This is the fourth installment in a series I’ve been writing to help parents, families, and individuals of all ages figure out how old is too old when it comes to choosing a safe car, minivan, or SUV. I first established a baseline called “Safety Level 1”, which involved vehicles with 3-point seat belts for front occupants, frontal driver and passenger airbags, and a good moderate overlap crash test score. This was the minimum level of safety I felt was worth buying, and I explained my rationale for these requirements.

I then added Level 2, which included the features of Level 1 and added side airbags, good side impact scores, and ESC. At this level, occupants would be protected from the most common fatal collisions (head-on, moderate frontal overlap, and side) while also receiving one of the biggest safety boosts since the seat belt, Electronic Stability Control. This was the minimum level I personally considered for any vehicles we purchased in my family.

I then added Safety Level 3, which added the features in Level 2 and focused on a.) further reducing the risks inherent in frontal collisions via good performance on the IIHS’ small overlap test and b.) providing protection from deaths in rollovers via side airbags designed to activate during impending rollovers and strong roofs designed to maintain structural integrity during active rollover situations.

Today’s level, Safety Level 4, includes the features in Level 3 and adds to them a superior level of front crash prevention, or essentially a high speed (25 mph) autobrake. As in each previous level, my goal isn’t to profile every vehicle meeting this standard, but to highlight the oldest and most affordable vehicles offering this level of safety to individuals and families.

Safety Level 4: Safety Level 3 + Superior Frontal Crash Protection

Levels 1 and 2, and 3, as I noted above, focused on a.) frontal crash protection, b.) side crash protection, c.) and rollover protection via strong roofs, roll-sensitive airbags and stability control. A vehicle with these features (i.e., those in Safety Level 3) offers an extraordinary amount of protection in most collisions with vehicles of similar size. However, just as ESC helps reduce the risks of single vehicle crashes occurring in the first place, frontal crash prevention systems–the focus in Safety Level 4–help reduce the risks of frontal collisions with stopped vehicles or objects. It’s another step toward autonomous driving, and while it’s unlikely to save the lives of vehicle occupants at these speeds, it can significantly reduce the risks of personal injury as well as property damage.

A vehicle with superior frontal crash prevention, per the IIHS, is capable of significantly reducing speeds or completely avoiding collisions with stopped vehicles at 12 mph and 25 mph. I’ll take things a step further. I’m interested in vehicles that can offer such protection not when you purchase the optional SuperTechnologyWhizBang package, but by default. I fully support purchasing used vehicles with optional safety add-ons (I’ve done so for years with my personal vehicles), but throughout this series, I’ve profiled the earliest vehicles to make particular safety features standard.

The goal here is to make choosing a safe vehicle fool-proof for individuals and parents; rather than navigating through trim-levels (e.g., in the Toyota Sienna, side airbags were standardized in ’04, but ESC was only available on particular options and drivetrains until ’08, when it became standard, which is why the Sienna doesn’t appear in Safety Level 2) and option lists, I want you to know the vehicle I’m recommending is one that will keep you and your loved ones safe.

Now that I’ve explained what I find important at this level, here are examples of some of the oldest and most affordable vehicles that meet this safety threshold. The oldest only dates back to 2015; this is still bleeding-edge technology. I left out coupes and sports cars and focused on vehicles that could practically be used by both individuals and families:

2015+ Mercedes E-Class

The award for the oldest vehicle on this list goes to Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class. I’ve profiled the E-Class several times in various budget buys, as well as in my ranking of cars most resistant to side impact collisions; it is one of the safest cars on the road, hands down. It’s also one of the few to make superior-high speed autobraking a standard feature; the IIHS rated a 2015 model as capable of fully avoiding a 12 mph collision and capable of reducing a 25 mph collision to a 4 mph collision.

The addition of an optional Pre-Safe Brake package led to the collision being completely avoided, but what was capable with the standard E-Class was already above and beyond what any other vehicle on the road could do in 2015. The addition of potentially life-saving technology before other manufacturers isn’t new to MB’s repertoire; some of their vehicles had ESC in the 1990s, despite it not becoming a federal mandate in the US until 2012.

Beyond the features standard to Safety Level 4, the E-Class also comes standard with a driver knee airbag and automatically adjusting head rests. The former is present in multiple vehicles on this list; the latter is only available in the E-Class.

