2020 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 SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2020-21 Ford Edge 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick+
2020-21 Ford Explorer 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after May 2020
Top Safety Pick+
2021 Hyundai Palisade 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2020 Hyundai Palisade 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick
2020 Kia Sorento 4-door SUV
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights
Top Safety Pick
2020-21 Kia Telluride 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick+
2020-21 Mazda CX-9 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after December 2019
Top Safety Pick+
2021 Subaru Ascent 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2020 Subaru Ascent 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick+
2021 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2020 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Top Safety Pick
2020-21 Volkswagen Tiguan 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
2020 criteria
Top Safety Pick +
- G Good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests
- AdvancedSuperior Advanced or superior rating for available front crash prevention — vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations
- AGAcceptable or good headlights standard
Top Safety Pick
- G Good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests
- AdvancedSuperior Advanced or superior rating for available front crash prevention — vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations
- AGAcceptable or good headlights available