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Volkswagen ranks as one of the safest car brands on the road, with solid ratings for all eleven of its current models.

Volkswagens are known for being stylish, sturdy, and economical. From the popular

Golf

to the cutting-edge

ID.4

, VW brings its A-game when it comes to safety. While some models rank slightly higher than others, there are really no bad options.

Want to dig deeper into Volkswagen safety stats? Let’s do it!

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Volkswagen car insurance costs

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Are Volkswagens safe in accidents?

Volkswagen is known for making sturdy, economical vehicles with solid safety ratings. A recent study by

US News

placed Volkswagen in the top tier of safest car brands, with a rating of 9.5/10.

What makes a Volkswagen safe?

A well-engineered frame combined with top-notch driver assistance and safety tech makes VWs safe and sturdy vehicles.

Whether it's a sedan, an SUV, or a

compact car

, Volkswagen vehicles consistently rank high in crash tests from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

But it’s more than just being able to survive a crash—nowadays, it’s also about being able to prevent one. Volkswagen is on the cutting edge of driver assistance and safety technologies, with a wide variety of features available on all models. Volkswagen’s signature

IQ Drive technology

includes:

Front assist: consists of both forward-collision warning and emergency automatic braking

Blind-spot monitor: helps you to see areas that you might otherwise miss

Rear traffic alert: with automatic braking monitors for vehicles crossing your perpendicular path

Lane assist: will detect and correct if you start to veer out of your lane.

Adaptive cruise control: will maintain a fixed distance from the car in front of you when you’re using cruise control.

The safety features vary according to model and trim level, but the offerings are solid across the board.

MORE:

6 cruise control safety tips you should never ignore

The two safety rating systems you need to know

The two most important rating systems come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These two bodies, a federal agency and a non-profit organization, respectively, conduct tests to evaluate the safety of motor vehicles in the U.S.

NHTSA safety ratings

are based on a five-star system that’s been in place since 1993. Each vehicle gets an overall score, but NHTSA also breaks down individual ratings for the three major tests:

Frontal crash

Side crash

Rollover

IIHS conducts a series of

six tests

, including front and side crash tests, to determine a car’s safety. They also evaluate the headlights and LATCH car seat attachments, and take both crashworthiness and collision mitigation into consideration.

IIHS ratings run from Good—the highest possible score—down to Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor (the worst possible score).

Which Volkswagen has the highest safety ratings?

The two winners of the 2022 lineup are the ID.4 and the

Arteon

. Both of these were a Top Safety Pick for IIHS, with a near-perfect scorecard. A notable exception was the poor rating for the headlights on the

Arteon SE

trim.

NHTSA gave the ID.4 five stars overall, and while there was no data available from them on the Arteon, the sterling rating from the IIHA is enough to put it at the top of Volkswagen’s offerings.

MORE: How to find vehicle safety ratings

2022 Volkswagen Passat safety ratings

Starting price: $27,575

IIHS safety rating: Good

NHTSA safety rating: Four stars for overall and rollover crash, three stars for frontal crash, five stars for side crash

The capable

Passat

is a sensible four-door sedan with sporty sensibilities. It comes with a host of safety and driver assistance technologies to keep you protected and a turbocharged TSI engine to keep you rolling.

Overall safety ratings for the Passat were good, but it did lose some points with the IIHS for its frontal crash tests.

2022 Volkswagen Jetta safety ratings

Starting price: $20,365

IIHS safety rating: Good overall, headlights marginal to poor

NHTSA safety rating: Not rated overall, but initial ratings are solid

The fun and stylish

Jetta

proves that you can still get a quality compact sedan at a reasonable price point. Good fuel economy and a host of safety features make the Jetta a popular starter car for many. IIHS gave the Jetta a good score overall, but was soundly unimpressed by its headlights, which garnered a marginal to poor rating depending on the trim. LATCH ease of use was acceptable per the IIHS.

The NHTSA has not yet fully evaluated the 2022 Jetta, but the side crash and rollover ratings have been good so far—five and four stars, respectively.

MORE:

Highway driving tips for safe and smooth travel

2022 Volkswagen Jetta GLI safety ratings

Starting price: $31,295

IIHS safety rating: Not evaluated

NHTSA safety rating: Not rated overall, but initial ratings are solid

For those that want a Jetta that offers more performance and driving fun, the new

GLI

is for you. Upgraded handling, engine capabilities, and sports car options mean you can drive your Jetta like a racecar—and look like it, too.

The IIHS hasn’t evaluated the Jetta GLI yet, and the results from the NHTSA are identical to the regular Jetta’s, so it’s a safe bet that these two cousins will be quite similar in their safety ratings.

2022 Volkswagen Arteon safety ratings

Starting price: $40,750

IIHS safety rating: Good overall, Top Safety Pick for 2022

NHTSA safety rating: Not rated

The pretty Volkswagen Arteon offers a refined, fancy appearance, and also plenty of cargo room with its clever five-door hatchback design.

