The Safest Minivan of 2018, 2019, and 2020
When is finding the safest minivan the biggest concern in someone’s life? A friend of mine is currently having that moment.
“We are in the market for a minivan!” That is how my friend Julie recently announced that she was expecting twins. When the twins arrive, Julie will have three children under 7 years of age. That means three child safety seats, which makes a minivan the obvious choice. And she wants the safest minivan.
Safest Minivan
Our choices for the safest minivan of 2018, 2019, and 2020 are shown in the table below. These vehicles – based on their individual track records of protecting the belted driver – receive our top tier ratings of A and A-. While we only rate vehicles for the driver, there is a strong relationship between protecting the driver and other family members. So, based on our data analysis, we think these minivans are good choices for your entire family.
| Vehicle | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Express | |||
| Ford E150 | Honor Roll | Honor Roll | Honor Roll |
| Ford E250 | Honor Roll | Honor Roll | Honor Roll |
| Ford Transit | Honor Roll | Honor Roll | Honor Roll |
| GMC Savana | |||
| Honda Odyssey | Toyota Sienna |
Personal Auto Grades
We also assign personal Auto Grades when the vehicle is popular and there is enough data. For the most popular Toyota Sienna, we have the six personal grades. For the GMC Savana, we do not have quite as much data, but we are able to give you two personal grades. As you can see from the personal Auto Grades, these minivans are very highly ranked for most age groups.
Child Safety Seats in Minivans
A minivan is a logical and appropriate choice if you want to sit higher, have easy access to the back rows, and have more space. From the higher seat, the driver has good visibility. The sliding side doors make climbing into the rear passenger seats easier.
Minivans also have relatively generous bending room between the first and second row for installing child safety seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a website to help you find the appropriate type of child safety seat, plus they offer a rating for ease of use for installing. You may find that helpful.
Did you know that child safety seats have an expiration date? Yes, that may sound strange. However, child safety seats have an expiration date because they are made from plastic that can become brittle and suffer from fatigue, which will not provide the best protection for your child. You will find that expiration date stamped on the label on the side of the seat near the serial number. We also highly recommend visiting the manufacturer’s website to see if there has been a recall on the seat.
While you may be tempted to install three child seats side-by-side in the second row, that is probably not a good idea. It is important that the seats do not crowd and overlap each other. In other words, there should be a little space between each seat. That’s where the third row of a minivan can come in handy. You probably want to put the oldest child there.
Having your child safety seats checked by a trained technician is the last step after you install your seats. The techs are very friendly and happy to help.
FAQs
The four models listed above are the safest minivan in all three years (2018, 2019, and 2020). They have all earned Auto Grades of A or A- across the board.
The best seat, whether using a seat belt or a child safety seat, is securely buckled and as close to the middle as possible. This is true for any vehicle. The safest seat in a minivan is second row, middle seat.
It is the same as the safest seat in a minivan: the middle seat in the second row. If there is no middle seat (as some minivans have only captains’ chairs there), The Auto Professor believes that behind the right front passenger is safer.
Front seatbacks have been known to collapse in rear impacts, which puts the person behind that seat at risk. Most of the time, the right front passenger seat is empty, so there is no chance of that seatback collapsing. If that seat is empty, it is better for a car seat to be behind that seat.
We believe that the best minivan from 2019 is the safest minivan. And that depends on who the driver is; male or female, older or younger. As the comparison of Toyota Sienna and GMC Savana show, the safety rating of the automobile changes for different genders and ages of the drivers. So, do a search with your specifics and find the best minivan 2019 for you!
Get Your Own Auto Grade
Shopping for a new car can be very stressful. Check out the list of the safest minivan above, as one of them may suit you better than another. We also suggest that you explore other options by searching any Auto Grade for a car you have in mind. Try it for free in the search bar here.
