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Safety matters when you buy an SUV for your family. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested more SUVs than ever in 2025. They looked at crash protection, driver-assistance technology, and rear-seat passenger safety.
More models earned Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards this year. SUVs dominated the rankings over sedans and other vehicle types. Whether you need a small crossover, a three-row family hauler, or a fuel-efficient hybrid, this guide covers the safest options available in the U.S. market.
We analyzed IIHS top safety pick winners, NHTSA five-star ratings, and reliability data. This helps you find the most reliable small SUV or the safest midsize SUV for your needs.
What You'll Learn
Which SUVs earned 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards
The best safe SUVs across all size categories and budgets
Advanced child safety features like rear seat reminders and LATCH systems
Quick Answer
The safest SUVs for 2025 include the Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, and Subaru Forester in the compact category. For midsize families, the Nissan Pathfinder, Kia Telluride, and Honda Pilot lead with Top Safety Pick awards.
What Makes an SUV Safe in 2026
Modern safety goes beyond airbags and crash tests. The safest car brands now include technology that prevents accidents before they happen.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety requires "Good" ratings in multiple crash tests for Top Safety Pick+ recognition. These include small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and updated side crash tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides five-star safety ratings evaluating frontal crash, side impact, and rollover resistance.
Modern SUVs include safety technology as standard equipment: automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and pedestrian detection. The safest car brands, like Mazda, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru, make these technologies standard across their SUV lineups.
Safest Small and Compact SUVs
Small SUVs deliver impressive safety without sacrificing affordability.
Mazda CX-30
The 2025 Mazda CX-30 earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status and a five-star NHTSA rating. Mazda leads all brands with eight Top Safety Pick+ awards. Standard i-Activsense safety technology includes automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
Perfect crash test scores, standard all-wheel drive, and excellent headlight performance make it a top choice.
Learn more: 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick winners
Honda HR-V
The 2025 Honda HR-V earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ recognition and achieved a perfect 10 out of 10 safety score from iSeeCars. Honda Sensing comes standard with collision mitigation braking and pedestrian detection.
The HR-V offers one of the easiest LATCH systems, rated "Good+", and includes a rear seat reminder standard.
Subaru Forester
The 2025 Subaru Forester earned IIHS Top Safety Pick status (excluding Wilderness trim). Subaru's EyeSight Driver Assist Technology includes pre-collision braking and adaptive cruise control. Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive provides confident handling in all weather conditions with proven long-term reliability.
Hyundai Tucson
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson offers Top Safety Pick+ status (models built after November 2024). The Tucson Hybrid delivers 35 to 38 MPG combined with Highway Driving Assist, rear occupant alert with ultrasonic sensors, and five airbags, including a center airbag.
Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Prime
The 2025 Toyota RAV4 is still a very popular small SUV. It comes with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which is a set of safety features. The RAV4 Prime, which is a plug-in hybrid, got a high safety score of 9.0 from iSeeCars. Both versions of the RAV4 are known to be reliable, can come with all-wheel drive, and hold their value well over time.
Safest Midsize SUVs for Families
Nissan Pathfinder
The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder is a Top Safety Pick+ with a perfect iSeeCars safety score. All models feature Nissan Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. This three-row SUV seats up to eight and offers easy LATCH car seat installation.
Kia Telluride
The 2025 Kia Telluride earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS for perfect safety test scores. It includes Kia Drive Wise safety features like highway driving assist, a rear passenger alert, and strong car seat anchors in every row.
Honda Pilot
The 2025 Honda Pilot, an eight-person SUV, earned a high safety rating due to enhanced rear seat belt protection and standard Honda Sensing collision prevention and adaptive cruise control.
Mazda CX-90 and CX-70
The 2025 Mazda CX-90 and CX-70 (including PHEV versions) earned Top Safety Pick+ awards. Both SUVs feature i-Activsense technology with radar cruise control and optional 360-degree cameras.
Advanced Child Safety Features
Modern safe SUVs have great new technology for keeping kids safe. Many 2025 SUVs have a feature that reminds drivers to check the back seats before leaving the car. Some advanced systems, like Hyundai's, even use radar to sense tiny movements from sleeping children.
SUVs with Advanced Rear Seat Reminders include the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, GMC Acadia, and Nissan Pathfinder.
The LATCH system simplifies car seat installation. The IIHS rates these systems on anchor visibility, surrounding space, and connection force. Correctly installed car seats reduce child injury risk by 71-82%.
SUVs with "Good+" LATCH Ratings: Mazda CX-90, Mazda CX-70, Honda Pilot, Subaru Forester, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, and Acura MDX.
Final Thoughts
The safest SUVs for 2025 offer excellent protection. The Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, Nissan Pathfinder, Kia Telluride, and Infiniti QX80 are top picks by IIHS for their safety.
New safety rules from IIHS now focus more on protecting passengers in the back seat. Also, many SUVs now come with advanced driver-assistance systems as a standard feature. For child safety, there are new features like reminders to check the back seat and better LATCH systems for car seats. Hybrid SUVs are also a good choice, offering over 30 miles per gallon and high safety ratings.
When picking a safe SUV for your family, look for vehicles that have both IIHS Top Safety Pick awards and five-star ratings from NHTSA. Reliable brands like Honda, Subaru, and Mazda are good options. If you have young children, check for advanced child safety features such as rear seat reminders and good LATCH ratings.
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Visit AmeriFreight's fuel-efficient SUVs guide to learn more about combining safety with economy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do any safe SUVs offer advanced child safety features like rear-seat reminders or easy-to-use LATCH systems?
Yes. The Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride feature radar-based rear occupant alert systems that detect micro-movements of sleeping children. The Mazda CX-90, Honda Pilot, Subaru Forester, and Subaru Ascent earned IIHS "Good+" LATCH ratings for ease of car seat installation. The Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia include standard Rear Seat Reminder systems.
Which plug-in hybrid SUVs offer a good balance of safety, electric range, and overall value?
The Mazda CX-90 PHEV leads with IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status, 26 miles of electric range, and three-row seating starting around $53,000. The Toyota RAV4 Prime offers 42 miles of range and a 9.0 safety score. The Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid T8 provides 39 miles of range with Top Safety Pick+ recognition. The Hyundai Tucson PHEV offers 33 miles of range at a lower price point.
What are the safest SUVs with more than 30 MPG combined for highway and city driving?
The Kia Sportage Hybrid delivers 43 MPG combined with standard safety technology. The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid achieves 42 MPG (45 city/38 highway) with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5. The Honda CR-V Hybrid achieves approximately 30 MPG with IIHS recognition. The Nissan Rogue delivers 33 MPG (30 city/37 highway) with standard Safety Shield 360.
Are there any safe SUVs with a strong track record of reliability for long road trips?
The Toyota RAV4 earns above-average reliability scores (80/100) from Consumer Reports with standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. The Honda CR-V earned an 84 reliability score, with models routinely exceeding 500,000 miles. The Subaru Forester earned an 82 reliability score with standard all-wheel drive. The Kia Telluride combines Top Safety Pick+ safety with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about vehicle safety ratings and features. Safety ratings and specifications should be verified with manufacturers and official testing organizations. This information is only meant to inform you and should not be considered professional advice about cars. AmeriFreight only transports vehicles and does not sell them or offer advice on buying them.