The NHTSA has no data yet for the Arteon, but the IIHS rated it good overall and made it a Top Safety Pick for 2022. The one glaring omission from the IIHS’s accolades was for the headlights on the SE trim, which they panned with a poor rating, primarily for lack of high-beam assist and curve adaptive technology.

MORE:

What is a safe driver discount?

2022 Volkswagen Atlas safety ratings

Starting price: $34,335

IIHS safety rating: Good overall, poor to marginal for seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use

NHTSA safety rating: Five stars overall

The midsize

Atlas

SUV offers lots of room for both people and cargo and is a good value for SUVs in its class. The NHTSA gave the Atlas a five-star rating overall, with four stars for frontal crash and rollover testing, and five for side crash testing.

The IIHS also liked the Atlas and gave it a rating of good overall—with the exception of the seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use, which earned a rating of poor and marginal, respectively. While this may not be super important to everyone, this may not be the VW model to choose if you’re hauling around kids.

2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport safety ratings

Starting price: $33,635

IIHS safety rating: Good

NHTSA safety rating: Five stars overall

The sportier and less boxy

Altas Cross Sport

SUV rates much the same as the Atlas, with the NHTSA ratings being virtually identical.

The IIHS rated it good overall and gave it high points for its front-crash prevention technology, but the LATCH ease of use rating was marginal, as were the headlights on the R trims.

MORE:

What is the best Volkswagen SUV?

2022 Volkswagen Taos safety ratings

Starting price: $23,495

IIHS safety rating: Good to acceptable

NHTSA safety rating: Not rated

The Volkswagen

Taos

may not be the most glamorous subcompact SUV out there, but its fuel economy and bigger-on-the-inside design earned it points with Car and Driver, who rated it an 8.5/10.

The NHTSA has not evaluated the Taos yet. The ratings from the IIHS are not terrible, but fairly tepid when compared to other VW models. Crashworthiness was rated good to acceptable, with the headlights on the SE trim earning a marginal rating. Not awful, but certainly not a shining star in the lineup when it comes to safety ratings.

2022 Volkswagen Tiguan safety ratings

Starting price: $26,490

IIHS safety rating: Good overall, acceptable for LATCH ease of use

NHTSA safety rating: Not fully evaluated, safety concern for driver side impact

The Volkswagen

Tiguan

is currently VW’s most popular model, and the midsize SUV earned high praise and a 9.5/10 rating from Car and Driver. IIHS gave the Tiguan good ratings almost entirely across the board, with the exception being an acceptable rating of LATCH ease of use.

On the other hand, the NHTSA’s ratings were a bit of a mixed bag. The model hasn’t been fully evaluated yet, but it did get five stars for side crash and four stars for rollover. That being said, the NHTSA’s testing found that during the side-impact testing, the driver’s side door came unlatched and opened. They considered this a safety concern, as it increases the chances of occupant injury and ejection.

MORE:

Subaru Forester vs. VW Tiguan: which is better?

2022 Volkswagen Golf R safety ratings

Starting price: $44,090

IIHS safety rating: Good overall, poor for headlights

NHTSA safety rating: Not rated

The perennially popular

Golf R

hatchback was well received by Car and Driver for the 2022 model year, calling it the “hot hatch for mature driving enthusiasts.” The NHTSA has yet to weigh in with a safety rating on the Golf R for 2022, but the Golf R did get a five-star rating in 2019, the most recent year for which there are results.

The IIHS found the Golf R to be good to acceptable overall for crash ratings but gave the headlights a poor rating across the board for inadequate visibility. The verdict? The jury’s out on this one, but it’s not overwhelmingly positive so far.

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI safety ratings

Starting price: $29,880

IIHS safety rating: Not rated

NHTSA safety rating: Not currently rated, but earned five stars from 2016 to 2021

There isn’t a lot of data available yet for the 2022 Golf GTI, but it has gotten a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA for the previous six years. IIHS has no information for any model year of the Golf GTI.

It is worth mentioning that Car and Driver adores the

2022 Golf GTI

, giving it a 10/10 and naming it both an Editors’ Choice and one of the Ten Best for the year.

2022 Volkswagen ID.4 safety ratings

Starting price: $41,230

IIHS safety rating: Good, Top Safety Pick for 2022

NHTSA safety rating: Five stars overall and for frontal and side crashes, four stars for rollover

The electric ID.4 is not only Volkswagen’s only electric vehicle, it might very well take the title of safest Volkswagen as well. The award-winning ID.4 collected five stars overall from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for rollover safety.

The IIHS gave the ID.4 good ratings across the board, save an acceptable rating for the headlights on the Pro trim. Combine that with a superior ranking for front crash prevention, and it’s clear why the ID.4 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

MORE:

14 safe driving tips

How you can save money on Volkswagen car insurance

Driving a

make and model

of car that’s known for safety is not only good for your peace of mind, but it can also be good for your wallet. Vehicles with strong safety ratings are often cheaper to insure, especially if you add on upgraded safety technology.

The other easy way to save money on your car insurance costs is by using

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trustworthy comparison shopping super app

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