My 3 across guide to the E-Class is available here.

2016+ Acura RLX

The RLX is Acura’s answer to the E-Class, and it’s definitely a match when it comes to safety features. Its standard Collision Mitigation Braking System was rated by the IIHS as capable of fully avoiding 12 mph and 25 mph collisions, which was even better than the E-Class. It currently has the best front crash prevention system of any car tested by the IIHS as a result. If that weren’t enough, it also comes with a driver knee airbag.

My 3 across guide to the RLX is coming soon.

2016+ Volvo XC90

I profiled the 1st gen XC90 in Safety Level 2 and Safety Level 3, and the 2nd gen XC90 takes things up a notch by appearing in Safety Level 4. Its standard City Safety front crash prevention system was rated by the IIHS as capable of fully avoiding collisions at both 12 mph and 25 mph. Like the E-Class and RLX, it also comes standard with a driver knee airbag. Beyond this, the current gen XC90 is one of the best vehicles in the last two years you can be in when it comes to surviving a side impact collision.

My 3 across guide for the XC90 is available here.

2017+ Audi Q7

The 2nd current generation Q7 is currently the safest passenger vehicle you can buy to protect you in a side impact collision.

As with every vehicle on this list, it also comes with standard front crash prevention technology rated “superior” by the IIHS, and in the Q7’s case, capable of completely avoiding a collision at 12 mph and reducing a 25 mph collision to a 2 mph collision. That’s not quite as good as the RLX or XC90, but it’s still quite good. It’s also the first vehicle on the list so far not to feature a driver knee airbag.

My 3 across guide for the Q7 is available here.

As you can see, there are only a few safe vehicles from the mid-to-late 2010s with excellent front crash prevention systems included as standard features. The technology is new, and it will take time for it to percolate through the vehicle fleet. However, it’s important to note that you can find superior levels of front crash prevention in additional vehicles for less money if you’re willing to go hunting for used models with optional upgrades. For example, the Subaru Outback features optional superior frontal crash prevention from 2013 onward under the “EyeSight” package, but it’s not a standard feature, so you’ll have to search for it specifically if you want to save money by buying an earlier model.

As with Safety Level 3, at this point, if you’re driving a vehicle with these features and those highlighted in earlier Safety Levels, you’re already driving one of the safest vehicles on the road. That said, if you’re interested in yet another tier of safety, you’ll be interested in semi- and fully-autonomous driving technology, which will comprise Safety Level 5 in the next few years. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

This is the third installment in a series I’ve been writing to help parents, families, and individuals of all ages figure out how old is too old when it comes to choosing a safe car, minivan, or SUV. I first established a baseline called “Safety Level 1”, which involved vehicles with 3-point seat belts for front occupants, frontal driver and passenger airbags, and a good moderate overlap crash test score. This was the minimum level of safety I felt was worth buying, and I explained my rationale for these requirements.

I then added Level 2, which included the features of Level 1 and added side airbags, good side impact scores, and ESC. At this level, occupants would be protected from the most common fatal collisions (head-on, moderate frontal overlap, and side) while also receiving one of the biggest safety boosts since the seat belt, Electronic Stability Control. This was the minimum level I personally considered for any vehicles we purchased in my family.

Today’s article continues the series by focusing on a higher threshold of safety that I previewed in the prior article called Safety Level 3. This level brings additional benefits in frontal crashworthiness and in rollover crash protection. As in each previous level, my goal isn’t to profile every vehicle meeting this standard, but to highlight the oldest and most affordable vehicles offering this level of safety to individuals and families.

Safety Level 3: Safety Level 2 + Rollover-sensing airbags + Strong Roof + Small overlap performance

Levels 1 and 2, as I noted above, focused on a.) basic elements of frontal crash protection and b.) side crash protection and stability control. But while ESC is designed to significantly reduce the odds of getting into a rollover situation, rollovers will still occur at times. Similarly, a significant percentage of fatal frontal collisions occur as “near-miss” collisions, and kill drivers in vehicles with good moderate overlap scores. How can these issues be dealt with?

Level 3 focuses on a.) further reducing the risks inherent in frontal collisions via good performance on the IIHS’ small overlap test and b.) providing protection from deaths in rollovers via side airbags designed to activate during impending rollovers and strong roofs designed to maintain structural integrity during active rollover situations.

