Four of the best advanced safety features are no longer something you find only on luxury cars. Consumer Reports looked across the spectrum of cars and found them available on 24 cars that cost less than $35,000, the average price of a new car.  

Forward-collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are highly recommended by the automotive testing team here at Consumer Reports, and they've proved to have high satisfaction among real-world car owners.

CR puts the most emphasis on cars having FCW and AEB, and adds points to the overall scores of vehicles that offer those systems as standard across all trim lines. We do this because these two technologies are proved to reduce injuries and deaths. FCW warns you of an possible crash with an object ahead, and AEB will apply the brakes if you don't react in time.

Blind-spot warning, as the name implies, lets you know if there's a car on either side of you where you can't see it. And rear cross-traffic alerts warn you if a car or other object is about to cross behind your car.

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A Consumer Reports survey of subscribers this year found the most satisfaction with blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warnings.

"Drivers just love blind-spot warning systems because they can see for themselves the benefits of using it," says Shawn Sinclair, a CR automotive engineer specializing in advanced safety systems. And, she notes, the same is true of rear cross-traffic alerts: "For drivers who have it, it's used every day."

FCW and AEB scored lower on owner satisfaction in our survey, but Sinclair says that may be because these systems are activated less often, normally only when a collision is imminent. And some vehicles are more prone to false FCW alerts, which can annoy drivers. 

The cars below are ranked in ascending order by price.

2017 Models Under $35,000 Equipped With Advanced Safety Systems

ModelPackages Required

Price (including any required packages)

Kia Forte SS Technology Package$21,685
Subaru Impreza 2.5i PremiumEyesight Driver Assist Technology, Blind Spot Detection/Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (BSD/RCTA), and High Beam Assist$23,410
Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i PremiumEyeSight Driver Assist Technology, Blind Spot Detection/Rear Cross-Traffic Alert$25,905
Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium

Eyesight Driver Assist Technology, Blind Spot Detection/Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and High Beam Assist

$26,310
Mazda CX-3 Grand Touringi-ACTIVSENSE Safety Package$27,400
Hyundai Elantra LimitedTech Package and Ultimate Package$27,585
Honda CR-V EX

None. (All four safety systems come standard on EX trim level.)

$27,735

Mazda3 Grand Touring

Premium Equipment Package and i-ACTIVSENSE Safety Package$28,070
Subaru Forester 2.5i PremiumEyeSight Driver Assist Technology, All-Weather Package, Blind Spot Detection/ Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Fog lights$28,805
Toyota Prius Four

None. (All four safety systems come standard on Prius Four trim level.)

$30,020
Toyota RAV4 XLE"Power Premium" Extra Value Package with options$30,190
Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

Eyesight Driver Assist Technology, Blind Spot Detection/Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Power Rear Gate, High Beam Assist

$30,565
Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring

None. (All four safety systems come standard on Grand Touring trim.)

$30,930
Toyota Camry 4-cyl. XLEPower tilt/slide moonroof with options$31,430
Ford Fusion 2.0L Turbo SE202A SE Luxury Package, Driver Assist Package, SE Technology Package, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go$31,675

Mazda6 Grand Touring

None. (All four safety systems come standard on Grand Touring trim.)

$31,870
Kia Sportage EXEX Premium Package, EX Premium Plus Package$31,990
Kia Optima EXEX Premium Package, EX Premium Plus Package$32,430
Hyundai Sonata LimitedTech Package for Limited, Ultimate Package for Limited$33,135
Hyundai Tucson LimitedUltimate Package for Limited$33,475
Kia Sorento LX V6LX V6 Advanced Technology Package, LX V6 Convenience Package$33,595
Toyota Prius Prime Advanced

None. (All four safety systems come standard on Advanced trim level.)

$33,985
Chevrolet Malibu PremierDriver Confidence Package, Driver Confidence Package II$34,040

Click on the model links above for more information, including complete road tests and pricing.

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