20 Safest Cars of 2015

5. Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf scored “good” in all areas, and scored “advanced” in the front crash prevention test according to the IIHS. The optional front assist (with autonomous emergency braking) reduced impact speed by 10 mph in the 12 mph test, and reduced impact speed by 1 mph in the 25 mph test. The roof was able to withstand 5.78 times the vehicle’s weight, scoring it a “good” rating. The Volkswagen Golf scored a “good” in all areas except the restraints and dummy kinematics, where it scored “acceptable”. The reason for the lower score in restraints was due to the seat belt allowing excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso. This led to the dummy’s head almost sliding off the airbag, leaving it vulnerable to contact with the forward structure.