Several Lexus Models Awarded Top Safety Pick Awards
The town that Lexus of Las Vegas calls home may be known for its games of chance, but that doesn’t extend to when one gets in their car. For decades, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has been dedicated to finding out what works and doesn’t work to minimize injuries from vehicle impacts and prevent motor vehicle crashes from happening in the first place. In addition to aggregating and analyzing data from their member vehicle insurance carriers, they conduct actual impact tests of vehicles and publish the results.
Vehicles that perform well in the impact tests as well as meet other safety requirements can be awarded a Top Safety Pick (TSP) rating or the higher Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) rating. IIHS concentrates on models with higher sales, so not all models are tested every year.
What TSP and TSP+ Ratings Mean
To be awarded a TSP rating, a model has to meet these criteria:
- Good Rating in driver- and passenger-side small overlap front tests
- Good Rating driver- and passenger-side original moderate overlap front test
- Acceptable or Good rating in the updated side test
- Acceptable or Good headlights standard
- AdvancedSuperior Advanced or superior rating for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention
To be awarded a TSP+ rating, a model has to meet the above criteria plus:
- Good rating in the updated side test
- AdvancedSuperior Advanced or superior rating for nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention
So far, every 2023 Lexus model tested has earned either a TSP or TSP+. This includes four models with a TSP awarded to the ES 350 and a TSP+ awarded to the UX, NX/NX Hybrid/NX PHEV, and RX models. Here are the specifics for each model:
Lexus ES 350: TSP
The ES 350 earned its TSP by getting the following scores:
Crashworthiness Tests
- Small Overlap for both driver and passenger sides Good
- Front Moderate Overlap Good
- Original Side Good
- Updated Side Acceptable
- Roof Strength Good
- Head restraints & seats Good
Crash avoidance & mitigation ratings
- Headlights Good
- Vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (day) Advanced
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (night) Advanced
Seat belts & child restraints
LATCH ease of use Good
Lexus UX: TSP+
The UX earned its TSP+ by getting the following scores:
Crashworthiness Tests
- Small Overlap for both driver and passenger sides Good
- Front Moderate Overlap Good
- Original Side Good
- Updated Side Good
- Roof Strength Good
- Head restraints & seats Good
Crash avoidance & mitigation ratings
- Headlights Good
- Vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (day) Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (night) Superior
Seat belts & child restraints
- Seat belt reminders Good
- LATCH ease of use Good
Lexus NX: TSP+
The NX and NX Plug-in Hybrid earned their TSP+ by getting the following scores:
Crashworthiness Tests
- Small Overlap for both driver and passenger sides Good
- Front Moderate Overlap Good
- Original Side Good
- Updated Side Good
- Roof Strength Good
- Head restraints & seats Good
Crash avoidance & mitigation ratings
- Headlights Good
- Vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (day) Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (night) Superior
Seat belts & child restraints
- LATCH ease of use Good
Lexus RX: TSP+
The RX earned its TSP+ by getting the following scores:
Crashworthiness Tests
- Small Overlap for both driver and passenger sides Good
- Front Moderate Overlap Good
- Updated Side Good
Crash avoidance & mitigation ratings
- Headlights Good
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (day) Superior
- Vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention (night) Superior
Seat belts & child restraints
- Seat belt reminders Good
- LATCH ease of use Good
Again, this only includes the 2023 Lexus models that IIHAS has tested so far, but all Lexus models have been designed and developed with the same safety principles. While we strongly advise against testing their impact safety yourself, we invite you to come to Lexus of Las Vegas to test the rest of what these and all Lexus models have to offer.