Larger SUVs are built to haul children, cargo and more, but when it comes to keeping your family safe, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety warns bigger is not always better.
For drivers of large SUVs, their imposing size comes with a sense of security, but IIHS tested three of the most popular models and only one scored well enough to earn a 2024 top safety pick award.
The Jeep Wagoneer performed the best in the three areas the institute measures to determine safety ratings.
READ: Full report on crash test ratings
It scored “Good” in the small overlap front test, which replicates what would happen if the driver-side of the car crashed into a stationary object, like a tree or utility pole.
The base model for a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer is just shy of $63,000. For that price, you get a larger SUV that also scores “Good” in headlight and pedestrian front-crash prevention testing.
The other models tested -- the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe -- fell short, including subpar results in the small overlap front crash test.
The Tahoe also struggled in the headlight and pedestrian collision testing.
Video of the crash tests show the Tahoe failing to respond in the night time testing of the crash prevention system. When using high beams, the SUV did slow down in a simulation. When low beams were on though, the SUV kept going.
“Effective pedestrian collision avoidance systems are important in all vehicle classes but for large SUVs like these they’re especially important because our research shows that when they strike pedestrians they are more likely to cause fatal injuries,” said Raul Arbelaez, vice president of IIHS.
The Tahoe and Wagoneer did earn “Good+” ratings for the “ease of use” for their latch systems, which is used to install child safety seats.