7 Affordable Cars With Top Safety Ratings

It might seem that all of the safe vehicles are made by luxury brands catering to the rich. If you think safety is something that is a benefit to having a trust fund, you would be incredibly wrong about today’s car market. The fact is automakers are focusing more on safety than ever before, including brands that make incredibly affordable vehicles.

Features that used to be reserved for the wealthy are now in cars that cost well below $20,000 brand new. Each of the following seven cars have earned top safety awards by going through the same crash tests as cars that cost many times their price. Purchasing any of the following vehicles will give you peace of mind, not only that you can walk away from an accident, but also that your savings account will survive the purchase process.

1. Ford Focus

Both the sedan and hatchback version of the compact car are both affordable and quite safe. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS has awarded the 2014 model with its highest safety honor, naming it as a Top Safety Pick+ car. The Focus had to pass all of the tests IIHS put it through, including a roof strength test that simulates the car rolling over in an accident. This top safety rating applies to hatchbacks and sedans.