Safest SUVs for 2023

What Defines a Safe SUV?

Vehicle safety should be a primary consideration for every SUV buyer, but what defines a safe SUV?

iSeeCars uses the rating systems from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as the basis for deriving an iSeeCars safety score for each SUV. These rating systems include NHTSA’s 5-star rating that tests a vehicle’s crashworthiness in a frontal crash, side impact crash, and rollover crash, plus the rollover risk for a given vehicle. IIHS’ rating system uses Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ to define safety, and is based on three crash tests that include frontal crash tests, side crash tests, and a roof strength test. IIHS also rates safety features like head restraints, front crash prevention technology, and headlight performance.

The safest SUVs will earn a five-star rating from NHTSA and an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, but iSeeCars doesn’t base its safety score on good ratings from a single model year. Instead we average an SUV’s safety ratings over five model years to come up with a 5-year average to determine a given model’s safety score. We also include a list of standard and optional safety features for each SUV, including forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high beams. These safety equipment lists will vary by vehicle type, with three-row SUVs like the Hyundai Palisade and Subaru Ascent offering more standard features than lower-priced models like the Jeep Cherokee, Nissan Murano and Toyota Venza. See a complete list of SUV off-road, towing, and safety technologies, along with an explanation of how they work, below.

How to Practice Vehicle Safety

New vehicles are safer than ever, but even today’s advanced safety systems can’t overcome unsafe driving habits. With modern SUVs offering car-like ride and handling, drivers can be lulled into thinking they are as light and nimble as a traditional new car. But SUVs remain taller and heavier than a sedan or wagon, giving them increased cargo space and, in models with a third-row seat like the Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-9, increased passenger capacity. But their elevated weight and center of gravity puts SUVs at a greater risk of rollover.

SUV drivers must take these factors into consideration, allowing for more stopping distance and careful maneuvering when parking. And because SUVs can travel off-road, drivers should understand how all-wheel drive and other off-road technologies work before leaving the pavement. An SUV’s advanced powertrain and aggressive styling can’t make up for a lack of knowledge and bad decisions during off-road excursions.

The same is true when using a SUV for towing, which can be dangerous if a driver doesn’t understand how to safely attach a trailer and drive it in a prudent manner. Technologies like trailer sway control and a trailer brake controller can reduce towing risks, but drivers should have a full understanding of proper towing protocol before their first trailering experience. Also keep in mind that fuel economy can be drastically impacted when towing, with an SUV’s mpg dropping as the trailer’s weight increases.

As an SUV driver you’re the most important safety feature in your vehicle. You can use the lists below to identify which SUVs offer the highest safety scores and what safety technologies are standard or optional on higher trim levels. But you must always supplement those systems with safe and prudent driving practices, such as wearing your seat belt, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles, and remaining focused on the task of driving your SUV responsibly.

Modern Safety Technology Terms and Definitions:

Automatic Emergency Braking: when forward sensors detect an imminent collision they can apply the brakes, even when the driver doesn’t, to assist with front crash prevention

Automatic High Beams: the vehicle can automatically switch between low beams and high beams when appropriate

Blind-Spot Monitor: alerts the driver when another vehicle is in the blind spot to reduce the chance of a collision during a lane change

Cross-Traffic Alert, Forward and Rear: sensors monitor the movement of vehicles passing in front of, or behind, a parked vehicle, alerting the driver to potential collisions; rear cross traffic alert is particularly help when backing out of a parking space with tall vehicles on the drivers and passenger side.

Driver Attention Monitoring: monitors driver behavior and creates an audible and visual warning if the driver shows signs of distraction or fatigue

Electronic stability control (ESC): Electronic stability control automatically applies the brakes when a vehicle skids or slides on slippery surfaces or curvy roads. This safety technology is so important that it has been required in most vehicles since 2012.

Forward (or Pre-) Collision Warning: alerts the driver of a potential or likely collision; this system often works with Automatic Emergency Braking to improve front crash prevention

Hill Descent Control: Uses the traction control and brake system to maintain a set speed as a vehicle descends an off-road or slippery surface while coming down a steep incline

Hill Start Assist (or Hill Hold): Maintains brake pressure to keep a vehicle from moving after the brake pedal is released and before the throttle is applied, making it easier to control a vehicle operating on a steep incline

Lane Centering: more advanced than Lake-Keeping Assist, Lane Centering uses small steering corrections to keep a vehicle centered in its lane

Lane Departure Warning: alerts the driver when the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane

Lane-Keeping Assist: monitors the vehicle’s position in its lane and makes steering corrections if a vehicle starts to drift out of its lane

Parking Sensors, Front and Rear: produces audible warnings when parking a vehicle to help the driver understand how close the vehicle is to a solid object (another car, wall, etc.)

Pedestrian Detection: uses sensors to detect pedestrians and can apply brakes to avoid collisions or reduce vehicle speed prior to collision

Radar Cruise Control (also known as Smart Cruise Control or Adaptive Cruise Control): uses sensors to maintain a set distance from vehicles traveling in front of the primary vehicle, thus reducing the need for driver input to maintain a set speed

Rear Seat Reminder: reminds the driver to check the rear seat area before exiting the vehicle and can sound the horn if rear-seat movement is detected after the vehicle is locked

Safe Exit Assist: monitors street traffic when a car is parked to reduce the likelihood of opening a door when another vehicle is approaching or passing by

Steering Assist: can steer the vehicle away from an imminent collision

Surround View (or 360-Degree) Camera: provides an overhead view of the vehicle in the infotainment system to see how much space is available on all sides when parking or moving at low speeds

Trailer Brake Controller: Integrates a trailer’s brake system with the tow vehicle’s brake system, automatically applying both when the driver applies the brakes

Trailer Sway Control: Applies brakes to individual wheels to slow a towing vehicle down when trailer instability is detected