While more and more drivers choose SUVs, savvy shoppers know that nothing beats a traditional minivan when it comes to utility and cargo room. As a vehicle meant for families, automakers have striven to make their vans some of the safest vehicles available.
We’ve ranked all seven minivans available today by their safety score – which looks at how each vehicle performed in testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These agencies actually crash-test vehicles to determine how well occupants will fare in the event of an unfortunate accident.
We haven’t ranked the Nissan Quest for safety, as it hasn’t been evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the score listed is what the 2015 model received. The IIHS has tested the Quest and found it Good or Acceptable in most tests, though small overlap front impacts yielded a Poor rating.
Nissan offers a near-luxury driving experience with high-quality materials throughout the interior. Standard emergency braking assist, traction control, and electronic stability control help the Quest remain stable on the road. Options include blind spot monitoring and a top-down 360-degree camera system, which gives a view of all obstacles around the vehicle.
The Dodge Grand Caravan is basically identical to the Chrysler Town & Country, though different option packages can mean the Dodge is occasionally less pricey than the Chrysler. The Dodge rates four stars (out of five) for most NHTSA tests, though five stars are granted for side impact protection.
Like the Town & Country, the Grand Caravan has airbags for all passengers as well as traction control, electronic stability control, and emergency braking assist. The Dodge can be fitted with optional features such as blind spot monitoring and a rear-view camera. The Dodge is one of the most flexible vans available, with the Stow ‘n Go seating allowing the middle row of seats to be folded into the floor. When the seats are in use, the underfloor space can be used for safely hide items that could otherwise be cluttering the interior.
The Chrysler Town & Country (and the similar Dodge Grand Caravan) are the best-selling minivans in America, due to great performance and features for the price. Unfortunately, the Chrysler has been rated Poor in a small overlap front impact by IIHS.
The Chrysler offers standard emergency brake assist, airbags front, rear, and side, electronic stability control, and traction control. Optional safety features include blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and rear parking sensors. Some trim levels offer power-adjustable pedals, which allow the van to better fit the driver, rather than the driver adapting to an uncomfortable - and potentially unsafe - driving position.
The Town & Country will be discontinued after this year as the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica starts to hit the market.
The Toyota Sienna is a popular pick among minivan owners, partially due to the available all-wheel-drive system that assures better handling in all weather conditions. The IIHS rated the Sienna well, though it misses slightly with an Acceptable rating on a small front overlap impact.
The Sienna comes with a standard back-up camera, airbags front, rear, and side, emergency braking assist, traction control, and electronic stability control. Safety options include blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. One very cool safety-related option is Toyota's exclusive Driver Easy Speak feature, which uses a microphone to amplify the drivers' voice for rear-seat passengers, minimizing yelling.
Matching the Odyssey in safety scores is the Kia Sedona. The Sedona has the IIHS top score of Good for all measures and five NHTSA stars for three categories, receiving four for rollover protection.
While overall the Sedona doesn’t quite measure up to the Odyssey or the Pacifica, the Kia tends to be priced less and is strikingly styled with numerous luxury features. For safety, the Kia has standard airbags, traction control, stability control, and a new rear view camera. Optional on the Sedona are a parking camera system, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic monitoring, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and forward collision warnings.
The Honda Odyssey comes in second in both safety and overall minivan rankings. The IIHS gives it top scores across the board and NHTSA gives five stars for all but rollover protection, for which the Odyssey rates four stars – as does every current minivan tested.
The Odyssey has a host of standard safety features including a backup camera, front, rear, and side airbags, electronic stability control, emergency braking assist, and traction control. Numerous options include front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, a blind spot camera, forward collision warning, and lane departure warnings.
The all-new Chrysler Pacifica has emerged as one of the best minivans on the market. It currently sits in the No. 1 spot of the U.S. News & World Report minivan rankings, due in part to its phenomenal safety score. Although it hasn’t been tested by the NHTSA, the IIHS gave it ratings of Good across the board, which earned the Pacifica the coveted Top Safety Pick + rating.
The Pacifica includes a multitude of standard and available safety features. A rearview camera and voice command recognition come standard. Optional safety features include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, front parking sensors, rear parking sensors with automatic braking, automatic forward braking, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera.
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Which Minivan Is the Safest?
While more and more drivers choose SUVs, savvy shoppers know that nothing beats a traditional minivan when it comes to utility and cargo room. As a vehicle meant for families, automakers have striven to make their vans some of the safest vehicles available.
We’ve ranked all seven minivans available today by their safety score – which looks at how each vehicle performed in testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These agencies actually crash-test vehicles to determine how well occupants will fare in the event of an unfortunate accident.