How Much It Costs To Drive 2020’s Safest Vehicles

For anyone in the market for a new car, the choice between cost and safety doesn’t have to be a choice at all. Dozens of 2020 trucks, cars and SUVs that are among the most affordable in their class are also some of the best rated in terms of safety.

There are 49 vehicles on this list, and only one of them (barely) breaches the $40,000 mark — in fact, that vehicle has a starting MSRP of $40,000 exactly. Another 15 vehicles are in the $30,000s, but the overwhelming majority of those are priced below $35,000. That leaves 33 vehicles priced below $30,000, 22 of which are in the $20,000s. Another 11 brand new 2020 models are there for the taking for less than $20,000.

None of them, however, skimp on safety.

GOBankingRates used Kelley Blue Book and U.S. News & World Report for inspiration in identifying the safest 2020 models on the road. In order to generate this list, five factors were analyzed for each vehicle: starting MSRP, overall safety ranking, frontal crash safety ranking, side crash safety ranking and rollover safety ranking — all safety ratings were out of five stars.

The team then scored, weighted and ranked the results in ascending order from worst to best, with the best having the top score in terms of both safety and affordability.

If you do choose one of these cars or trucks for yourself, you’ll likely feel good about your purchase for years to come. Many of these vehicles are not only affordable upfront but, in terms of five-year ownership costs and reliability, also rank high as being good cars to own over time.

Last updated: Aug. 18, 2020

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 3
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 3

Your cost to drive: $34,600

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 3

Your cost to drive: $40,000

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 3

Your cost to drive: $33,575

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $37,560

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $33,895

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $33,705

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $32,830

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $28,745

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $28,500

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $34,000

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $26,050

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 4
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $19,300

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $32,145

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $31,890

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $35,285

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $33,900

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $19,090

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $31,995

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $31,975

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $31,100

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $17,890

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $17,490

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $23,170

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $22,995

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $22,145

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 4
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $15,295

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $34,250

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $18,895

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $25,190

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $24,885

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $24,495

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $24,100

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $23,800

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $23,550

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $27,495

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 4
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $20,650

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $20,390

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $20,300

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $19,600

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $24,425

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• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $24,020

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $23,390

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $16,720

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $22,930

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $16,190

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $22,745

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 4

Your cost to drive: $15,650

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $21,500

• NHTSA overall safety rating: 5
• Overall frontal crash safety rating: 5
• Overall side crash safety rating: 5
• Rollover crash safety rating: 5

Your cost to drive: $18,695

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Methodology: In order to discover the safest and most affordable car and truck models of 2020, GOBankingRates looked for inspiration from U.S. News & World Report and Kelley Blue Book rankings for safe 2020 models. Once top-ranking models were identified, GOBankingRates found each car’s (1) starting MSRP from individual company websites; (2) overall safety ranking out of five stars; (3) frontal crash safety ranking out of five stars; (4) side crash safety rating out of five stars; and (5) rollover safety ranking out of five stars, all sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Factors No. 2-5 were then combined to give (6) an overall star ranking out of 20. Then, factors No. 1 and 6 were scored and combined with the lowest score being best. In the final calculations, factor No. 1 was weighted 1 1/2 times and factor No. 6 was weighted 2 times. All data was collected on and is up to date as of June 11, 2020.