Revealed: what were the safest cars of 2025?

Cars are packed with safety features to help prevent accidents, but which cars safety systems work the best?

Euro NCAP – an independent body that assesses car safety through a series of tests – recently announced the safest cars released in 2025. It tests four key areas: Adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road user, and safety assist.

All of the cars mentioned in this list have achieved a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

Mercedes Benz CLA: Best Small Family Car, Best Performer

The Mercedes Benz CLA nearly got full marks for Adult Occupant protection and was best-in-class for Vulnerable Road User tests, with special mention of its Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) system. It was also named the best Small Family Car in 2019.

MINI Cooper E: Best City & Supermini

Small in size but big in safety, the MINI Cooper E tops the charts for best City car and Supermini. It earned great scores in the structural crash test, outperforming all other cars tested in its category in 2025.

Tesla Model 3: Best Large Family Car

EV superpower Tesla picked up two category wins in 2025, the first of which was Best Large Family Car for the Model 3. It scored high across all tests, but topped the charts in Child Occupant safety, and its Safety Assist scores prove Tesla’s continued refinement of driver assistant safety features.

Tesla Model Y: Best Small SUV

The second category win for Tesla comes in the form of Best Small SUV for the Model Y. Much like the Model 3, it excelled in Child Occupant protection and Safety Assist tests.

smart #5: Best Large SUV

Making a name for itself in small cars, smart’s category win in 2025 was actually in the Best Large SUV category. The smart #5 earned a five-star safety performance, proving the brand’s transition from small to larger cars hasn’t come at the cost of safety.

Polestar 3: Best Executive Car

Polestar has a reputation for top-class safety, and the Polestar 3 topped the leaderboard in the Executive Car class. Structural integrity, Child Occupant protection, and a range of next-generation driver assistant technologies worked together to give the Polestar 3 the trophy for Best Executive Car.