The benefits of rollover-sensing side impact airbags are their abilities to offer head protection during rollover events. When side airbags activate during rollovers, they reduce the risks of occupants striking the ground, windows, or roof pillars during rollovers while reducing the risk of ejection.

A strong roof works in conjunction with the side impact airbags to keep the passenger cabin intact during a rollover, protecting occupants from severe head and neck trauma. An intact cabin is less likely to have broken windows or opening doors, additionally reducing the risk of ejection.

Finally, the small overlap protection, in conjunction with a good moderate overlap and head on collision score, secure the front end of the vehicle for frontal collisions with similarly-sized vehicles.

Now that I’ve explained what I find important at this level, here are examples of some of the oldest and most affordable vehicles that meet this safety threshold. The oldest dates back to 2005, but most are clustered around 2014. I left out coupes and sports cars and focused on vehicles that could practically be used by both individuals and families:

2005-2014 Volvo XC90

As I noted in Safety Level 2, the first generation Volvo XC90 set a landmark for safety that many vehicles took years to catch up to, at least in terms of crash test performance. This is the only vehicle from the previous category to also make this category, and by far the oldest vehicle in this category.

However, as on the previous list, the XC90 leaves much on the table when it comes to reliability; the T6 was plagued with transmission problems, the early V8 had engine failures, and the model overall was buggy throughout the generation. If you know how to maintain it or know someone who does, however, it’s an excellent choice for family safety. Part of the generation had a driver death rate of 28 (2005-2008), while another part of it (2008-2011) had a driver death rate of zero.

My 3 across guide for the XC90 is available here.

2013+ Volvo S60

The S60 is another good choice for individuals or families with up to 3 children, despite not offering as much interior room as the XC90. By default, the base S60 also comes with an advanced level of front crash prevention (one of the elements of the next Safety Level) capable of bringing the vehicle to a stop  and avoiding a frontal collision at up to 12 mph.

The biggest potential downsides to the S60 are maintenance costs. It won’t cost as much to keep running as other European brands, but it will typically cost more than Japanese or American brands.

My 3 across guide for the S60 is available here.

2013+ Volvo XC60

The XC60 is Volvo’s SUV counterpart to the S60, and it fills the slot well. Like the S60, its a good choice for families with up to 3 children, and by default, it also comes with an advanced level of front crash prevention (one of the elements of the next Safety Level) capable of bringing the vehicle to a stop  and avoiding a frontal collision at up to 12 mph.

The biggest potential downsides to the XC60, as with the S60, are maintenance costs. It won’t cost as much to keep running as other European brands, but it will typically cost more than Japanese or American brands.

My 3 across guide for the XC60 is available here.

2013+ Honda Accord

The Accord is the second mid-sized sedan on the list and is likely to be one of the cheapest to keep on the road. It doesn’t offer any additional safety features beyond those required to compete at Safety Level 3, but it’s a solid and practical choice for individuals and families with up to 3 children.

My 3 across guide for the Accord is here.

2014+ Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey is the only minivan to make the list, and is also likely to be one of the cheapest vehicles to maintain. It makes an excellent family vehicle with the potential to seat up to 6 children and 2 adults, and also offers the most storage room.

The 2014 Odyssey doesn’t offer any additional safety features standard and barely offers anything you can upgrade to, but this picture changes in future model years. As it is, it already performed well enough to earn a spot on the IIHS’ zero driver death rate list for the 2011 model year (which did not feature a small overlap score).

My 3 across guide for the Odyssey is here.

2014+ Chevrolet Malibu

The Chevy Malibu, like the Accord, is a mid-sized sedan aimed at individuals and families with up to 3 children. However, unlike the Accord, it comes with a few additional safety features in the form of knee airbags for both the driver and front passenger; it is the only vehicle on this list to include such airbags for both front seat occupants.

My 3 across guide for the Malibu is here.

2014+ Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 is one of only a handful of small cars to make the list, and is another good economical vehicle that’s unlikely to cost much to maintain. It works well for individuals or families with up to 3 children, although it won’t offer as much space as sedans like the Accord or S60.

Check out my 3 across guide to the Mazda 3 here.

