Just Five Compact SUVs Earned a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+. The RAV4 and CR-V Didn't
Tougher back-seat rules left the RAV4, CR-V, and Tiguan without a 2026 award. Here's every compact SUV that still qualifies, from $30,085, and the trim and build-date fine print.
The redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4 came up one test short of an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety award: its rear-seat passenger protection in the updated moderate overlap crash rated Acceptable in the hybrid and Marginal in the plug-in. We covered why the RAV4 missed Top Safety Pick in detail. The more useful question for shoppers is what did make the cut.
The answer is a short list. Among mainstream compact SUVs, only five gas and hybrid models hold a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, plus one electric crossover, and several of those awards come with fine print about model year, build date, or trim. Here is every one of them, what it costs, and which popular rivals fell short.
What it takes to win in 2026
IIHS raised the bar this year. Both awards now require a Good rating in the updated moderate overlap front test, which places a dummy the size of a small woman or a 12-year-old in the second row behind the driver. Last year, Top Safety Pick only needed Acceptable. Both awards also require Good ratings in the small overlap and side tests, Acceptable or Good headlights on every trim, and standard front crash prevention, according to the IIHS announcement of the 2026 criteria.
Top Safety Pick+ adds two more hurdles: a Good pedestrian crash prevention rating and at least Acceptable in the tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test, which adds higher speeds and motorcycle and semitrailer targets.
Every compact SUV with a 2026 award
The table below covers compact SUVs on the current IIHS Top Safety Pick list for small SUVs as of October 26, 2026. Prices are the cheapest trim plus destination, from each automaker.
| Model | 2026 award | Condition | Headlights | From (incl. destination) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sportage | TSP+ | Vehicles built after May 2025 (all 2026 models) | Good on SX Prestige and X-Pro Prestige; Acceptable on other trims | $30,085 (LX FWD) |
| Hyundai Tucson | TSP+ | 2026 model year; the all-new 2027 isn't rated | Good on Limited; Acceptable on SE, SEL, XRT | $31,350 (SE FWD) |
| Subaru Forester | TSP+ | 2026 model year, including Wilderness and Hybrid | Good on all trims | $31,445 (AWD) |
| Mazda CX-50 | TSP+ | 2026 model year | Good on Turbo trims and Hybrid Premium Plus; Acceptable on others | $31,495 (2.5 S Select AWD) |
| Mazda CX-5 | TSP+ | 2026 model year (redesigned) | Good on 2.5 S Premium Plus; Acceptable on others | $31,585 (2.5 S AWD) |
A note on the "Headlights" column: an award only requires Acceptable lights on every trim, so a TSP+ doesn't mean the base model sees as well at night as the top one. Our guide to IIHS headlight ratings explains how much that gap matters.
We couldn't independently confirm current NHTSA star ratings for these models before publication, so they aren't in the table. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings by model year and drivetrain before you buy.
Smaller crossovers on the same IIHS list, including the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, and BMW X1, are a size class down and aren't included here.
If you're open to an EV, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is also a Top Safety Pick+, with Good ratings for the rear passenger in the moderate overlap test. It starts at $36,650 for the SE Standard Range with destination, according to Hyundai's July 2026 price sheet. Its headlights are Good on the XRT and Limited and Acceptable on the SE and SEL.
The fine print: model year and build date
Every award above applies to the 2026 model year, and that matters right now because 2027 models are reaching dealers. IIHS hasn't published 2027 ratings for most of these SUVs yet. Usually a carryover model keeps its rating, but IIHS has to confirm that before the award extends.
The biggest exception is the Tucson. The 2027 Tucson is an all-new generation that Hyundai revealed on October 1, and IIHS hasn't tested it. If a crash-test award is a must-have, a 2026 Tucson is the one with the result on paper; read how the new Tucson compares with the RAV4 before you decide which year to buy.
The Sportage's award is limited to vehicles built after May 2025, when Kia changed the rear seat belts. All 2026 Sportages should qualify, but if you're cross-shopping a leftover or a lightly used one, check the build date on the certification label on the driver's door or the B-pillar.
