10 Safest SUVs for 2020

2020 Kia Telluride ・ Photo by Kia

The popularity of SUVs means there are a wide variety of choices. There are full-size options that offer room for up to eight passengers, high tow ratings, and cavernous interiors to accommodate lots of cargo. Those who don’t need quite so much space have smaller options with room for five passengers, less towing capacity, and more modest cargo room.

Regardless of how much room you need for passengers and cargo, there’s one thing everyone wants in their SUV — safety. We looked at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings, and these vehicles came out on top by receiving either a Top Safety Pick+ or Top Safety Pick rating during testing. Here are the 10 safest SUVs for 2020.

2020 Mazda CX-3

The 2020 Mazda CX-3 is a five-passenger subcompact SUV with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 148 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CX-3 is available only in one trim with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive and a starting price of $20,640.

Standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with a forward-collision warning and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and a lane-departure warning. There’s also brake force distribution and brake assist, dynamic stability control, traction control, and hill launch assist.

Photo by Mazda

2020 Mazda CX-5

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 is one size larger than the CX-3, but it also offers room for five passengers and received a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It comes in a range of five trims with a choice of two engines and front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Base models are powered by a 2.5-liter engine with 186 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque, while top trims have a turbocharged 2.5-liter with 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque.

Standard safety includes blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with a forward-collision warning and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and smart brake support. Pricing for the 2020 Mazda CX-5 starts at $25,190.

Photo by Mazda

2020 Subaru Forester

The 2020 Subaru Forester is a compact SUV that received a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s available in a range of five trims with a starting price of $24,495. All-wheel drive is standard across the Forester lineup, with power coming from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. This is paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Standard safety features on the Forester include Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist with adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane-departure and sway warnings, and lane-keep assist. Additional features available on select trims include automatic high beams, blind-spot detection with lane change assist and a rear-cross traffic alert, reverse automatic braking, and the DriverFocus distraction mitigation system.

Photo by Subaru

2020 Ford Edge

The 2020 Ford Edge is a mid-size SUV with seating for up to five passengers and a Top Safety Pick rating. It’s available in a range of four trims with a choice of two engines. Base trims have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. The performance-focused ST gets a 2.7-liter V6 engine with 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque for those who crave a more spirited drive from their SUV.

Standard safety features for the Edge include blind-spot monitoring with a cross-traffic alert, post-collision braking, a lane-keeping system, a reverse sensing system, and roll stability control with curve control. The 2020 Ford Edge starts at $31,100.

Photo by Ford

2020 Kia Telluride

The 2020 Kia Telluride is an all-new mid-size SUV with a Top Safety Pick rating. It has room for up to eight passengers and their cargo. Power comes from a 3.8-liter V6 engine with 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A range of four trims offers either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Standard safety on the Telluride includes blind-spot monitoring, a driver attention warning, forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, forward-collision and lane-departure warnings, lane-following assist, and rear parking sensors. There’s also rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist and smart cruise control with stop and go. Pricing for the 2020 Kia Telluride starts at $31,890.

Photo by Kia

2020 Acura RDX

The 2020 Acura RDX is a luxury compact crossover with a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It has room for five passengers and offers a choice of either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

It offers a wide range of safety features, even on the base trim. These include collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keeping assist, road departure mitigation, a forward-collision warning, and a lane-departure warning. Front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and a rear cross-traffic monitor are available on select trims. The 2020 Acura RDX's starting price is $37,800.

Photo by Acura

2020 Cadillac XT6

The 2020 Cadillac XT6 is an all-new mid-size luxury SUV with room for up to seven passengers and a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s offered in a range of two well-equipped trims with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 310 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Standard safety features are extensive with automatic emergency braking, a forward-collision alert, front and rear parking sensors, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist with a lane-departure warning, a rear cross-traffic alert, safety alert seat, and blind-spot monitoring. Pricing for the 2020 Cadillac XT6 starts at $57,095.

Photo by Cadillac

2020 Hyundai Nexo

The 2020 Hyundai NEXO is the only hydrogen fuel-cell SUV in the world. It has seating for up to five passengers and earns a spot on our list with a Top Safety Pick+ rating. The Nexo is front-wheel drive only with a range of two trims. Unlike electric vehicles, which are slow to charge, the Nexo fuels up in under five minutes with up to 380 miles of range.

Standard safety includes forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, a lane-departure warning, a driver attention warning, and automatic high beams. The top trim adds a blind-spot camera and front and rear parking sensors. Pricing for the 2020 Hyundai Nexo starts at $58,735.

Photo by Hyundai

2020 Lexus NX

The 2020 Lexus NX is a five-passenger compact luxury SUV that earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive in a range of three gas-powered trims and two hybrid trims. Power for the gas lineup comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.

Standard safety for the NX is Lexus Safety System+ 2.0, which includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection and daytime bicyclist detection, dynamic radar cruise control, a lane-departure warning with steering assist, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and automatic high beams. Pricing for the 2020 Lexus NX starts at $36,870.

Photo by Lexus

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is a five-passenger mid-size luxury SUV that received a Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s available with a choice of all-wheel or rear-wheel drive in a wide range of trims with a choice of powerful engines, including performance-enhanced variants available with the exclusive AMG badge. Even base models are well-equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 255 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.

Standard safety features include active brake assist, attention assist, crosswind assist, blind-spot monitoring, and active parking assist. Optional features include active steering assist, evasive steering assist, active blind spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, active emergency stop assist, speed limit assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE starts at $54,250.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz