Aylthough SUVs are generally bigger, stronger and more durable than regular cars, additional safety is still the top priority for both the manufacturers and the customers. Therefore, we will look at a list of ten safest models currently on the market and determine which one is the safest for you and your family.
10. 2019 Honda Ridgeline
We start things off with a truck instead of an SUV. The only reason why the Honda Ridgeline is on the list only because it sits on a unibody architecture despite the form of a pickup. The truck also has a very advanced active safety features. It includes the following:
Vehicle stability assist with traction control, ABS, electronic brake distribution, brake assist, multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines, tire pressure monitoring system with tire fill assist, location and pressure indicators, daytime running lights, collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation system, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning.
To accompany this comprehensive set of active safety technologies, Honda made this advanced architecture that is basically a formidable safety cocoon afford the driver and all the passengers. This is called Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, and it is made of ultra-high strength, hot-stamped steel, aluminum, and magnesium. This dramatically increased the rigidity and safety of the car. Honda also engineered a longer front overhang, a part of further efforts to improve the safety on the Ridgeline truck, which aced all of the safety tests. It is the only pickup with 5 stars on the NHTSA Overall Vehicle Score and an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating.
9. 2019 Honda Pilot
The recently redesigned 2019 Honda Pilot has all the Honda Sensing technologies as standard gear. Besides that, the rest of the available safety technology include blind spot information system and a rear cross traffic monitor.
As it was expected, Honda integrated a large number of passive safety technologies, including high-end airbags and full supports for children, like lower anchors and tethers for children, and lower anchors and tether anchors in the 2nd and 3rd rows. It is not a surprise that the Pilot dominated the safety tests from NTHSA, and earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick.
8. 2019 GMC Terrain
Terrain is the smallest GMC SUV, and it is designed for plenty of comfort and refinement. It is also the least expensive GMC SUV, which is why the Terrain does not provide many active safety features as standard. Therefore, the entry-level SL does not have specific safety tech an option at all. By these, mean the following:
Rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, automatic parking assist, and lane keep assist with lane departure warning. The upper trim levels of the SUV have it available or standard, which are the SLE and the Denali.
Although the NHTSA gave the 2019 Terrain best possible marks for the front and side crashes, the IIHS criticized the headlights and marked it as a poor, which is the worst score. However, they awarded the it with the highest rating of good in six crash categories.
7. 2019 GMC Acadia
As it was redesigned in 2019, the model comes with the new look, several smart technologies, and a fully redesigned transmission. It is now also available with the new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. With these advanced and comprehensive safety from the 2019 Acadia, the SUV offers a multitude of impoved safety options, which include:
Front pedestrian braking, low-speed forward automatic braking, forward automatic braking, following distance indicator, IntelliBeam automatic headlamp high-beam control, surround vision camera system, safety alert seat, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, lane change alert with side blind zone alert, and front and rear parking assist.
The new GMC SUV also has a head-up display which further improves the overall safety.
The SUV has been designed to reduce overall weight over its predecessor, as the GMC Acadia architecture offers a fantastic crash performance. Thanks to the outward folding of the front rails during crashes and a complete set of passive safety features, the 2019 GMC Acadia received good IIHS Safety Ratings, and four stars on the NHTSA Safety Overall Rating.
6. 2019 Chevy Trax
The minuscule city SUV offers an impressive set of safety technologies. It comes equipped with dorward collision alert, side blind zone alert, lane departure warning, rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, and ten airbags.
With this wealthy of a safety set, the Trax is among the safest small vehicles currently on the market. This is incredible because it has been in production since 2013, with the only rework back in 2017. Nevertheless, the model won five stars from NHTSA and a good IIHS rating.
5. 2019 Chevy Traverse
When you access the official 2019 Chevy Traverse website, GM quickly shows you their safety talents. The SUV has five stars awarded by NTHSA, and it has an astonishing 14 available safety features, which include:
Surround vision, D-Optic LED headlamps, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, low and high-speed forward automatic braking, and teen driver option.
The Traverse is a large family SUV, and one of the safest vehicles available. The new architecture and a longer wheelbase are also there, as is a lower weight than the previous generation. This is truly a safety inspired SUV.
4. 2019 Chevy Equinox
Chevrolet lowered the weight of their model by 400 since the previous generation, which had no impact on the safety credentials because the new architecture has several precisely engineered structures that were made by using high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel. Furthermore, there is a full set of passive safety equipment, as well as a mandatory set of active safety aids:
Safety alert seat, surround vision, forward collision alert, following distance indicator, low-speed forward automatic braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross traffic alert.
It is definitely not a surprise that the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox got a five-star overall rating by NHTSA. Additional safety features are available as well by the Chevy. You can also choose the highway safety kit, HD surround vision, and front pedestrian braking.
3. 2019 Buick Envision
Although it is manufactured in China, the model includes all of the important GM safety features that make it an adequate addition to their family of SUVs. NTHSA gave it five stars in the crash tests, while the IIHS testing marked the safety levels as adequate.
The 2019 Buick Envision Premium II AWD ($44,795) has numerous active safety features, like following distance indicator, forward automatic braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane, departure warning, safety alert seat, and surround vision.
It is not more than clear that some of the names are repeated throughout this article, and this is because GM shares much of their technology with all of the SUVs they make, which is quite a lot.
2. 2019 Toyota RAV4
The new Toyota RAV4 is one of the newest models on the market, and it brings the latest active safety tech features with it. It has standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, one of the most comprehensive safety suits currently available on the market. More importantly, it is standard even on the $25,000 entry model. The safety features of this one include:
Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beam, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and eight airbags.
The full Toyota Star Safety System includes enhanced vehicle stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, brake assist, anti-lock braking system, and smart stop technology,
This is not all however, as these additional options are also available:
Blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, bird’s eye view camera, intelligent clearance sonar, and rear cross traffic braking system.
This is clearly the most extensive list of safety gear on this list. Much of the quality and quantity of these is thanks to the Toyota New Global Architecture philosophy. This is also a modular platform that enables the company to share the tech across their lineup of SUVs and cars.
1. 2019 Acura RDX
Acura used high-strength steel for more than 50% of the construction of this car. This allowed the Japanese brand to cut 20 pounds of the weight from the structure, and them to improve the rigidness and safety of the vehicle. The RDX therefore achieves Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, and a five stars Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA. Acura created a powerful door ring structure to achieve all of this, which gives the car another layer of protection during a potential crash.
Added active safety features include the AcuraWatch™ suite, that comes equipped with:
Lane keep assist system, collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning integrated with CMBS, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, multi-angle rearview camera, surround view camera system, parking sensors, blind spot information, rear cross traffic monitor, and pedestrian injury mitigation.
Although some of these are far more advanced when compared to other vehicles on this list, the 2019 Acura RDX has an entry price of $37,600, and can top many with a $50,000 price tag with ease.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks