If you’re considering the purchase of a luxury car, one of the most important elements to consider besides its top-rated luxury features is safety. This is especially important if you’re buying a luxury vehicle for use as a family car. The five safest prestige cars in the market today have earned high safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and are worth a test drive if safety is first and foremost on your mind as you purchase your luxury vehicle.

1. 2014 Cadillac CTS

One of the larger vehicles among safe family cars, this Cadillac garnered a five-star rating for three different categories from the NHTSA, including its overall safety rating, side impact rating, and frontal crash rating. The car also earned four stars in rollover crash tests. It features a number of air bags, including front and side air bags for the driver, front and side air bags for the front passenger, and rear body air bags. The Cadillac CTS also features child safety locks and an interior trunk emergency release so that children cannot accidentally lock themselves in the trunk.

 

 

2. The Mercedes Benz E-Class

This four-door Mercedes has five-star side and rollover crash ratings and scored four stars in front and overall crash safety tests. Not only does this vehicle front and rear head and body air bags for every passenger, it also features a number of digital safety features as well, such as a blind spot monitor that lets the driver know when a vehicle or object is in the car’s blind spot, as well as lane departure warning. This innovative feature sounds an alarm when the car starts to drift out of its designated lane, which may occur due to driver inattention or distraction. This feature, which makes the Mercedes one of the safest prestige cars in its class, is especially important for drivers who carry younger passengers and may become distracted by their chatter and noise.

3. The Audi A6

This luxury 4-door sedan earned five stars in all major safety categories from the NHTSA, making it one of the top safe family cars on the road today. It features a number of air bags for the driver and all passengers, including a rear air bag for the front-seat passenger and side and rear air bags for backseat passengers. These air bags offer unparalleled safety in the event of a crash or a rollover, which is something every potential car buyer should consider if the car they’re choosing will also be the family car. The Audi A-6 also features a blind spot monitor, child safety locks, and traction control for superior handling when snow, ice, and rain cause slippery driving conditions.

4.  2013 Lexus RX 350 AWD

If you’re looking for a luxury SUV that offers you and your large family the storage capacity and seating that you need combined with top-rated safety features, then the 2013 Lexus RX 350 AWD may be a viable choice. Unlike this SUV’s similar models, the front-wheel-drive RX 350 and the hybrid RX 450, this luxury car earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA because of its superior performance in rollover tests. This vehicle also features front-head restraints that reduce the chances of neck injury in a crash, as well as ten different air bags. The RX 350 also features “smart” brakes that sense when a crash is unavoidable and prepares the brakes for collision as an alarm warns the driver. This pre-collision system makes the Lexus RX 350 AWD one of the safest SUV’s in the prestige class of automobiles.

 

5. The 2014 Acura MDX

This mid-size luxury SUV earned 5-star ratings in four out of five different areas of safety that are tested by the NHTSA. It earned a four-star rating in rollover crash testing, which, despite that one minor shortcoming, makes it a good choice for those who are looking for a luxury SUV that takes up less space in the garage. This SUV also earned top ratings for the NHTSA in roof strength, side impact, and front impact crash tests. Other safety features on this vehicle include front, side, and rear passenger air bags, traction control, child safety locks, and a four-wheel automatic braking system that helps the car stop faster and with more stability. If safety is a priority for you as you make your next luxury vehicle purchase, then these safest prestige cars give you a wide array of choices so that style and safety blend seamlessly to make the perfect family car.