The first thing people tend to look for when buying an SUV is the list of its safety features. Safety is key in determining whether a car will make the cut. Luckily, you don’t have to be the sole judge of whether or not the functions provided are good enough. Organizations like IIHS and NHTSA do the hard lifting and test these cars for us. And their ratings help determine which are the safest rides.

2022 Tesla Model Y
Like the other SUVs on this list, the Tesla Model Y has a high rating from both IIHS and the NHTSA. The base models come with the standard safety features you expect from a modern-day SUV. However, if you wish to experience the car’s self-driving capability, it would require shelling out an extra $10,000 or more. The package unlocks parking assistance, autonomous lane changing, traffic light assistance, and other similar features.

2022 Mazda CX-5
The 2022 Mazda CX-5 was awarded a five-star safety rating by the NHTSA. Digging deeper, we found that car got five stars for the rollover test and four for the side and front crash tests. It was also named in the top safest SUVs list by the IIHS. Some standard safety features that make this SUV a trending choice for 2023 are lane departure warning, emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assistance.

2022 Toyota Highlander
The 2022 Toyota Highlander earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and was named one of the safest SUVs by IIHS, with high scores in all crash tests. The Highlander comes with the Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.5+ and other active safety functions and driver assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist, and automatic braking.

2023 Nissan Murano
Nissan Murano is one of the top-rated and safest SUVs predicted to be trending in 2023, just as it did in 2022. The car provides smooth rides with just as comfortable braking. It earned four stars in the rollover test and a complete five in the frontal and side crash test. Besides the standard parking assist, blind spot monitoring, automatic rear braking, and lane departure warning, it has a 360-degree camera system. With interiors as plush and a range of safety features, it is one of the top choices for a safe and affordable SUV.