2014+ Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 is one of the few small SUVs to make this list, and it’s a sharp-looking one. However, like most vehicles on the list, it doesn’t offer any additional features beyond Safety Level 3 unless you opt in for some optional front crash prevention packages. In the case of the CX-5, it’s the Touring Technology Package.

Check out my 3 across guide to the CX-5 here.

2014+ Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan

The MB E-Class is one of a few large cars to make the list, and certainly one of the most expensive vehicles on the list. However, if you’ve got deep pockets (both for the purchase and for the maintenance), it’s a roomy car for families of up to 3 children. Beyond the basic features, it includes a driver knee airbag and automatically adjusting head restraints; the goal is to keep them in optimal positions regardless of seat orientation, reducing whiplash injuries in the process. It’s pretty neat technology. Front crash prevention, as with every other vehicle on this list that offers it, isn’t worth mentioning unless you opt for the higher end optional package, named the Driver Assistance Package in MB-land.

My 3 across guide to the E-Class is available here.

2014+ Mercedes-Benz M-Class (ML-Class)

The M-Class is another mid-sized SUV to make the list, and is again an excellent choice for families with up to 3 children. Like the E-Class, it also comes with a driver knee airbag to reduce the risk of knee injuries in frontal collisions.

You can get an excellent frontal crash prevention system if you choose a model with the optional Driver Assistance Package, but the standard Collision Prevention Assist does next to nothing. As with the Volvos, your biggest challenges with the M-Class will be keeping it out of the repair shop.

My 3 across guide for the M-Class is available here.

2014+ Subaru Forester

The Forester is the first Subaru and one of only a handful of small SUVs on this list, but it holds its own well.

By default, it doesn’t come with many additional safety features than those present in Level 3, although if you buy it with the optional EyeSight package, you can get an excellent front crash prevention system. However, it does come with a driver’s knee airbag to reduce the risk of knee injuries in frontal crashes. It’s a good choice for individuals or families with up to 3 children.

My 3 across guide for the Forester is available here.

2014+ Subaru Crosstrek

The second Subaru, second car, and first hatchback on the list, the Crosstrek is essentially a raised version of the Impreza.

Like the Forester, it doesn’t come with many additional safety features than those present in Level 3, although if you buy it with the optional EyeSight package, you can get an excellent front crash prevention system. However, it does come with a driver’s knee airbag to reduce the risk of knee injuries in frontal crashes. Like the Forester, it’s a good choice for individuals or families with up to 3 children.

My 3 across guide for the Crosstrek is available here.

2014+ Acura RLX

The RLX is an updated and renamed version of the RL, Acura’s long-running entry to the large car segment. Like the E-Class, it’s a good choice for families with up to 3 children interested in a car rather than in an SUV or minivan. Beyond the basic safety features, a driver knee airbag and extremely basic frontal crash prevention system are included.

2014+ Acura MDX

The MDX is Acura’s version of the Honda Pilot, which doesn’t make Safety Level 3 before the 2016 model year, and isn’t included on this list as a result. The MDX, however, does meet the safety threshold and also throws in a driver knee airbag, which a number of other vehicles on this list also include. Front crash prevention technology is all but absent in the standard MDX, although impressive if you choose a model with the optional Advance Package.

Check out my 3 across guide to the MDX here.

2014+ Chevrolet Equinox

The Equinox is the first American-model SUV to make Safety Level 3, and is an excellent domestic alternative to the XC60 for families interested in mid-sized SUVs. Like most of the vehicles on this list, no additional features are offered beyond those required by this Safety Level, but it’s still a great amount of safety in a vehicle that can be found relatively cheaply, considering its model year, in the used market.

My 3 across guide for the Equinox is available here.

2014+ GMC Terrain

The Terrain is GM’s GMC version of the Equinox, and, from a safety standpoint, is exactly the same vehicle.

As with the Equinox, it is an excellent domestic alternative to the XC60 for families interested in mid-sized SUVs. Like most of the vehicles on this list, no additional features are offered beyond those required by this Safety Level, but it’s still a great amount of safety in a vehicle that can be found relatively cheaply, considering its model year, in the used market.

My 3 across guide for the Terrain is available here.

2014+ Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue is Nissan’s contribution to the small SUV market, and while it’s not currently a good vehicle for 3 across setups, it’s still a good vehicle for families with up to 2 children. It doesn’t come with any additional features beyond the basic requirements for Safety Level 3, but is likely to be one of the more reliable vehicles on this list.

