2017 Toyota Corolla Now Rated Safer Than Honda Civic

Toyota is the automaker with the most top-rated models for safety. However, the critically important Corolla has never been able to make it to the top of its class for safety – until now. For 2017 The Toyota Corolla tops rivals by earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ designation – the hardest safety title in America to earn.

The problem for Corolla was two-fold on past models. First, the model never aced its small frontal overlap test until this new model year. Second, the Corolla lacked forward collision prevention. For 2017 that Superior-rated system is now standard across all Corolla trims.

In its newest safety ratings for 2017, IIHS puts the 2017 Toyota Corolla ahead of it perennial rival, the Honda Civic. We have nothing but the highest respect for the Civic at Torque News and consider it the leader in the small car class. However, its headlights cannot score higher than Poor in IIHS testing, and a score of Acceptable or Good is now a requirement for the top rankings. Hopefully, the Civic will modify its poor headlight design and join the Corolla on the list of top-rated cars for safety at some point soon.