2012 Top Safety Picks
Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.
These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.
Midsize luxury SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Acura MDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2013 Acura RDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Audi Q5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 BMW X3 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Cadillac SRX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Infiniti EX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012 Lexus RX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Lincoln MKT 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Lincoln MKX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz GLK 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Mercedes-Benz M-Class 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo XC60 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2012-13 Volvo XC90 4-door SUV
2012 criteria
To qualify for 2012 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests.