This is the fifth part of a series of the vehicles you want to be in if you’re about to experience a rollover. The first part dealt with the best minivans for surviving a rollover last year, and the second and third parts dealt with the best 2016-model year cars and small SUVs and crossovers for rollover survival. The fourth ranked the best 2- and 3-row family SUVs. Today’s post will deal with luxury cars; many people need more space or comfort than that available in sub-, compact, or mid-sized cars, but aren’t interested in SUVs or minivans. By the end of it, I want you to know what the best luxury-minded cars are when it comes to rollover avoidance and survival.

I’ve written a series of similar articles on safe vehicles for side impact collisions (here are the safest 2015 cars, small cars, minivans, and SUVs and crossovers for surviving side impacts).  Now let’s take a look at which factors play a role in surviving a rollover in a given vehicle.

What does a luxury car need to keep my loved ones safe before or during a rollover?

1. Electronic stability control. ESC reduces rollover risks by acting like an advanced version of ABS; it can brake individual tires to help keep your vehicle headed in the same direction as your steering wheel. The NHTSA estimates it cuts the risks of a fatal single vehicle crash by a full 50%. This is technology you want on your side whenever you’re behind the wheel (much like the seat belt and frontal airbag).

2. Rollover-sensitive side airbags with head and torso coverage. Once you’ve got ESC, you’ll also want side airbags programmed to activate when a rollover is imminent. ESC doesn’t help you once a rollover is actually occurring, but side airbags that deploy to keep your head from banging against the windows, roof rail, or vehicle frames can help tremendously. Remember that you have no control over your body during a rollover, so it’s not a matter of “bracing yourself” before a crash.

3. A strong roof. Finally, a strong roof is essential for keeping your survival space intact during a rollover. If your car is flipping and your roof crushes when you’re upside down, you aren’t going to live to see the ambulance. Similarly, even if the roof doesn’t collapse into your head but simply buckles enough to detach your seat belt frame or put your airbags out of position, your odds of survival will drop rapidly. A strong roof can mean the difference between walking away from a rollover and being buried a week later.

How strong does a car’s roof need to be to keep from crushing in a rollover accident?

That’s a great question, and if you ask the NHTSA and IIHS, you’ll get two different answers. The NHTSA used to think that a roof only needed to support 1.5x the weight of a vehicle before crushing by several inches, and they also only felt this rule needed applying to vehicles weighing less than 6,000 pounds. The NHTSA’s guidelines didn’t go far enough; in a rollover involving a drop of just a few inches to the ground, a vehicle can easily put several times its own weight on its roof. This leads to the tragedies I’ve spent years writing about on this blog.

As a result, the IIHS came along and made up their own roof strength test and guidelines. They decided that a roof should be able to withstand at least 4.0 times its weight (known as the strength-to-weight ratio, or SWR), to be rated “good.”

Their threshold for an “acceptable” rating is 3.25x, while their threshold for a “marginal” rating is 2.5x. Below that, such as in the 1.5x range the NHTSA used to find acceptable, the IIHS marks a roof as “poor.”

Thanks to the IIHS, the NHTSA finally increased their SWR requirement to 3x the weight of the vehicle for vehicles under 6,000 pounds before the roof could cave in by several inches. They also created a requirement for vehicles between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds of 1.5x vehicle weight. Neither requirement is enough, but both are better than what the requirements used to be.

Given these factors, I put together a list of the best model 2016-17 luxury-styled cars to be inside when trying to avoid or survive rollovers. I weighed and combined the three metrics I described above for optimum rollover safety. To only consider the best of the best large cars, I limited the list below to sedans with ESC, roofs with SWRs of 5.0 or greater, and roll-sensitive side airbags; I then sorted these vehicles by roof strength. Each SUV is identified as a 2016 “Top Safety Pick+” by the IIHS, which means they all feature good frontal, side, roof, and head restraint scores, as well as advanced or better frontal crash prevention with optional features. I used the TSP+ as another filter to ensure these vehicles were at the forefront of recommended technologies.

The safest luxury cars for avoiding and surviving rollovers in 2016

6.20: 2015-2016 Audi A3

The Audi A3 is the current reigning king of rollover resistance among luxury cars currently available in the United States and tested by the IIHS. It’s capable of supporting more than 6x its weight before caving in by 5 inches, which translates to a “peak force” of 19,325 lbs, or more than three times the weight of a Chevy Suburban. It’s important to note that while this isn’t the highest peak force of any car on the market, the strength-to-weight ratio (6.20), or SWR, is what matters in a rollover, as weights aren’t being lowered onto the car; the forces the car experiences will be tied to the weight of the vehicle as it rolls over itself in a crash. In other words, if this were a fitness test, the challenge wouldn’t involve how much you could bench press; it would involve the number of push-ups you could do.

