How Much It Costs To Drive 2020’s Safest Vehicles

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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
49. Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab
- 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
48. GMC Sierra 2500 HD Crew Cab
- 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
47. Toyota Tundra Crew Cab
- 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
46. GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab
- 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
45. Ram 2500 Crew Cab
- 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
44. Ford F250 Regular Cab
- 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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43. Ford F150 Super Cab
- 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
42. Ford F150 Regular Cab
- 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
41. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 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
40. Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 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
39. Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab
- 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
38. Hyundai Elantra
- 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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37. Ram 1500 Crew Cab
- 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
36. Kia Telluride
- 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
35. Ford F150 SuperCrew Cab
- 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
34. Honda Ridgeline
- 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
33. Nissan Sentra
- 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
32. Subaru Ascent
- 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
31. Hyundai Palisade
- 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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30. Ford Edge
- 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
29. Kia Forte
- 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
28. Kia Soul
- 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
27. Ford Fusion
- 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
26. Volkswagen Passat
- 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
25. Subaru Crosstrek
- 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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24. Hyundai Accent
- 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
23. Nissan Maxima
- 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
22. Volkswagen Jetta
- 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
21. Mazda CX-5
- 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
20. Ford Escape
- 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
19. Subaru Forester
- 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
18. Mazda 6
- 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
17. Chevrolet Equinox
- 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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16. Hyundai Tucson
- 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
15. Subaru WRX
- 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
14. Honda Civic
- 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
13. Mazda CX-3
- 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
12. Hyundai Kona
- 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
11. Toyota Corolla
- 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
10. Toyota Camry
- 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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9. Honda Accord
- 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
8. Kia Optima
- 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
7. Chevrolet Sonic
- 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
6. Honda Insight
- 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
5. Honda Fit
- 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
4. Subaru Legacy
- 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
3. Toyota Yaris
- 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
2. Mazda 3
- 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
1. Subaru Impreza
- 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.
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