The Safest Used Midsize SUVs & Crossovers You Can Buy

Over the last several decades, the American car market has seen a new type of car rise to become one of the most popular of all time: the crossover. Fortunately for those of us in the used car market, that means there are millions upon millions of crossovers to choose from. But which ones are the safest?

How Safety Is Evaluated

That's where data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) comes in. Each year, the IIHS performs a suite of rigorous crash tests, evaluates other safety features and technologies offered on a given model of car and assigns ratings.

The best performers in each category get the award of Top Safety Pick, with more recent years also offering a Top Safety Pick+ designation for cars that offer additional safety technology or features even beyond those of the Top Safety Pick winners. That's great for buyers of new cars, but what does it mean for the used car buyer?

New And Used Cars Are Covered

The IIHS' ratings give both new-car and used-car shoppers alike a window into what may be the safest vehicles of each model year. So if you want the safest car made this year, look at the latest results.

The IIHS Top Safety Pick & Top Safety Pick+ Winners (2010 - 2017)

We've trawled through the winners of the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards for the 2010 through 2017 model years, looking for the safest of the safe in the midsize SUV and midsize luxury SUV category—categories that cover pretty much every crossover on the market.

In the list, you'll see vehicles ranked by their number of wins, followed by the years in which they won the TSP award. For vehicles that have won both TSP and TSP+ awards over the years, each will be listed separately. If there are restrictions or requirements to earn the TSP award in a given model year (vehicles built after a certain date, or equipped with certain features) those will be listed alongside the year applicable.

It's important to remember that even having a single TSP win to its name means that vehicle is among the safest of its kind in the year it was made—so no matter which crossover on this list strikes your fancy, it's a good bet for safety.

The top choice for a safe midsize crossover, your very best bets—according to IIHS test results, are:

• Volvo XC60
• Volvo XC90

Each won multiple TSP and TSP+ awards. Of course, there are other factors which should also figure into your purchase decision:

• Reliability
• Price
• Styling

That's why we made this list, to provide you with the widest possible selection of safe, used crossovers.

4 or more wins, with at least 1 Top Safety Pick+ award

Audi Q5

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2015, 2016

Acura MDX

TSP: 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2014, 2015, 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

GMC Terrain

TSP: 2010 (After March), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
TSP+: 2014 (Optional front crash prevention)

Toyota Highlander

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2014, 2015, 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

Volvo XC60

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012
TSP+: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Volvo XC90

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
TSP+: 2013, 2015, 2016

4 or more wins without a Top Safety Pick+ award:

Cadillac SRX

TSP: 2010 (After May), 2011, 2012, 2013

Ford Edge

TSP: 2011 (After February), 2012, 2013, 2015

Chevrolet Equinox

TSP: 2010 (After March), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016

Ford Flex

TSP: 2010 (After January), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015

Jeep Grand Cherokee

TSP: 2010 (Late), 2011, 2012, 2013

Kia Sorento

TSP: 2010 (2011 models after March), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 (2016 models), 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

Lexus RX

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Lincoln MKT

TSP: 2010 (After March), 2011, 2012, 2013

Subaru Tribeca

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Toyota Venza

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

3 Top Safety Pick wins:

Acura RDX

TSP: 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2015 (2016 models with optional front crash prevention)

Dodge Durango

TSP: 2011, 2012, 2013

Dodge Journey

TSP: 2010, 2011, 2013

Ford Explorer

TSP: 2011, 2012, 2013

Honda Pilot

TSP: 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2015, 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

Hyundai Santa Fe

TSP: 2011, 2012, 2013 (2-row Sport models and 3-row models)
TSP+: 2016 (Sport, 2017 with optional front crash prevention built after March 2016)

Infiniti EX

TSP: 2011, 2012, 2013

Lincoln MKX

TSP: 2011 (After February), 2012, 2013
TSP+: 2016

Mercedes-Benz GLK

TSP: 2011, 2012, 2013

Mercedes-Benz M-Class

TSP+: 2013 (2014 models built after August), 2014, 2015 (Optional front crash prevention)

2 Top Safety Pick wins:

BMW X3

TSP: 2012, 2013

Saab 9-4X

TSP: 2011, 2012

1 Top Safety Pick win:

Infiniti QX60

TSP: 2015
TSP+: 2016

Jeep Cherokee

TSP: 2013 (2014 models)

Lexus NX

TSP+: 2015, 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

Nissan Murano

TSP+: 2015, 2016 (Optional front crash prevention)

Nissan Pathfinder

TSP: 2015

Toyota 4Runner

TSP: 2013