As much fun as we have talking about power and performance of a variety of vehicles, one of the main concerns for most of us when we head to the dealership to purchase a vehicle is safety.  Usually safety and gas mileage are two of the main topics right behind price in order to help us make our decision.  Safety should be a concern, with more than 32,000 people dead from motor vehicle accidents in the past year alone it’s important to have a vehicle that not only will take care of you should the worst happen, but one that will allow you to avoid such a collision if at all possible.  Here are nine of the safest cars on the road for you to choose from and consider when it’s time for you to buy your next vehicle.

Volvo XC90

When you put the brand name Volvo on a vehicle it has to be safe.  This company has been at the top of the safety charts for generations and continues to amaze us each year with the amount of safety features they can add.  The XC90 has been an IIHS Top Safety Pick for several years and shows up with a full menu of safety features and active driver assistance features to help keep everyone safe.

Toyota Sequoia

This large SUV offers you a spacious interior in which you can almost get lost in, but it also has one of the best safety ratings of any car on the road.  Even though most other cars on the road are smaller than this large vehicle there is always a chance of meeting up with a vehicle that is larger at some point.  This big brute offers you eight airbags, ABS, traction control, electronic stability control and driver aids.

Toyota Highlander

The Highlander is an SUV that offers a hybrid version and all models have a great menu of awesome safety features to give you some enjoyable choices.  With Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alerts, rear parking sensors, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Warning System, Lane Departure Alerts and Automatic High Beam Headlights all meant to help increase visibility and safety.

Subaru Legacy

What do you get when you have a Subaru; standard AWD on every model.  This is certainly one way the Legacy gives you a safe ride with more control but this car also is equipped with ten airbags, stability and traction control, ABS, active front head restraints, tire pressure monitors, a rearview camera and driver aids that make this one of the safest cars on the road today.  With all this aboard you will enjoy the ride.

Mercedes- Benz GL- Class

This is another large SUV and gives you plenty of room to enjoy the luxury features and massive capacity of the SUV.  The safety features are simply amazing on the GL-Class including such items as ABS with Brake Assist, traction control, stability control with roll control, eight airbags, the mbrace2 SOS system, PRE-SAFE, a rear camera, drowsiness detection, crosswind stabilization and collision prevention assistance.  Hopefully you won’t ever have all these systems going off at the same time, but they are all in place to help.

Lexus RX 350

This sedan-based SUV offers the driving of a sedan in the size of a small luxury SUV.  This makes for a great fit when driving because you can more easily maneuver to avoid collisions and not have to worry this vehicle will roll over.  The RX350 comes with dynamic cruise control, pre-collision warnings and automatic braking to help slow you down and avoid a collision in a vehicle that can be a great ride.

Honda Odyssey

The minivan class often gets overlooked but who is buying a minivan; a family which means these vehicles better be safe.  Unfortunately the Odyssey is the only one that rated high enough to even be rated as “good” by IIHS but it does have some of the top safety features needed to make it a great choice such as side impact and curtain airbags along with ABS, traction control and electronic stability control.

Audi A4

Audi has done a masterful job of adding safety to nearly every vehicle they make.  Not only are the interiors of this great lineup made for comfort but the safety is present with a wide variety of electronic driver assistance features, electronic stability, traction controls, airbags everywhere and cameras to help show you what is going on around you.  The A4 is the size that scored the best in the lineup for Audi.

Kia Sorento

The Sorento offers you the menu of driver assistance features, airbags and drive controls that you want on any vehicle but at a price that is much more affordable than most vehicles on this list.  Kia has come a long way from the days of the bargain basement and now gives you serious options to enjoy when shopping for your next great vehicle and the Sorento certainly are one that should be considered.

These nine vehicles give you several options for ensuring the safety of your loved ones when on the road.  With the popularity of the crossover SUV market its impressive that SUVs show up so much on this list.  That fact is also a comforting thought as automakers have made safety a priority in the highest growing segment of the industry.