If you needed one more reason to consider the 2018 Subaru Outback as your next family crossover, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has it for you. The Outback has earned the highest possible rating of “Good” for IIHS’s new passenger side small overlap crash test. The model also has a Top Safety Pick+ certificate from the institute. 

So you can add safety to the list of good things about the 2018 Subaru Outback, a list that also includes practicality, durability, and reasonable price. Starting at $25,895, the Outback stands a head and shoulders above the competition thanks to Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, X-Mode, Hill Descent Control, Hill Holder and generous 8.7-inches of ground clearance. It’s an urban SUV with actual utility functions. And it looks so unpretentious and cool, compared to most other choices in this segment.

Safety wise, the Outback, like all 2018 Subaru models, is equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology and LED Steering Responsive Headlights. These are the features that awarded it the 2017 Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS. Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, WRX, and Legacy share the same accolade with the Outback.

“In the test of the Outback, the passenger’s space was maintained well, with maximum intrusion of 4 inches at the right edge of the toepan,” said Becky Mueller, IIHS Senior Research Engineer. “The safety belt and front and side curtain airbags worked together to keep the (crash test) dummy in place, and measures taken from the dummy showed there would be a low risk of injury in a similar real-world crash.”