The 9 Safest Midsize SUVs

Midsize SUVs make great family vehicles, but there’s a lot to consider when purchasing, especially safety. The safest midsize SUVs offer great driver assistance technology and generous standard features that help keep you and your family safe in a collision. There are several great options available now, so let’s take a look at the safest midsize SUVs on sale now.

What is a midsize SUV?

Midsize SUVs are among the most popular vehicles on the road. They offer two or three rows of seating with up to seven or eight passenger seats, depending on the configuration. Most midsize SUVs are unibody, meaning their frame and body are built as one unit, giving them a more car-like ride and better handling. A few body-on-frame midsize SUVs still exist, including the Toyota RAV4. Body-on-frame vehicles feature separately built frame and body units, which are connected during the manufacturing process.

The 9 safest midsize SUVs

Because there are so many midsize SUVs on sale, we rely on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for safety scores and rankings. The insurance-funded organization crash tests most mainstream models and updates its methodology to account for changes in safety tech and equipment. The vehicles you see here earned a Top Safety Pick + award in recent testing by IIHS.

2023 Mazda CX-9

• Price: $40,025 to start
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars—last tested in 2020

Pros

The Mazda CX-9 is one of few three-row SUVs that offer a truly engaging driving experience. Though its third-row “way-back” seat is tighter than some rivals, Mazda includes soft-touch plastics in lower trims, and higher trim levels add aluminum, wood, and leather upholstery. The 10.3-inch touchscreen is bright and responsive, and Mazda offers plenty of standard features, including wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

Cons

The CX-9’s curvy exterior and athletic proportions look great but come at the expense of usable interior space. The CX-9 ‘s cabin offers just 39.4 inches of second-row leg room and a shocking 29.7 inches of third-row legroom. Those numbers are behind class leaders, and the third-row seat is nearly unusable for most people.

Best for

The Mazda CX-9 is best for small families and owners who don’t want to sacrifice style and driving engagement for more space.

2023 Nissan Murano

• Price: $34,955 to start
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The 2023 Nissan Murano offers sharp styling and nice interior finishes, such as soft leathers and teakwood accents in higher trims. Even the cloth upholstery and basic plastic finishes in the base S trim feel premium. It also comes generously equipped with a long list of standard safety equipment, including forward collision warnings, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking, and more.

Cons

Unfortunately, the Murano’s sharp styling does not translate to a sharp driving experience. Its continuously variable transmission lets the engine drone, which gets annoying on the highway. The Murano’s cargo hold is also tighter than some, at just 32.1 cubic feet.

Best for

The Murano offers high style and great safety tech, but it’s not the best for SUV buyers needing space and usability.

2022 Subaru Ascent

• Price: $33,970
• IIHS rating Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The Subaru Ascent offers standard all-wheel drive, an energetic turbocharged four-cylinder engine and plenty of great interior space. There’s also a generous list of standard safety equipment, and the three-row SUV offers clever features to help manage cargo and people.

Cons

The Ascent isn’t as powerful or athletic as some of its competitors. Like the Nissan Murano, the Ascent also , and the power delivery feels uneven at times.

Best for

The Ascent is useful for families and will please those who are loyal to the Subaru brand, but there are better options in its segment for driving pleasure and technology.

2023 Toyota Highlander

• Price: $37,755
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

Toyota did plenty with the newest Highlander to make it feel special and premium, far beyond what its price tag suggests. The SUV offers a deluxe interior with great standard technology, and buyers who opt for the hybrid model get exceptional fuel economy.

Cons

The Highlander is a useful vehicle, but it lacks any semblance of driving engagement. The SUV’s new turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine doesn’t deliver a significant boost in fuel economy over the previous V6, and the Highlander’s third-row seats will leave adults feeling cramped.

Best for

Buyers who want exceptional, predicted reliability and solid standard technology features will appreciate the Highlander for what it is. Those seeking driving engagement need to look elsewhere.

2023 Volkswagen ID.4

• Price: $38,790
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

VW’s ID.4, its first North America-bound EV, brings a useful cabin with good space and a reasonable electric driving range. Its interior is futuristic and pleasing to the eye, and the all-electric drivetrain provides effortless, quiet cruising around town and on the highway.

Cons

Volkswagen’s all-touch-based infotainment eschews almost all physical controls, which can be confusing and frustrating at times. The same is true for other controls. At the same time, the ID.4 isn’t as lively as many EV competitors and could use more grunt for a more exciting experience.

Best for

The ID.4’s reasonable starting price and solid feature set make it an ideal choice for a first electric vehicle.

