10 SUVs with the Best Crash Test Ratings

2017 Subaru Forester ・ Photo by Subaru

Sport utility vehicles are supposed to be the most functional, family-friendly options on the road, but what good is that if it’s just not safe? True, there are very few truly unsafe new vehicles on the road, and most late-model SUVs will get the job done just fine. However, we’re interested in the best, so we’ve found 10 SUVs with the best crash test ratings.

For the purposes of this alphabetized list, we focused on safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), simply because the other organization that rates vehicles for safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does not use a 5-star scale. Of course, we recommend that potential buyers carefully consider the ratings from both organizations before making a purchase.

2017 Acura RDX

Acura’s RDX is a popular compact luxury SUV with seating for five. It comes with a 279-hp V6 engine and the choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Overall, the RDX is perceived as a value-oriented option in the class, and a rather family-friendly one, at that. A rearview camera comes standard in the RDX, and optional safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision mitigation braking, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.

To get the NHTSA’s 5-Star Overall rating, the RDX scored 5 stars in the frontal crash and side crash tests, and 4 stars in the rollover test. The RDX also earns a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

Photo by Acura

2017 BMW X3

The BMW name is associated with powerful luxury vehicles, but the 2017 BMW X3, a 5-passenger compact SUV, has actually earned a reputation for being a practical choice. Buyers have the choice of several beefy engines and a number of expensive features, but the X3 delivers a consistently good experience even in base trim. Advanced safety features are available in packages, and include a rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, park distance control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree surround-view system.

The X3’s 5-Star Overall rating from the NHTSA includes 5-star scores in the frontal crash and side crash tests, and a 4-star score in the rollover test. The X3 does not earn a special rating from the IIHS.

Photo by BMW

2017 Buick Enclave

Buick’s Enclave is a midsize SUV with luxury aspirations, with a third row that provides seating for up to eight passengers. Even though the Enclave is priced within cross-shopping territory of some imported luxury models, buyers will still need to trade up to get most of the available active safety features. A rearview camera comes standard, but features such as rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and front collision warning are available only on expensive upper trim levels.

The Buick Enclave earns a 5-Star Overall rating from the NHTSA, with 5 stars each in frontal and side crash and 4 stars in rollover crash testing. The Enclave has scored well in several of the IIHS’ tests but has not completed the full program.

Photo by General Motors

2017 Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is one of the few among its peers to make our list of SUVs with 5-star safety ratings — simply put, there aren’t a lot of large SUVs that go through the battery of tests. The Expedition’s safety test scores are what earns it a spot here, because, frankly, its technology is a little behind the times. Some increasingly common active safety features, like forward collision warning and lane keep assist, aren’t even available.

In what is becoming a trend for SUVs with 5-star safety ratings, the Expedition achieves its 5-Star Overall score from the NHTSA with full marks in the frontal and side crash tests, with one point deducted in the rollover test. The 2017 Expedition has not been evaluated by the IIHS as of this writing.

Photo by Ford

2017 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V has been fully redesigned for the 2017 model year, but this popular compact SUV still keeps its priorities straight, with safety being top among them. A rearview camera comes standard in every CR-V, but buyers need to check out the upper trim levels to get features such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, collision mitigation, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and Driver Attention Monitor, which warns drivers in danger of dozing off behind the wheel.

In NHTSA testing, the CR-V achieves a 5-Star Overall rating, 5 stars in frontal and side crash, and 4 stars in rollover. In IIHS testing, the CR-V scores Good marks across the board and a Top Safety Pick+ designation.

Photo by Honda

2017 Hyundai Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson is another compact SUV that owes its popularity, in part, to its affordability and its strong safety credentials. The Tucson’s safety technology is about on par with other models in its class. A rearview camera and brake assist come standard on every Tucson, and available active safety features include lane change assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and rear cross traffic alert.

In NHTSA testing, the Hyundai Tucson gets the expected 4-star score for rollover, and 5 stars each for the remaining tests, for a 5-Star Overall rating.The Tucson also scores the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick designation, with full marks across the board in that organization’s testing program.

Photo by Hyundai

2017 Kia Sorento

Kia’s midsize SUV, the Sorento, is a strong overall pick, particularly for buyers seeking out an optional third row to boost seating capacity up to seven. The Sorento also has a competitive starting price for the class. That said, its active safety features cost extra, and the list includes a rearview camera, rear park assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera.

According to the NHTSA, the Kia Sorento is right on par with its contemporaries, earning a 5-Star Overall rating that consists of 5 stars in frontal and side crash and the expected 4 stars for rollover. The Sorento does very well in IIHS testing, earning the coveted Top Safety Pick+ recommendation and Good scores in all individual tests.

Photo by Kia

2017 Lincoln MKX

If you’re shopping for a midsize luxury suv, it’s tempting to go for one of the value-laden import models, and that’s what most people do. There are alternatives, though, even if you’re prioritizing safety. The 2017 Lincoln MKX is one of them. All MKXs come with a rearview camera and rear parking sensors.  Blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, active park assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and pre-collision braking are optional.

You know what we’re going to say here, right? The Lincoln MKX’s NHTSA scores are as follows: 5-Star Overall, 5 stars for frontal crash, 5 stars for side crash, and 4 starts for rollover. The MKX is also a good choice according to the IIHS, which awards the vehicle the Top Safety Pick rating.

Photo by Lincoln

2017 Subaru Forester

The Forester isn’t fancy, but as long as you’re not expecting much beyond the basics, this compact SUV from Subaru is a smart choice. The Forester does well with buyers who value function over fashion. It’s safe, affordable, and comes with all-wheel drive. A rearview camera comes standard. Adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, high beam assist, and adaptive headlights are optional.

Unlike the other SUVs mentioned here, the Forester scores 4 stars in the NHTSA’s frontal crash test as well as the rollover evaluation. However, it gets full marks in side crash and still scores the 5-Star Overall rating. It also gets a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS.

Photo by Subaru

2017 Volvo XC60

Volvo stakes its reputation on the safety of its vehicles, so you probably knew a Volvo suv would be showing up sooner or later. We chose the compact XC60, which is more expensive than many of the competitors we’ve already discussed -- but it’s also really nice. The XC60 includes low-speed forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a rearview camera, and rear parking sensors among its standard features. Options include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with all-speed and pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, a driver fatigue monitoring system, lane departure warning, and road-sign recognition.

The Volvo XC60 gets a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS to complement its 5-Star Overall from the NHTSA.

Photo by Volvo