Best-of list
Highest NHTSA Overall Ratings: SUVs (2016–2020)
Ranked by NHTSA crash-test ratings across 290 model-years of federal data.
Safety and fuel-economy results are ranked from NHTSA and EPA federal data. Owner-complaint lists (raw volume, not exposure-adjusted) remain unpublished until exposure and time-at-risk normalization are available.
NHTSA says overall scores should only be compared within the same vehicle class and at roughly similar curb weights. Treat this as a shortlist, not a complete safety verdict; 2010 scores are excluded because NHTSA changed the rating system for 2011.
- 1
2020 Acura MDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
215
Crash
MPG
22.5
Watch for: engine complaints
- 2
2019 Acura MDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
190
Crash
MPG
22.5
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 3
2018 Acura MDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
161
Crash
MPG
22
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 4
2017 Acura MDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
253
Crash
MPG
22
Watch for: power train complaints
- 5
2016 Acura MDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
360
Crash
MPG
22
Watch for: engine complaints
- 6
2020 Acura RDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
339
Crash
MPG
23.5
Watch for: unknown or other complaints
- 7
2019 Acura RDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
431
Crash
MPG
23.5
Watch for: unknown or other complaints
- 8
2018 Acura RDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
76
Crash
MPG
22.5
Watch for: fuel system complaints
- 9
2017 Acura RDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
73
Crash
MPG
22.5
Watch for: power train complaints
- 10
2016 Acura RDX
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
40
Crash
MPG
22.5
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 11
2020 Audi Q3
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
63
Crash
MPG
22
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 12
2019 Audi Q3
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
10
Crash
MPG
22
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 13
2020 Audi Q5
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
34
Crash
MPG
25.5
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 14
2019 Audi Q5
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
48
Crash
MPG
24
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 15
2018 Audi Q5
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
197
Crash
MPG
25
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 16
2019 Audi Q7
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
61
Crash
MPG
21
Watch for: steering complaints
- 17
2018 Audi Q7
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
140
Crash
MPG
21
Watch for: engine complaints
- 18
2020 Audi Q8
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
26
Crash
MPG
18
Watch for: engine complaints
- 19
2019 Audi Q8
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
107
Crash
MPG
19
Watch for: power train complaints
- 20
2020 Audi e-tron
SUVComplaint record
Too few reports to rank
Complaints
5
Crash
MPG
77
- 21
2019 Audi e-tron
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
76
Crash
MPG
74
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 22
2020 BMW X3
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
107
Crash
MPG
23.5
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 23
2019 BMW X3
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
164
Crash
MPG
25
Watch for: electrical system complaints
- 24
2017 BMW X3
SUVComplaint record
Raw count · not exposure-adjusted
Complaints
92
Crash
MPG
24
Watch for: engine and engine cooling complaints
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Common questions
What is the highest NHTSA-rated 2016–2020 SUV?
By our reading of the federal data, the 2020 Acura MDX tops this list. Open its verdict page for the full complaint, recall and crash record before you buy.
How is this ranking put together?
We rank the 24 matching model years by NHTSA overall crash-test rating, using public NHTSA and EPA data. Owner-complaint lists (raw volume, not exposure-adjusted) remain unpublished until exposure and time-at-risk normalization are available.
This list is generated from NHTSA complaint, recall and crash-test data and EPA fuel-economy data; it is not sales-adjusted and updates on scheduled source refreshes.