both Other Road User Safety and Crash Avoidance.

In this year’s report, 130 vehicles were awarded 5 stars, and 72 of these received ‘Safer Pick’ status. The 5-star winners for overall safety in each category are below. Those receiving a 'Safer Pick' mark are denoted with the * symbol in their model section.

Light Cars

Small Cars

Medium Cars

Large Cars

Small SUVs

Medium SUVs

Large SUVs

People Movers

Commercial vans

Source: 2025 Used Car Safety Ratings, UCRS, June 2026. Models that received a safer pick mark are denoted by the * symbol.

What makes a car safe?

While not always true, a general rule of thumb is that the newer a car is, the safer it is. Newer cars, regardless of size, typically incorporate the latest active and passive safety features.

Active features are designed to stop an accident from happening, such as:

• Auto emergency braking: Senses an imminent crash and automatically applies the brakes if you don’t respond.
• Lane keeping assist: Helps you keep in between lines by intervening when necessary to manipulate your car’s steering.
• Rear cross-traffic alert: Warns you of vehicles approaching from either side when you’re reversing.
• Rear bumper sensor: Alerts you if it senses obstacles nearby while you’re parking.

Passive features are those that only operate during an accident, like:

• Airbags: Deploy when a major impact is made with another object
• Seat belts: Secure the car’s occupants in their seats, helping them avoid whiplash.
• Crumple zone: The part of the vehicle’s structure designed to crumple in an accident, absorbing most of the impact.
• Engine drop technology: Upon major impact, the engine dislodges and slips underneath the car to avoid breaking through the interior and injuring the driver/passengers. 

However, it’s not just features and design that impact the safety of your car. It’s important to keep your car fully serviced and maintained, and to drive safely at all times. 

How do safety ratings affect car insurance premiums?

How your car rates for safety can have a significant influence on how your car insurance premium is calculated — but it’s not guaranteed. 

Insurance companies generally follow a multi-step process when setting policy prices, with many variables potentially involved.

Bear in mind that different insurers may ask different questions, or rate answers differently when calculating car premiums. 

For instance, some may heavily weigh the car’s overnight parking location while others focus more on factors like your driving and claims history.

Aspects that may or may not be considered include:

• Vehicle type (i.e., year, brand/make, model, series etc.) and how likely it is to be involved in accidents, according to research data
• The geographic location where the car will be based and/or garaged (e.g., some insurers reduce premiums for motorists who live and park their car in a relatively safe neighbourhood)
• The driver’s age, gender and other personal circumstances (such as their driving history, claims history and whether they’re the only driver on their policy)
• How the vehicle will be used (e.g., for business or personal use, whether it will be driven in high-traffic periods)
• If the car has any pre-existing damage
• If the car has any modifications or accessories
• Kilometres travelled per year, with some offering discounts for driving under a certain limit (often referred to as ‘pay as you drive’).

Other factors that can affect pricing include:

• If you’re a first time customer (some providers have specific deals and discounts for this)
• If you’re insuring more than one ‘risk item’ with the provider (e.g., through a multi-vehicle policy or multi-policy discount)
• Whether you pay the premium upfront or in monthly instalments (i.e., several providers offer discounts to customers who pay their annual premiums in full).

What optional safety features could reduce my car insurance premium?

Some providers may allow discounts on car insurance premiums with additional safety features.

Strategies to help prevent car theft, such as using self-arming immobilisers and steering wheel, pedal or tyre locks, won’t automatically translate to lower premiums. But they may provide you with extra peace of mind.

Before adding any safety features to your car, first check the impact they could have on your policy by having an open conversation with your insurer. 

It’s also worth thinking about a feature’s potential financial benefits — will it add value or save you money in some way?

Be wary that post-manufacturing modifications may increase your premium — high-tech add-ons (e.g., throttle controllers and autonomous braking) are pricey to repair if damaged in an accident.