The safest large SUV in our current 2026 ranking is the 2026 Volvo EX90, scoring 96.5/100 with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. It leads 7 large SUVs with complete IIHS records; 3 more are still missing at least one test and are listed separately below.
All current large SUVs ranked by safety
Equal scores share a rank. The score is 55% primary IIHS tests, 25% selected occupant-protection details, 10% pedestrian front crash prevention, and 10% class context. Missing evidence never counts as passing.
| Rank | Vehicle | Class | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2026 Volvo EX90 | Large luxury SUVs | TSP+ | Good | 96.5 |
| #2 | 2026 Infiniti QX80 | Large luxury SUVs | TSP | Acceptable | 95.3 |
| #3 | 2026 Rivian R1S | Large luxury SUVs | TSP+ | Good | 94.0 |
| #4 | 2026 Nissan Armada | Large SUVs | TSP | Acceptable | 91.1 |
| #5 | 2026 Audi Q7 | Large luxury SUVs | TSP | Acceptable | 85.3 |
| #6 | 2026 Toyota Sequoia | Large SUVs | β | Marginal | 70.1 |
| #7 | 2026 Audi Q8 | Large SUVs | β | Marginal | 67.6 |
Rear restraints is the IIHS rear-passenger restraints and dummy-kinematics result from the updated moderate-overlap test; it is the single detail that most often separates otherwise similar vehicles.
Safest large SUVs at every price
A vehicle appears here only if it is safer than every cheaper option, so each row is the best score available at that budget.
| Your budget | Safest choice | Score | Starting around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $75K | 2026 Nissan Armada | 91.1 | ~$58,840 |
| $75Kβ$78K | 2026 Rivian R1S | 94.0 | ~$75,900 |
| $78K+ | 2026 Volvo EX90 | 96.5 | ~$78,090 |
3 current large SUVs still waiting on complete IIHS results
These vehicles are listed so you can see what has been tested. A missing result is never treated as a pass or a fail, so they are not ranked.
| Vehicle | Primary tests reported | Detail results reported | IIHS award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe | 3/4 | 4/4 | β |
| 2026 Ford Expedition | 3/4 | 4/4 | β |
| 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer | 3/4 | 4/4 | β |
What the class context means
Mass helps the people inside a large SUV and hurts the people in the vehicle it hits. Our danger-to-others analysis covers the other side of that trade-off; this ranking scores occupant protection only.
Every vehicle on this page is scored with the same published formula as the main ranking. The full method, the exact weights, and the missing-evidence rules are on the methodology page.
Questions people ask
What is the safest large SUV in 2026?
The 2026 Volvo EX90 leads our current ranking of large suvs with a score of 96.5/100 from published IIHS tests and a Top Safety Pick+ award. 7 large suvs have complete records; ties share a rank.
Are large SUVs the safest vehicles on the road?
For their own drivers, large and large luxury SUVs have among the lowest death rates of any class. They are also among the most dangerous to occupants of other vehicles, which the score does not reward or penalize. Both facts are true at once.
Why do so few large SUVs have complete IIHS records?
IIHS tests fewer full-size models each year, and several have not been through the updated side and moderate-overlap tests. Those vehicles are shown as provisional until the results are published.
Keep comparing
Other rankings by type: Small SUVs Β· Midsize SUVs Β· Luxury SUVs Β· Sedans Β· Compact cars Β· Pickup trucks Β· Electric vehicles Β· Hybrids Β· Under $30,000 Β· Under $40,000 Β· Under $50,000 Β· Top Safety Pick winners Β· Teen drivers Β· Lowest-rated