Given the exploding popularity of the segment in recent years, the automotive market has collectively embraced SUVs, and virtually every manufacturer now wants a piece of the proverbial cake. After all, SUVs offer great power, performance, and practicality – all with a massive road presence owing to their size. In fact, with the electrification of engines and all-electric SUVs now coming onto the block, SUVs are more frugal than ever before, too. While gas-guzzling was always a negative point that went against them, SUVs today have also become frugal with fuel. Similarly, gone are the days when one could just generalize and claim that all SUVs are unsafe.
With growing popularity and demand, and strides of advancement in car development, manufacturers have been making their bigger cars as safe as possible. Large sport utility vehicles, along with their performance and power figures, are now scoring great safety ratings. For large families, SUVs are the best choice to comfortably seat all members, and they would certainly need the confidence of knowing their vehicle is as safe as they come. Similarly, for adventurers and off-road enthusiasts, knowing that your SUV will protect you when you're off on a remote trail is quite assuring. With that said, let's take a look at 10 of the safest SUVs of 2022.
10 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Toyota's 2022 RAV4 Prime is a plug-in hybrid crossover version of the RAV4 family. An extremely impressive car on its own, the RAV4 Prime has a 42-mile all-electric range, which is quite remarkable for a PHEV. The 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime is also one of the safest cars out there.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety chose the RAV4 Prime as a Top Safety Pick+, which is the highest safety award possible from the organization. Loaded with Toyota Safety Sense, the RAV4 has a bevy of advanced safety features and driver-assistance tech that make it a great car for families as well as the environment.
9 Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi has completely redesigned the outlander for the 2022 model year, and the result is extremely impressive. The three-row Mitsubishi Outlander shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue, as it is the first car to come out of the Nissan-Mitsubishi union.
The IIHS, too, is impressed by the Outlander, as the organization gave it a 'Good' rating in every tested safety category – the highest possible rating. However, depending on the trim one goes for, the headlight performance might take a hit. Nevertheless, the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is a great SUV that is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awardee.
8 Audi Q5/Sportback
Audi has refreshed the Q5 and its Sportback version for the 2022 model year, and this year, the SUV has finally managed to earn a 5-Star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At the same time, the 2022 Audi Q5 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, thanks to its new and returning safety features.
With high-beam assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear-end collision mitigation, and a host of other safety features, the Q5 is a great luxury SUV that is as powerful as it is safe. On the higher trims, the Q5 also comes with adaptive cruise control. The car also received a Superior score for its vehicle-to-vehicle automatic emergency braking system.
7 Acura MDX
The 2022 Acura MDX ushered in the latest generation of one of the first luxury SUVs in America. For this year, the car boasts a lot of performance, a renewed cabin, and plenty of safety tech to keep its occupants as safe as they are comfortable. The MDX comes loaded with Acura Watch – the brand's safety and driver-assist system – as standard.
The NHTSA gave the Acura MDX a maximum 5-star overall safety rating, and the IIHS, too, gave it 'Good' marks across the board. Unsurprisingly, they also awarded it the Top Safety Pick+ award this year, thanks to the Acura MDX's long list of safety features. Apart from the usual tech, the MDX also comes with driver drowsiness monitoring, and the automatic emergency braking system is equipped with pedestrian detection, making it one of the best SUVs on the market today.
6 Mazda CX-9
Mazda's CX-9 received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, as well as an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. Loaded with i-Activesense, which is what Mazda dubs its active safety features, the car has proven itself worthy of the IIHS and NHTSA's best evaluations.
The 2022 Mazda CX-9 comes standard with features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and rain-sensing wipers. Traffic sign recognition and a 360-degree camera system are also available on the crossover.
5 Hyundai Palisade
Two of the safest full-size SUVs today, the Hyundai Palisade and the Kia Telluride, run on the same platform. In 2022, the new Palisade runs on smooth engine options that offer a refined and upscale ride, and the cabin is quite plush for its occupants. With a 5-star safety rating from the NHTSA, the Palisade proves it is very safe. The IIHS agrees as well, awarding it the 2022 Top Safety Pick+ Honor.
Even on the lower trims that are comparatively inexpensive, the Palisade remains loaded with plenty of safety, driver-assist, and infotainment features that keep its occupants busy and safe simultaneously. Standard safety systems on the 2022 Hyundai Palisade include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe exit assist.
4 Kia Telluride
Kia has become quite the family-oriented car manufacturer over recent years, loading their entire lineup of cars with a host of safety tech. In that vein, the Telluride is an extremely impressive SUV that looks a lot more expensive than it is, owing to the great interiors and road presence of the vehicle.
The three-row crossover SUV is a great fit for families, offering an upscale driving experience and several safety and infotainment features as standard. The NHTSA gave the 2022 Telluride a full 5-star safety rating, and the SUV also received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. The Kia Telluride comes with forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist as standard.
3 Tesla Model Y
The battery-electric Tesla Model Y is one of the safest crossover SUVs on the market today, as is apparent from the vehicle's NHTSA and IIHS scores. With a safety rating of 5 stars from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHs, the Tesla Model Y has plenty of standard safety features.
The Model Y comes standard with lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, automatic high-beam headlights, and 360-degree parking sensors. Tesla has also loaded the Model Y with their Autopilot technology, an advanced driver-assistance system that gives some amount of autonomy to the car as well.
2 Toyota Highlander
The NHTSA tested the 2022 Toyota Highlander and the Japanese SUV earned a 5-star overall safety rating. Additionally, the new Highlander also got the Top Safety Pick+ Award from the IIHS, earning the highest 'Good' score in all six crash tests. The 2022 Toyota Highlander comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ as standard across all trims.
The TSS 2.5+ is Toyota's suite of active safety and driver-assist features, which includes front automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, road sign recognition, emergency steering assist, and automatic high beams. With an excellent range of features and safety ratings, along with Toyota's world-renowned quality levels, the Highlander is one of the safest SUVs in the market today. Its higher trims also scratch the itch for those on the lookout for a luxurious full-size SUV with state-of-the-art features and comfort.
1 Volvo XC90/Recharge
Swedish brand Volvo has, for years, been synonymous with safety, and the brand is renowned for its extremely safe cars. The Volvo XC90 is no exception, as it earned the highest safety ratings from the NHTSA and the IIHS in its 2022 model year.
Both the Volvo XC90 and the XC90 Recharge come with a plethora of active safety features and driver-assistance systems such as forward collision warning, front and rear automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Furthermore, adaptive cruise control and enhanced lane-keep assist, dubbed by Volvo as the 'Pilot Assist', come as standard on all XC90 models.