Earning the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick distinction becomes increasingly challenging each year. To qualify, vehicles must earn the top score in five different crash tests which go far beyond federal tests. This year, Toyota overcame with ease and was the only vehicle in the large-car class to achieve the this years accolade.

IIHS has reported that 2019 Toyota Avalon has the highest safety rating, earning the Top Safety Pick award. Securing the top score in almost every category, the Avalon held strong in extensive crash testing. The Avalon’s crash-prevention technology, which boasts active and passive safety systems along with superior automatic breaking, earned an exceptional rating with impressive stats. The auto breaking system prevented crashes at 12 and 25 mph. Notably, this is safety feature is standard across all Avalon model trims.

Despite standard safety features, there is considerable discrepancy between trims for their headlight quality. When it came to evaluations, the more expensive trims proved superior, earning higher ratings than standard models. Thanks to LED projector headlights, the Limited and Touring models provided remarkable visibility while standard models struggled. Lacking low beam visibility generated poor ratings for XLE and XSE models.

The 2019 Avalon is new and greatly improved; in addition to top of the line safety, it cruises on a 3.5 L V 6 engine with 301 horsepower. The 2019 Avalon will remain Toyota’s flagship sedan,only with more upscale options and offerings. The large-car offers a comfortable interior with standard cabin tech that can be further upgraded. Safety tech features also come standard and include a lane keeping assist system, adaptive cruise control, and the award winning auto breaking system. For those looking to save on gas and, there is also an Avalon hybrid model.