Safest Family Vehicles to Buy in 2025

When purchasing a family vehicle, safety should be your top priority. With advancements in crash protection technology, active safety systems, and pedestrian detection, 2025 offers some of the safest family vehicles ever produced. This guide covers the top recommendations based on IIHS Top Safety Pick awards, NHTSA crash test ratings, and real-world safety features that protect both passengers and pedestrians.

Top-Rated Three-Row SUVs for Family Protection

Kia Telluride: The Benchmark Three-Row SUV

The 2025 Kia Telluride stands as one of the safest three-row SUVs available today, earning the prestigious IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation and a 5-star NHTSA overall safety rating. This midsize SUV excels in the updated moderate overlap front test, which specifically evaluates rear-passenger safety—a critical factor for families. The Telluride combines practicality with comprehensive safety technology, providing seating for up to eight passengers with 87 cubic feet of maximum cargo space.​

The vehicle's safety system includes lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking. With pricing starting around $37,805, the Telluride offers excellent value for families seeking premium safety without luxury price tags. Its performance across all crashworthiness evaluations makes it an ideal choice for families prioritizing occupant protection across all seating positions.​

Genesis GV80: Luxury Meets Safety

For families seeking a luxury experience, the 2025 Genesis GV80 earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award while achieving a 5-star NHTSA overall safety rating. This premium SUV features 10 airbags including central front seat airbags that reduce injury during side crashes. The vehicle is equipped with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and driver attention systems, all contributing to its exceptional safety profile.​

The GV80 provides seating for up to seven passengers with 84 cubic feet of cargo volume, making it an excellent option for larger families. Its high-strength steel construction and reinforced cabin design ensure robust crash protection. Starting at approximately $58,200, the Genesis GV80 represents a premium investment in family safety and comfort.​

Hyundai Palisade: Practical Three-Row Excellence

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick designation and maintains a 5-star NHTSA overall safety rating, demonstrating strong crash protection performance. This corporate sibling to the Kia Telluride offers distinctive styling with comparable safety fundamentals. The Palisade seats up to eight passengers and provides 86.4 cubic feet of cargo space, making it highly practical for active families.​

Equipped with Hyundai SmartSense technology, the Palisade includes forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring. At approximately $38,215, the Palisade offers an excellent alternative for families seeking proven safety performance with a slightly different design aesthetic than the Telluride.

Compact and Midsize SUVs for Growing Families

Mazda CX-50: Safety Without Compromise

The Mazda CX-50 earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating, proving that excellent safety doesn't require luxury pricing. This compact crossover features a Skyactiv body structure engineered to absorb crash forces effectively, providing robust occupant protection. The standard i-Activsense suite includes forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control.​

What sets the CX-50 apart for families is its exceptional performance in child-seat safety testing. The vehicle features user-friendly LATCH anchors that simplify car seat installation—a crucial consideration for families with young children. Its accessible pricing and strong safety credentials make it an excellent choice for families prioritizing both protection and affordability.​

Tesla Model Y: Electric Vehicle Innovation

The 2025 Tesla Model Y achieves IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status, demonstrating that electric vehicles can match or exceed traditional vehicle safety standards. The Model Y scored exceptionally in child occupant protection with 95% protection rating in ANCAP testing. The vehicle's battery pack strengthens the floorpan, providing enhanced structural rigidity that contributes to superior crash protection.​

Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. The Model Y's Sentry Mode uses external cameras to record potential accidents, providing an additional layer of security. This vehicle appeals to environmentally conscious families seeking top-tier safety performance combined with advanced technology.​

Honda CR-V: The Family Favorite

The 2025 Honda CR-V continues its reputation as a dependable family vehicle with IIHS Top Safety Pick+ recognition. This compact SUV comes standard with Honda Sensing, featuring collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, and traffic sign recognition. The CR-V's spacious interior accommodates families comfortably while maintaining excellent visibility for accident prevention.​

The CR-V's affordable pricing, proven reliability, and comprehensive safety suite make it one of the most accessible options for budget-conscious families. Consumer Reports consistently ranks Honda vehicles highly for reliability, and the CR-V maintains this tradition while delivering modern safety technology across all trim levels.

Midsize SUVs and Family Sedans

Toyota Highlander: Three-Row Reliability and Safety

The 2025 Toyota Highlander represents midsize SUV excellence with comprehensive safety features including Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, pre-collision with pedestrian detection, full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, and lane tracing assist. While specific IIHS awards vary by testing year, the Highlander consistently earns top NHTSA crash test ratings.​

The Highlander seats up to eight passengers with seating arranged across three rows, making it ideal for larger families. The vehicle provides 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row, offering flexibility for family adventures. Toyota's extended 2-year/25,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan adds value beyond the purchase price, supporting long-term vehicle reliability.​

Honda Pilot: Premium Three-Row Protection

The Honda Pilot earns IIHS Top Safety Pick status with Honda's comprehensive Sensing suite standard across all trims. This three-row SUV seats up to eight and provides excellent crashworthiness ratings combined with advanced driver assistance systems. The Pilot combines premium interior design with practical family functionality, offering heated seats, rear climate control, and available rear-seat entertainment systems.​

According to Consumer Reports, the 2025 Pilot scores higher in predicted reliability (79) compared to the Highlander (77), reflecting its consistent durability and owner satisfaction. The vehicle appeals to families seeking Honda's proven engineering excellence in a spacious, safety-focused platform.​

