Car shoppers often prioritize safety when choosing a vehicle, but comparing models could be difficult, until now. The safety verdict makes it easy to compare cars based on excellent crash test results, superior braking and handling performance in Consumer Reports’ testing, proven crash-prevention technology as standard equipment, and controls that aren’t distracting.
The small SUVs listed below earned the highest “Best” score in our safety verdict evaluation, which means they:
• Don’t have the lowest usability rating in Consumer Reports’ evaluation of controls and infotainment systems
• Excelled in the latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests
• Come standard with automatic emergency braking that is highway-speed capable and has pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning
• Got average or above scores in Consumer Reports’ own tests of routine handling, emergency handling, and braking distance
That last one is particularly important for SUVs, according to Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at Consumer Reports. “Because SUVs are taller and weigh more than comparable sedans, that extra height and weight could make them more difficult to control when trying to avoid a crash,” she says. Among compact SUVs, the model with the longest braking distance takes 15 feet longer to stop from 60 mph than the model with the shortest. That could be the difference between a crash and a near miss.
Getting a safe SUV doesn’t necessarily mean spending the most, either. Some of the vehicles shown below have starting prices well under $30,000. By comparison, some models that cost more than that lack key standard safety features.
The vehicles below are listed in alphabetical order by category. Consumer Reports members can click on the model names to see our exclusive road test and reliability data, and whether a vehicle is CR Recommended. Recommended vehicles must excel in owner satisfaction, road tests, and reliability, among other factors.
