One of the most desirable factors in an SUV is its safety. Whether for driving their loved ones around or hauling precious cargo, customers must know how safe their car is. The size of the vehicle does not determine safety, but other factors do, such as their driver assistance features and performance in crash tests conducted by the NHTSA and IIHs. Based on these factors, here are a few safest SUVs to buy in 2023:

2023 Lincoln Nautilus
The Lincoln Nautilus is a midsize luxury SUV, perhaps one of the most cost-effective in its class. It has a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for overall safety and the highest possible safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The car is well-equipped with tons of safety technology. Standard features include rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime
The Toyota RAV4 Prime is a hybrid SUV with excellent fuel economy and safety ratings. It received four out of five stars in the NHTSA’s rollover test, and the highest safety rating from the IIHS, thanks to its standard safety features like forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-tracing assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.

2023 Nissan Pathfinder
Find the perfect family-friendly interiors with the Nissan Pathfinder. Equipped with top-rated safety features and crash test results, this SUV by Nissan offers easy maneuvering for a balanced ride. It has a modern yet versatile seating arrangement. The car has three sets of LATCH connectors for child car seats. These connectors have received a rating of Good+ from the IIHS, implying that they are the easiest to navigate. Standard driver assistance features include forward and reverse collision warning, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high-beam headlights, rear parking sensors, driver attention monitoring, and rear seat alert. Additional features such as ProPilot assist, surround-view parking camera system, front parking sensors, head-up display, and traffic-sign recognition may be added.

2023 Jeep Compass
The 2023 Jeep Compass comes with an impressive range of driver assistance features to make it safer on the road. Key safety features include standard automated emergency braking, standard lane-keep control, forward collision warning with active braking, and blindspot monitoring with rear cross-path detection. It also offers active lane management and adaptive lane cruise control with stop-and-go technology. The car received the highest safety rating of “Good” from the IIHS. It also received the title of Top Safety Pick in crash tests, making it one of the safest SUVs to buy.

2023 Mazda CX-50
The Mazda CX-50 also received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. It is a compact SUV with plush interiors and an incredible array of driver safety and assistance features such as a rearview camera, driver-attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, forward automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights.

2023 Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango remains one of the most practical SUVs. This burly, powerful automobile received an overall safety rating of 4 stars (out of 5) from the NHTSA in its crash tests. While the car itself does not come with many features, customers can pick from a variety of optional driver-assistance features to personalize their ride. Some popular features to consider are adaptive cruise control with stop technology, blindspot monitoring, advanced braking assistance, rain brake support, and ready-alert braking. Further, the electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, and lane departure warning with lane-keep assist are worth considering.

2023 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is a small SUV that received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. It has many standard safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high-beam headlights. Customers can choose to get front and rear parking sensors if needed.

2023 Kia Telluride
Those looking for a breathtaking yet safe vehicle that commands everybody’s attention must check out the Kia Telluride. Granted a Top Safety Pick+ rating by the IIHS, this juggernaut has a massive towing capacity of 5500 pounds, meaning it is as sturdy as it is safe. The car comes with several standard safety and driver assistance features like a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, driver-attention alert, road-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, highway driving assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and rear-seat alert. Customers can also opt for additional features like front parking sensors, rear collision warning, rearview mirror with an integrated camera display, surround-view camera parking system, blind-spot camera, and a head-up display.

2023 Ford Bronco Sport
This compact SUV from Ford received a Top Safety Pick+ certification from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA. Made for off-roading, the Bronco Sport is well-equipped with standard safety features like forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, rearview camera, and MyKey technology.