Check out my 3 across guide to the Rogue here.

2014+ Mitsubishi Outlander

The Outlander is the final small SUV on the list, and it’s also likely to be one of the most affordable vehicles on the list, both from a purchase price and cost of maintenance perspective. Beyond the features common to all vehicles at Safety Level 3, it also includes a driver knee airbag. Optional front crash prevention technology is available, but you’ll need to pay extra for it.

My 3 across guide for the Outlander is available here.

As you can see, there are a number of safe vehicles from the early 2010s with essential features like good small impact and roof scores and side head/torso airbags with rollover sensors. At this point, if you’re driving a vehicle with these features and those highlighted in earlier Safety Levels, you’re already driving one of the safest vehicles on the road.

That said, if you’re interested in yet another tier of safety, there are still improvements in safety available in the new and barely-used market if you’re willing to increase your budget. What are these features and which vehicles have them? This is where my threshold for Safety Level 4 comes in; I look forward to discussing it further in a post in the near future.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Recently, I wrote a guide to help parents, families, and individuals of all ages figure out how old was too old when it came to choosing a safe car, minivan, or SUV. I established a baseline called Safety Level 1, which involved vehicles with 3-point seat belts for front occupants, frontal driver and passenger airbags, and a good moderate overlap crash test score. This was the minimum level of safety I felt was worth buying, and I explained my rationale for these requirements.

Today’s article continues the series by focusing on a higher threshold of safety that I previewed in the prior article called Safety Level 2. I’ve discussed this level before when recommending safe and affordable vehicles for teenagers, and it’s the minimum level I consider for any vehicles we purchase in my family.

Safety Level 2: Level 1 + side airbags, good side impact scores, and ESC

Level 1 was about providing basic levels of safety for frontal crashes through a solid crash-bearing structure (the “good” score in the frontal moderate overlap collision), 3-point seat belts, and frontal airbags. Right now, any vehicle with those features will do about as well as any other vehicle at a given weight in most frontal collisions (with some exceptions, like the small overlap collision, to be discussed later). But what about side collisions? And what about preventing crashes to begin with?

This is where level 2 becomes crucial. Side airbags, along with good side impact scores, are the only devices standing between you and a near-certain death in a side impact collision at around 20 mph or above. Per the IIHS, when side torso airbags are present in cars, the risk of death from a side impact collision to the driver’s side are reduced by 26 percent; the reduction rises to 37 percent when head cushion airbags are paired with the torso airbags. The effect is even more pronounced in SUVs; with torso bags, the risk reduction is 30 percent, and it jumps to 52 percent when torso and head bags are both available. Combined with side structures that keep the vehicle reasonably intact, it’s easy to see why side airbags are a crucial safety addition.

Electronic Stability Control, or ESC, is described by the NHTSA as one of the most important innovations in car safety since the seat belt; in other words, it’s a huge step forward, which is part of why the NHTSA made it a requirement on all new vehicles a few years ago. Per the IIHS, the risk of a fatal single vehicle crash drops by 49%, or roughly in half, when vehicles are equipped with ESC. Considering that 50% of all fatal auto crashes are single vehicle crashes, simply being equipped with ESC slices off 25% from your global driving risk. That’s huge.

Now that I’ve explained what I find important at this level, here are examples of some of the oldest and most affordable vehicles that meet this safety threshold. The oldest dates back to 2004, but most are clustered around 2005:

2004-2011 Saab 9-3

The oldest vehicle on this list is the Saab 9-3, which makes a great car for individuals or families with up to 3 children. I’ve written about the 9-3 before in my list of recommended teen vehicles and in a budget buy post in 2014, and I keep coming back to it because it’s packs so many safety features into a vehicle that can be found for so little money. In addition to the level 2 features I listed above, it also comes with daytime running lights and an acceptably strong roof (to be discussed in safety level 3).

2005-2008 Audi A4

The A4, like the 9-3, makes a great vehicle for individuals or families with up to 3 children. As with the 9-3, I also mentioned it previously in a budget buy post, and I like that it also comes with DRLs. However, the maintenance costs on the A4 and in Audis in general are well worth considering before buying one, as they tend to add up fast.

My 3 across guide for the A4 is available here.