Luxury Family Vehicles

Volvo XC90: The Safety Pioneer

The Volvo XC90 continues its legacy as a safety leader, earning IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation and maintaining a 5-star NHTSA overall rating. Volvo's legendary commitment to safety shines through features including IntelliSafe™ technology, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping aid, and blind-spot monitoring. The vehicle includes Pilot Assist semi-autonomous technology that helps maintain lane position during extended driving.​

The three-row XC90 provides multiple seating configurations with up to seven passengers, complemented by innovative safety features designed to protect both occupants and pedestrians. The reinforced cabin construction and patented side-impact protection system exemplify Volvo's safety-first engineering philosophy. While premium pricing begins around $75,550, the investment reflects decades of safety innovation perfected in this respected platform.​

Mercedes-Benz EQS: Luxury Electric Safety

The Mercedes-Benz EQS sets new standards in luxury electric vehicle safety, achieving 5-star European ratings with outstanding crash protection. Adult occupant protection scored 96%, while child protection reached 91%. The vehicle includes a comprehensive Driving Assistance Package with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise, and evasive steering assist.​

The EQS combines electric efficiency with German engineering precision, featuring high-strength materials and advanced safety systems. This luxury sedan appeals to affluent families prioritizing environmental responsibility alongside top-tier occupant protection.

Family Minivans: Maximum Space and Safety

Honda Odyssey: Minivan Excellence

The 2025 Honda Odyssey earns a 5-star NHTSA overall safety rating while providing unmatched interior versatility. Standard Honda Sensing technology includes collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. The Odyssey seats up to eight passengers with 155.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo room—the most spacious option for families managing multiple children and equipment.​

Family-friendly features include CabinWatch (rear-facing camera) and CabinTalk (parent-to-child communication system), allowing parents to monitor rear passengers without taking their eyes off the road. At approximately $43,670, the Odyssey represents excellent value for large families requiring maximum interior space combined with comprehensive safety technology.​

Toyota Sienna: Hybrid Family Transport

The 2025 Toyota Sienna earns a 5-star NHTSA overall safety rating while offering superior fuel efficiency through its hybrid powertrain. Standard Toyota Safety Sense includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, and dynamic radar cruise control. The Sienna seats up to eight passengers with 101 cubic feet of maximum cargo space.​

The Sienna's hybrid system achieves approximately 6.6 L/100 km combined fuel economy, substantially reducing operating costs compared to traditional minivans. With pricing starting around $39,485, the Sienna appeals to environmentally conscious families seeking practical transportation without sacrificing safety features.​

Safety Features Every Family Should Know About

Crash Testing Standards

The IIHS and NHTSA employ rigorous crash testing protocols to evaluate vehicle safety. The IIHS's 2025 criteria include evaluations of moderate overlap crashes that specifically test second-row occupant protection—a critical consideration for families. Vehicles earning Top Safety Pick awards demonstrate excellence across multiple crash scenarios, including frontal, side, rollover, and small-overlap tests.​

NHTSA's 5-star safety rating system evaluates overall crashworthiness, with ratings applied to frontal crash, side crash, and rollover protection categories. Top-performing family vehicles typically achieve 5-star ratings across all categories, indicating comprehensive crash protection.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Modern family vehicles feature sophisticated driver assistance technology that helps prevent accidents before they occur. Automatic emergency braking systems can detect pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, automatically applying brakes if the driver fails to respond within safe time parameters. Lane-keeping assist technology gently corrects steering if the vehicle drifts from its lane, particularly valuable during long family road trips where driver fatigue might occur.​

Adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts vehicle speed to maintain safe following distances from vehicles ahead, reducing collision risk during highway driving. Blind-spot monitoring alerts drivers to vehicles in adjacent lanes, addressing a common accident scenario involving children or cyclists.​

Child Safety Seat Compatibility

The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system provides standardized car seat installation across modern vehicles. Family vehicles with accessible LATCH anchors across multiple rows offer greater flexibility for families with several children requiring car seats. Lower anchors are rated for maximum weight of 65 pounds combined (child and seat), requiring seat belt installation for older children.​

When evaluating family vehicles, verify that rear seats provide adequate space between lower anchors, allowing comfortable car seat installation without overlapping into adjacent seats. Top-tether anchors, located behind seats or on ceilings, should always be used with forward-facing seats to prevent excessive head movement during frontal crashes.​

Final Recommendations for Your Family

Selecting the safest family vehicle requires balancing crash protection ratings, advanced safety features, interior space, and budget considerations. The Kia Telluride and Genesis GV80 represent the pinnacle of current safety technology, both earning IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards with comprehensive crash protection across all passenger positions. For budget-conscious families, the Mazda CX-50 and Honda CR-V deliver exceptional safety performance without luxury pricing.

Families prioritizing spacious interiors and maximum versatility should consider the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna, both offering 5-star NHTSA ratings alongside superior cargo capacity. For luxury seekers, the Volvo XC90 continues its legendary safety heritage while the Tesla Model Y pioneers electric vehicle safety excellence.

Regardless of your selection, prioritize vehicles with IIHS Top Safety Pick recognition and 5-star NHTSA ratings. Verify comprehensive LATCH anchor accessibility, ensuring easy car seat installation for young children. Test visibility and blind-spot monitoring systems before purchase, as these features significantly impact accident prevention. By choosing a top-ranked family vehicle and maintaining it according to manufacturer specifications, you'll provide maximum protection for everyone in your family during every during every journey.