We get it. Cars are expensive. There’s a real upside, though: Safety. 

Earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) designation is something that consumers increasingly care about. Safety has become a major selling point for Subaru and all auto manufacturers.

The IIHS – an independent testing organization – has recognized three 2026 Subarus with its Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) rating: the Subaru Forester (including Wilderness and Hybrid), Subaru Ascent and Subaru Outback (including Wilderness) all earned the TSP+, something that gets harder and harder to do because the IIHS continues to upgrade the standards with every new cycle. 

Subaru has been a safety leader, incorporating its award-winning EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology in every Subaru, including Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, plus added Driver Assist and visibility technologies such as Emergency Stop Assist, Pre-collision Brake Assist, and more. 

“Earning IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards for 2026 considering the enhanced testing criteria is a defining achievement for Subaru,” said Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “The awards reflect our ongoing commitment to safety and delivering vehicles our customers trust to protect them and their passengers in everyday driving.”

“These technologies are awesome,” said Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “As they improve and become more common, we are seeing compounding crash reductions.” More safety for the driver and passengers, too. This year the IIHS added a rear-seat test dummy to evaluate how rear-seat passengers were affected in an accident.

These are the tests on which each of Subaru’s TSP+ winners had to achieve scores of “Good” (four categories) or “Good” or “Acceptable”(two categories):

 

• Crashworthiness: Small Overlap Front, Moderate Overlap Front, Side Impact
• Headlights
• Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Pedestrian

 

Vehicles were also tested for Seat Belt Reminders, LATCH (child safety seats), and Whiplash Prevention. 

But even with all the safety technology, Subaru still manages to deliver good looks, comfort and fun for reasonable prices starting at $29,995 for the Forester, $34,995 for the Outback and $40,795 for the Ascent – all well below the national average vehicle price.  

Subaru has earned unofficial recognition as Coloradans favorite vehicle. At Schomp Subaru, we like to think safety is a big reason why. Come in and let us show you the amazing safety features built into our Top Safety Pick+ winners: Forester, Outback and Ascent.