2005-2008 Audi A6

The A6 is the larger sibling of the A4, and comes with a great safety record; it was the first car estimated by the IIHS to have ever achieved a driver death rate of zero, which occurred during the model years I listed above. Like the A4, it also comes with DRLs, which are programmable in the case of the A6, and like the 9-3, it also includes an acceptably strong roof. However, as with the A4, maintenance costs can be daunting.

My 3 across guide for the A6 is available here.

2006-2010 Volkswagen Passat

The Passat is essentially Volkswagen’s non-luxury equivalent of the A4, and is yet another great choice for individuals or families from a safety standpoint, if not from a maintenance standpoint. As with every vehicle so far, it includes DRLs and a roof score. However, unlike every vehicle so far, the roof score isn’t just acceptable, per the IIHS; it’s good. This distinction makes the Passat well worth considering for individuals or families looking for bonus safety features at this level.

My 3 across guide for the Passat is available here.

2006-2011 BMW 3 Series

The BMW 5 Series made an appearance at Safety Level 1, and its smaller twin, the 3 Series, makes its entry at Safety Level 2 with an impressive array of features. Like the Audis and Volkswagens, you won’t own one because of its reliability or ease of maintenance, but it still makes a great individual or family vehicle if your priority is safety. Once again, DRL and and a roof score (acceptable) are present, as are the standard features at this level of ESC, side airbags, a good side impact score, and all of the benefits of Safety Level 1.

My 3 across guide for the 3 Series is available here.

2005-2014 Volvo XC90

The first generation Volvo XC90 set a landmark for safety that many vehicles took years to catch up to, at least in terms of crash test performance. Beyond the features common to this safety category, it is the first vehicle on this list to include a rollover sensor in the side airbags (a feature to be discussed in the next safety level), only the second with a strong roof (another feature to be discussed later), and the first with a good small overlap crash score (ditto). In other words, on paper, this is the safest vehicle in this list. However, it certainly isn’t the most reliable; the T6 was plagued with transmission problems, the early V8 had engine failures, and the model overall was buggy throughout the generation. If you know how to maintain it or know someone who does, however, it’s an excellent choice for family safety. Part of the generation had a driver death rate of 28 (2005-2008), while another part of it (2008-2011) had a driver death rate of zero.

My 3 across guide for the XC90 is available here.

2005-2007 Honda CR-V

The CR-V is the first and only small SUV on this list. It is also only the second vehicle on the list so far to feature a rollover sensor in the side airbags (a feature I’ll discuss more in the next level of safety). The CR-V is a great choice for individuals or families with up to 3 children, and is also one of my recommendations for safe and affordable vehicles for teen drivers. As an aside, it’s also likely to be one of the two most reliable vehicles on this list, as well as one of the two cheapest to maintain.

My 3 across guide for the CR-V is available here.

2005-2010 Honda Odyssey

The first minivan to make the list, the Honda Odyssey, is still an excellent choice for families with up to 6 children. It’s also one of only three vehicles on this list to feature side airbags designed to active in rollover situations (the others being the XC90 and the CR-V, also by Honda). This generation of the Odyssey was also notable for having a very low driver death rate of 17. Besides its family-hauling abilities, one of my favorite things about the Odyssey is its high degree of reliability and low cost of maintenance, making it the most family-friendly vehicle on the list for larger families on a budget.

My 3 across guide for the Odyssey is available here.

2006-2010 Kia Sedona

Last but not least, the Sedona deserves mention at this safety level as only the second minivan to qualify. Like the Odyssey, it affords enough seating for large families while remaining within reach in price in the used market. Unlike the Odyssey, it doesn’t feature rollover-sensing airbags, and it also comes with a “poor” roof score rating. However, to be fair, so would the Odyssey, had it received an official rating from the IIHS, per Honda’s internal roof strength tests. This generation of the Sedona is notable for having a very low driver death rate of 16.

My 3 across guide for the Sedona is available here.

As you can see, there are a number of safe vehicles from the mid-2000s with essential features like good side crash scores, ESC, and side head/torso airbags. However, as I’ve noted, there are still improvements in safety available in the used market if you’re willing to increase your budget. What are these features and which vehicles have them? This is where my threshold for Safety Level 3 comes in; I look forward to discussing it further in a post in the near future.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Car safety is one of those things that many people don’t give a passing thought to. But if your life or the life of someone you care for has been touched by a car accident, or if you’ve read this blog before, you know that car safety affects all of us. And the more informed we are about the various elements of car safety, the more likely we are to be able to keep our loved ones safe.