2022 Hyundai Palisade

• Price: $34,895
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The Hyundai Palisade brings an upscale interior and a load of standard features to the table. It’s also one of few SUVs that offer great value and equipment across all available trim levels. There’s good interior space and handsome styling.

Cons

The Palisade’s styling won’t make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. The front-end design is busy, and there’s a lot going on between the split LED running lights and unique headlight units. Inside, the SUV lets in more road and wind noise at highway speeds than expected, and its small-item storage could be better.

Best for

Families wanting a long warranty and great features can rely on the Palisade to impress in most situations.

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

• Price: $29,495
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

In a world where everything is becoming more expensive, the Santa Fe is a refreshing sight. Its sub-$30,000 starting price makes it an excellent value. Additionally, Hyundai is generous with standard equipment in all models.

Cons

The standard powertrain leaves plenty of room for improvement, and taller passengers may find the back seat to be cramped, especially on longer drives.

Best for

The Hyundai Santa Fe is an excellent pick for value-conscious buyers who need space and utility.

2023 Nissan Pathfinder

• Price: 35,295
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The Nissan Pathfinder features a well-designed, useful interior with space for small items and people. It also offers good towing capacity, and the interior feels sufficiently upscale for the price.

Cons

Despite getting a much-needed new transmission in a recent overhaul, the Pathfinder doesn’t feel as refined on the road as many rivals. At the same time, the rugged Rock Creek trim lacks the off-road capabilities of many SUVs.

Best for

The Pathfinder is a great choice for families looking for a sedate, comfortable SUV to run daily errands.

2023 Ford Explorer

• Price: $38,255
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The Ford Explorer brings a wealth of choice and customization options and features beefy, muscular styling. It’s also available in sporty configurations with up to 400 horsepower.

Cons

The Explorer lacks the spacious back seat and high-quality interior materials that many rivals offer. It also gets extremely expensive in high trims, making other options a better choice for many buyers.

Best for

The Explorer is best for those loyal to Ford and people wanting American vehicles. There are other options that offer more value and better features for less money.

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

• Price: $28,245
• IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick +
• NHTSA rating: Five stars

Pros

The VW Tiguan is one of few SUVs in its class to offer three rows of seating. It’s a small third row, but usable for many people. The Tiguan also features responsive handling and feels light on its feet, despite its size.

Cons

Volkswagen was too reserved with interior design and could have done more to make the space feel less sterile. The interior, while well-built and solid, lacks visual appeal. At the same time, the Tiguan’s four-cylinder engine lacks the grunt it needs to feel adequate.

Best for

The Tiguan is great for buyers needing an occasional third row but full-time maneuverability.

What to look for in a midsize SUV

Safety should be a major concern for anyone shopping for an SUV, but there are several other factors to be aware of.

Interior space

Compare interior dimensions for headroom, legroom and cargo space. This will tell you how comfortable you and your passengers will be and should give you a good idea of how much gear you can carry. Pay close attention to the cargo figures for three-row SUVs because the extra seats can drastically cut space.

Fuel economy

There are plenty of hybrid and fuel-efficient midsize SUVs out there, but gas models will never be as efficient as a midsize sedan.

Standard features

Some automakers do better with this than others, but it’s still important to make sure the trim or configuration you want has the features you need. You might be able to add options and upgrades, but you should choose the base configuration that makes the most sense for your needs.

Price

All cars are big-ticket items, but SUVs and trucks can get particularly expensive. Really home in on the key specs you need and what they cost. Keep in mind, too, that dealers tend to run deals toward the end of the model year. On the plus side, midsize SUVs are popular, in-demand vehicles that tend to hold their value well.

Warranty and reliability

Toyota rules the predicted reliability ratings, but some automakers offer long warranties that make them compelling alternatives. Hyundai, for example, offers a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which far outlasts any other automaker on this list. Check warranty coverage and predicted reliability before buying.

Tech

Even if you’re not a huge tech geek or audiophile, you’ll want to make sure the SUV you’re considering will keep you happy for the long haul. On other hand, if you prefer old-school design features, make sure things like touch screens and virtual knobs aren’t standard on the model you’re considering.

Towing

Midsize SUVs aren’t designed to tow huge loads like full-size SUVs and trucks, but many can handle a boat or small trailer. If towing is important to you, check the rating before buying.

Conclusion

The IIHS updates its testing methodologies and adds new scores frequently, so check the site for new information before you head out to shop. Test drive a prospective midsize SUV to make sure you understand the safety features and that the alerts don’t become tiresome in everyday life.