Who didn't make the list, and why
Several of the segment's best sellers miss out, almost all because of the back seat:
- Toyota RAV4: Acceptable (hybrid) and Marginal (plug-in) in the updated moderate overlap test. Everything else on its IIHS card is Good.
- Honda CR-V: Poor in the updated moderate overlap test, with Poor rear-passenger restraints and kinematics. The rating covers 2023–27 models.
- Volkswagen Tiguan: Poor in the updated moderate overlap test.
- Ford Bronco Sport: Marginal in the updated moderate overlap test and Acceptable in the side test.
- Nissan Rogue: Acceptable in the updated moderate overlap test. That was enough for a Top Safety Pick under the 2025 rules, not the 2026 ones.
- Chevrolet Equinox: Good in the updated moderate overlap test, but Acceptable in the small overlap front test because of the passenger-side result.
- Mitsubishi Outlander: IIHS hasn't published an updated moderate overlap rating, so it can't qualify yet.
- Jeep Cherokee: The 2027 Cherokee hasn't been rated by IIHS. Our Cherokee vs. RAV4 comparison covers what it does offer.
None of these results means the vehicle is unsafe for the people up front. For the RAV4, CR-V, Tiguan, Bronco Sport, and Rogue, the driver dummy's measurements in the moderate overlap test were Good; the weak spot is how well the rear seat belt keeps a back-seat passenger in place.
Three picks by budget
Lowest price: 2026 Kia Sportage LX, $30,085. It's the cheapest way into a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ compact SUV, with Good ratings in both front crash prevention tests. The trade-offs are front-wheel drive at that price and Acceptable headlights below the Prestige trims. The 2027 Sportage starts at $30,485 with destination, but IIHS hasn't rated the 2027 model yet. Our Equinox vs. Sportage comparison covers how it stacks up against Chevy's compact SUV.
Best all-rounder: 2026 Subaru Forester, $31,445. For about $1,400 more than the Sportage, you get standard all-wheel drive, Good headlights on every trim, and Good scores for every rear-passenger measure in the moderate overlap test. The 2027 Forester base model costs $31,520 after a destination increase, but its IIHS rating isn't published yet. The Mazda CX-5 2.5 S ($31,585, also AWD) is the closest alternative with the same clean rear-seat result; you'll need the top trim for its best headlights.
Cheapest hybrid: 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SE FWD, $32,950. It undercuts the CX-50 Hybrid ($36,345) by about $3,400 and the Forester Hybrid, which starts at $34,730 before destination, by roughly $3,000. Buy it as a 2026: the 2027 Tucson is a new generation without crash-test results, and only the Limited trim has Good headlights.
What this means if you own a RAV4
Don't panic. Acceptable is the second-best of four IIHS ratings, and it comes from one test focused on one seating position. The RAV4 rated Good in the small overlap and side tests, Good for headlights on every trim, and Good for both front crash prevention evaluations. The driver dummy did well in the moderate overlap test, too.
What changed is the rear seat. The updated test measures how a rear passenger moves and what loads the seat belt puts on the chest and neck. In the hybrid, those subratings were Acceptable. In the plug-in, restraints and dummy kinematics fell to Poor, dragging the overall rating to Marginal. The outgoing fifth-generation RAV4 was rated Marginal in the same test, so the new one is an improvement, just not enough for 2026's stricter rules.
If you're shopping and the back seat regularly carries passengers, it's reasonable to weigh this, especially for the plug-in. Make sure rear passengers wear their belts properly and that children ride in the right car seat or booster for their size. If you're deciding between the two RAV4 powertrains, or looking at the plug-in's luxury twin, our Lexus NX 450h+ vs. RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid comparison lays out the costs.
What we don't know yet
- A RAV4 retest. Toyota hasn't announced production changes, and a retest would be needed before the RAV4 could qualify. Nissan's fix to the Kicks shows it can happen within a model year.
- 2027 ratings. IIHS hasn't published 2027 cards for most models above, and it hasn't tested the all-new 2027 Tucson.
- Next additions. IIHS updates its award list throughout the year as new ratings come in, so a model that's missing today could join later. We'll update this guide when it changes.