As a result, I’ve written dozens of articles on car seat safety, how to choose safe vehicles, and which safety factors are important when selecting new vehicles or vehicles for teenage drivers. However, not everyone is in the market for new cars, and it’s important to know how to choose wisely when looking for safety in older vehicles. That’s what this article is about. By the end of it, you’ll hopefully have a better idea of where to compromise and where not to when buying a safe used car, SUV, or minivan for yourself or for your family.

How old is too old when looking for a used car, SUV, or minivan to keep my family safe?

If you’re simply interested in a low total cost of ownership, driving a subcompact or compact Honda or Toyota from the 1990s is currently your best bet for spending the fewest dollars per mile in maintenance, repairs, and fuel economy. The Honda CRX-HF, for example, was rated at 51 mpg highway, which is competitive with the best gasoline vehicles (and hybrids) on the market today.

However, if your priorities are not only price of purchase and price of upkeep but safety, then you’ll need to spend time both researching and reflecting: researching the differences between vehicles and reflecting on your personal thresholds for risk tolerance. Why? Because the short answer to the “how old is too old?” question is…

It depends. But I don’t mean it depends on the age of the vehicle or the year in which it was made.

So what does it depend on?

It depends on what you consider important, safety-wise, and what you’d be willing to live (or die) without. And because different vehicles included these important features at different times, going by the age of a given vehicle won’t be enough to say whether it’s good enough or not.

To put it another way, there are different levels of safety features, and each person is likely to have a different threshold of comfort. This comfort level might even vary within families or stages of life; many husbands and fathers are willing to drive older vehicles they’d never let their wives or children drive in, for example. Similarly, a parent choosing a vehicle for a teenager (or a young adult buying a vehicle after obtaining a post-college job) might care about safety features centered on the driver but not on features for back-seat passengers.

We’ll start with what I’d consider an absolute baseline level of safety and work up from there, and I’ll provide “driver-focused” and “family-focused” examples at each level.

Safety Level 1: Frontal driver / passenger airbags and lap / shoulder belts and good moderate overlap frontal crash score

For me, a vehicle with lap and shoulder belts and frontal airbags for both the driver and passenger and a good frontal crash score as measured by the IIHS is the minimum acceptable threshold for a roadworthy vehicle. This, by the way, rules out motorcycles and scooters in my book; they travel at car-like speeds but offer no protection (some motorcycles do offer airbags, but without a restraint system and a passenger cabin, they’re far less effective than car airbags in preventing deaths).

The rationale behind stopping here is that seat belts with lap and shoulder components have been shown, per the IIHS, to reduce fatal injury risks by 45%. When frontal airbags are combined with lap and shoulder belts, the likelihood of death in frontal crashes drops by 51%. To put it another way, imagine 10 high speed (e.g., 40 mph+) head on collisions (so 20 vehicles and 20 drivers involved in total). Let’s say 10 vehicles involved did not have frontal airbags, and furthermore, their drivers were unbelted, while in the other 10 vehicles, frontal airbags were present and all drivers were belted. Statistically speaking, we’d expect all 10 unbelted/unairbagged drivers to die, as well as 5 of the belted/airbagged drivers. However, we’d expect the remaining 5 belted/bagged drivers to live. If the odds seem gloomy here (after all, 15 of the 20 people in this scenario are dead), realize that 50% (the odds of the belted/bagged group) is still much, much, much higher than 0%.

You might wonder why I don’t just advocate vehicles with lap and shoulder belts as my baseline, given that the lion’s share of risk reduction comes from the belts, and not from the frontal airbag. That’s a great question. The reasons I insist on the airbags as well are because 1.) they do also provide a smaller but significant fatality risk reduction (~21%) for unbelted passengers, and 2.) being a relatively newer technology (they weren’t mandated in the US until the 1999 model year), vehicles that include them are also likely to include better crash structures and score better on crash tests, which provides an additional plethora of safety benefits. A 1995 subcompact with frontal belts and airbags (e.g., a Toyota Tercel) will offer far, far more protection than a 1975 or 1985 subcompact with frontal belts. Remember that seat belts have been mandated since 1968, and there have been a number of changes and improvements in car safety design since then.

