When you think of the safest SUVs out there, you probably think of Subaru, Volvo, maybe the seemingly indestructible Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, a massive Suburban with miles of steel and space for protection, and a reliable Toyota or Honda for good measure.
In this feature about the safest SUVs for the 2020 model year, you might be surprised to learn that Mazda, a small-ish Japanese carmaker, tops the list with three of the safest offerings on the market for the 2020 model year, according to the main third parties that test these vehicles.
We have rounded up 10 top-scoring vehicles when it comes to safety. All received the highest award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on their crash rating scores and other criteria, including the trick headlight tests. We also note crash scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); the least expensive models are featured first. The results might indeed surprise you.
2020 Mazda CX-3
This is the smallest of the crossovers Mazda offers in the U.S., but Mazda did not hold back safety features on this subcompact SUV. The 2020 Mazda CX-3 provides a nice array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and cross-traffic alert. Lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and adaptive headlights with automatic high beams are available. The CX-3 even offers a head-up display.
The Mazda CX-3 is a 2020 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and the NHTSA gives it a five-star rating with five stars in side and frontal crashes, but the rollover rating is only four stars.
2020 Subaru Crosstrek and Crosstrek Hybrid
This popular little wagon from Subaru is a safe bet. 2020 Subaru Crosstrek models with the CVT automatic transmission have the EyeSight package of safety and driver-assist systems as standard equipment. That includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and automatic high beams. The plug-in hybrid model adds LED steering responsive headlights.
The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid earns a 2020 Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS with top marks in all six crashworthiness tests. CVT-equipped models with automatic emergency braking earn a Superior front crash prevention score. The non-hybrid model gets a regular 2020 Top Safety Pick designation (without the +) because trims below Limited get halogen headlights that are rated Poor. The Crosstrek also earns a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA with five stars in a side crash and four stars in frontal crash and rollover. The hybrid has not been rated.
2020 Subaru Forester
Subaru’s commitment to safety starts with its standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, giving this five-passenger compact crossover more traction for safer travel.
The 2020 Subaru Forester has an updated EyeSight system on all trim levels that adds stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and lane centering assist (as opposed to lane keep assist on the 2019 model). Also standard are forward collision warning and mitigation with automatic emergency braking, and lane departure and lane sway warning. Blind-spot detection with cross traffic alert is an option, as is automatic braking while reversing, and lane-change assist. The top trim level adds a camera to monitor the driver’s eyes to see if they remain on the road ahead and adds brighter, adaptive headlights and LED fog lights. There is no parking assist.
The Subaru Forester gets a 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS with Good performance in all crash tests and a mix of Good and Acceptable headlight performance depending on trim level. Front crash prevention systems were rated Superior. The NHTSA awards it the top five-star rating based on five stars for three crash tests and four stars on the rollover test. The NHTSA gives the Forester a five-star safety rating with five stars in all but the rollover test, where it scored four stars.
2020 Mazda CX-5
The 2020 Mazda CX-5 offers more room than the CX-3 and continues the trend of making a decent amount of safety equipment standard, and also offering all-wheel drive. Mazda’s collective of safety gear is called i-Activsense and it makes a number of systems standard including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning as well as blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high beams that were key to getting the highest safety score.
The 2020 Mazda CX-5 has a 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. The NHTSA gives the CX-5 a five-star rating in crash testing with five stars in all but the rollover crash, which scored four stars.
2020 Mazda CX-9
Upgraded models of the 2020 Mazda CX-9, the automaker’s largest crossover, join others in the automaker’s lineup in attaining the 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Mazda leads the industry with more IIHS awards than any other automaker.
The top award is only for models built after December 2019, which is when the crossover got upgraded headlights. Adding the optional adaptive headlights with high-beam assist was enough to get a Good headlight rating and the highest overall 2020 Top Safety Pick+ safety rating. Before Mazda upgraded the standard static LED headlights of lower trims, those base units only received a Marginal rating instead of the Good rating of newer-built models
Like the CX-3 and CX-5, the larger, three-row CX-9 crossover has Mazda’s i-Activsense series of advanced safety technologies, and it is now standard across all trim levels. The 2020 CX-9 protects its occupants with: forward collision warning with pedestrian detection; upgraded automatic emergency braking; lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist; blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert; automatic high beams; and adaptive cruise control.
The NHTSA gives the CX-9 a five-star overall safety rating with five stars in side crash testing but four stars in frontal crash and rollover resistance.
2020 Lexus NX
The Lexus NX is the Japanese luxury automaker’s first compact SUV, positioned below the RX, GX, and LX. Since its introduction, Lexus has added the subcompact UX SUV as well. Like its counterpart, the Toyota RAV4, the 2020 Lexus NX rides on Toyota’s capable global platform and has a host of standard safety equipment.
All trim levels have the Lexus Safety System+ 2.0, which bundles a collection of standard active safety features. Among them is automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist with lane centering, road sign assist, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Adding the Comfort package or stepping up to one of the NX 300 Luxury models will add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
The NX gets the IIHS 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation, the highest honor given by the insurance-industry-backed safety institution. In addition to achieving top scores in crashworthiness and front crash prevention, the Lexus NX also did well in the tricky headlight evaluation with its standard LED headlights; it is one of the few to receive a Good rating. The NHTSA gives the NX an overall five-star rating with five stars in the side crash test and four stars in frontal and rollover resistance.
2020 Acura RDX
The RDX is a luxury crossover from the Acura division of parent Honda that’s known for its safe and sensible vehicles. The 2020 Acura RDX comes standard with the AcuraWatch suite of safety and driver-assist features. In addition to adaptive cruise control, AcuraWatch includes lane departure warning with corrective steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and collision mitigation braking. A surround-view camera system and rear cross-traffic alert are optional.
The RDX’s standard headlights help the model earn a 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. Oddly, the headlights of the top-of-the-line Advance package are only rated Acceptable—compared to the other trims’ Good rating—but both are enough to capture the overall top safety award. The NHTSA gives the RDX a five-star overall score with five stars in side crashes and four stars in frontal and rollover scores.
2020 Cadillac XT6
The XT6 is the new seven-passenger crossover Cadillac added to fill the gap between the two-row Cadillac XT5 and the three-row flagship Cadillac Escalade that is too big for some buyers.
The 2020 Cadillac XT6 is not a technical showpiece like the CT6 sedan; it lacks the Super Cruise hands-free highway-driving assist system. But this family crossover still has a number of driver-assist systems, and most are standard equipment, including forward collision alert, front pedestrian and automatic emergency braking, blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, parking assist, and haptic safety alerts that vibrate the seat, among other features. Optioning up adds adaptive cruise control, Cadillac’s rear camera mirror, a high-definition surround vision rear camera, color head-up display, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, and a host of other safety perks.
The XT6 earns a 2020 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS—the top score—with top marks in all crash tests and an Acceptable rating for the headlights with automatic high beams. The NHTSA gives the XT6 an overall five-star rating with five stars in all but the rollover resistance test, making it better than many SUVs that struggle to get five stars in both frontal crash tests.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
Mercedes-Benz introduces an all-new GLE-Class for the 2020 model year. A new generation provides the opportunity to improve everything about the midsize SUV, and that includes the latest safety and driver-assist technology from the German automaker.
Automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring are included on all 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class models, but you must opt for the Driver Assistance Package Plus to add stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, upgraded emergency braking, lane centering, lane keep assist with lane change assist, and front cross-traffic alert.
With the right options, including the Advanced Lighting package, the GLE-Class is a 2020 IIHS Top Safety Pick+. The NHTSA has not yet tested and rated the GLE-Class.
2020 Hyundai Nexo
Who says hydrogen isn’t safe? The 2020 Hyundai Nexo is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that uses hydrogen electrons to power an electric motor instead of tapping energy stored in a battery and it is one of the safest crossovers on the road. The Nexo is only sold in California, for now, but those who choose this distinct SUV, which gets its power from three large hydrogen tanks onboard, can relax knowing there is lots of safety equipment onboard as well.
Standard active safety tech is plentiful and includes automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, active lane centering, and driver attention warning even on the base trim. Stepping up to a Nexo Limited adds a 360-degree camera system, remote park assist, front and rear parking sensors, and an instrument cluster blind-spot display.
The Nexo earns the IIHS 2020 Top Safety Pick+ award on all models, with the highest possible scores in all six crashworthiness evaluations, plus the tricky headlight test. The NHTSA has not yet tested it.
The post What Are the Safest SUVs For 2020? appeared first on MotorTrend.
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