Finally, I add the requirement of a good moderate overlap frontal crash score as measured by the IIHS because, per the IIHS, even after controlling for differences in driver age, gender, and vehicle weight, drivers of vehicles rated as “good” were 74% less likely to die in head-on collisions than drivers of vehicles with “poor” ratings. The risk reduction for drivers in “acceptable” and “marginal” rated vehicles was still 45%. To put it simply, the frontal overlap test is strongly predictive of crashworthiness in real life multiple vehicle crash scenarios.

With explanations out of the way, here are examples of the oldest and safest, relatively speaking, driver-focused and family-focused vehicles that meet this threshold. The earliest was available from from 1994, while the latest became available in 1998.

1994-2000 Volvo 850 / S70

The 850 (renamed the S70 in 1998) is a great example of a safe car from the 1990s. It features seat belts in all positions, a good frontal moderate overlap crash score, and frontal airbags for driver and passenger. It comes with antilock brakes as a standard feature and daytime running lights from 1995 onward. It also made front seat side torso airbags standard from late 1996 onward and made a combination front seat head/torso airbag standard from 1999 onward (a feature I’ll discuss in a higher safety tier soon). In other words, if you’re looking for a good driver-focused or family-focused car, the 850 / S70 is a great place to start from 1994 onward.

1995-1998 Ford Windstar

The 1st generation Ford Windstar is a great choice for large families interested in safety on a budget; it features dual airbags (remember; these weren’t required until the 1999 model year), frontal seat belts, and a good frontal crash score. It also seats 7 with seat belts in all seating positions. Finally, antilock brakes are standard. It’s worth noting, however, that there were a number of reliability issues with the Windstar, particularly with the 3.8L models.

Additionally, this generation of the Windstar (in particular, 1999-02) was estimated to have a driver death rate of 41 by the IIHS.

1996-1999 Ford Taurus

The Taurus is a simpler, but also good example of a solid individual or family car from the 1990s. It has the standard features common to this safety level: seat belts in all positions, a good frontal crash score, and dual front airbags. It’s also considerably roomier inside than the 850/S70, although it doesn’t have nearly as many additional safety features.

It’s worth noting that this generation of the Ford Taurus (in particular, 1999-02) was estimated to have a driver death rate of 82 by the IIHS, which is considerably higher than the driver death rates of any of the other vehicles on this list for which figures were available.

My 3 across guide for the Taurus is available here.

1997-2003 BMW 5 Series

The BMW 5 Series is the second luxury car and first and only large car to appear on this list. Like the 850/S70, it’s an excellent choice for individuals and families because it packs a number of additional safety features in at this price point, including front seat torso airbags in every year and the addition of front head tubular airbags from 1998 onward. ESC, another coveted safety feature, became standard from 2000 onward. Antilock brakes and DRL were also standard in every year. The main drawback to the 5 Series, and to every BMW, is the cost of upkeep. They can be expensive to keep running, although they can be a bargain if you can afford to.

This generation of the 5 Series (in particular, 1999-02) was estimated to have a driver death rate of 38 by the IIHS.

My 3 across guide for the 5 Series is available here.

1998-2003 Toyota Sienna

The 1st generation Toyota Sienna is another excellent family-focused choice, and is my preferred choice of the various vehicles I’ve profiled here due to its reliability and low maintenance costs. Like the Windstar, it features 7-person seating, front airbags, seat belts in all positions, and a good moderate overlap crash score. While there were some reliability concerns with engine sludge, there are plenty of 1st gen Siennas still running with more than 300,000 miles on the odometer, making it a great option for families with relatively small budgets (they are often available for $3000 private party) who want as much safety and reliability as possible.

This generation of the Sienna (in particular, 1999-02) was estimated to have a driver death rate of 32 by the IIHS, which was lower than any other vehicle on this list.

My 3 across guide for the Sienna is available here.

As you can see, there are a number of safe vehicles from the 1990s with essential features like good frontal crash scores, seat belts, and frontal airbags. However, as I’ve noted, this is the most basic level of safety I’d consider for individuals or families. I’d personally feel much more comfortable placing my loved ones in vehicles that at least met my threshold for Safety Level 2, which I’ll discuss further in a post in the near future.

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