The A3’s parent company, Volkswagen, is also behind the Passat, which is currently the best non-luxury car you can be in during a rollover with an SWR of 6.32. Despite VW’s emissions corruption, they’re clearly doing good work when it comes to rollover safety (presuming they haven’t found a way to game this test as well).

Because the A3 was never rated by the IIHS until the 2015 model year, there unfortunately aren’t previous generations available for shoppers interested in saving money.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the A3 is pending.

5.40: 2010-2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan

When it comes to roof strength in a large car, there isn’t a car that’s tested better yet than the MB E-Class sedan. It’s capable of supporting close to 5 and a half times its own weight before caving in by 5 inches. This is by far and away the best option available today among the biggest cars you can buy (although it will be interesting to see how Volvo scores when the S90 / V90 become available). The “peak force” tested value was equivalent to 20,961 lbs, or more than three times the weight of a Ford F-150. As an aside, the 2010-2016 MB-E Class is also one of the best cars you can buy to keep you safe in a side impact collision; this is a very impressive vehicle all around.

If you’re looking to save money, you might want to consider the ML E-Class sedan from 2005 onward, as it features ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags from then on. Unfortunately, you can’t go prior to the current generation and get all three safety factors I advocate for above, however, as the E-Class’s roof was never tested by the IIHS until 2010. That said, it’s worth  noting that the ’05-’08 E-Class 4WD was estimated to have a driver death rate of 0 by the IIHS, while the FWD E-Class had a DDR of 12 (with zero estimated rollover deaths) which only reemphasizes the safety of the vehicle and its drivers across various generations.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the MB E-Class sedan is here.

5.34: 2017 Audi A4

Hot on the heels of the E-Class sedan is the A4, which is the second entry by Audi into the rollover-resistant rankings. Like every car on this list, it features good moderate and small front overlap scores, good side impact scores, ESC, rollover-sensing side airbags, and a roof capable of supporting at least 5x its weight before caving in; in this case, the SWR is 5.34.

If you’re looking to save money with an older generation, you’ll be pleased with the back catalog of the A4; the 2009-2016 model years featured a strong roof with a 4.60 SWR, ESC, and side airbags; the downside is that the side airbags did not become roll-sensitive until the 2017 model year. If you’re on an even smaller budget, you can go back to the 2002 model year and still get side airbags and ESC, although you won’t get a roof score until 2009.

As an aside, the 2008-2011 model years of the A4 4WD were also estimated by the IIHS to have had a zero driver death rate, despite not having rollover-sensitive side airbags. This is a safe car, and it has a safe history.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the A4 is here.

5.22: 2013-2016 Lexus ES

The ES is the third and final mid-sized luxury car to make the list after the A3 and A4, and does a great job with a strong SWR of 5.22. It’s important to note, however, that the side airbags are only rollover-sensing from 2016 onward; before then, they’re regular side airbags.

The back catalog of the ES will also be pleasing to families interested in savings, as it is the only vehicle on the list that features a great (5+) SWR in its prior generation. In fact, the SWR from 2007-2012 is 5.18x, and you also get side airbags (though without the rollover sensor) and ESC in all of those years, making this a great used vehicle option for rollover safety.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the ES is here.

5.18: 2014-2016 Acura RLX

The RLX is an excellent choice for families interested in one of the safest large cars on the road, with a roof capable of supporting 5.18x its weight before caving in.

Unlike with the MB E-Class, there isn’t a previous-generation RLX to look through for savings; however, since the strengths in this model date back to model year 2014, you might be able to find significant savings in the used market.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the RLX is here.

In conclusion, any of these luxury cars will be among the absolute safest you can be in during a rollover today. They feature ESC to reduce the risks of rollover involvement to begin with, rollover-sensitive side airbags to protect you should rollovers occur, and strong roofs to preserve your occupant space and allow your seat belts and side airbags to do their jobs while the rollover occurs. These are life-saving technologies, and we’re blessed to live in an era where they exist and are widely available and increasingly affordable.

What do I do if the luxury car I bought or am considering wasn’t on the list?

Due to space constraints, I focused on only listing the best of the best luxury sedans currently available for rollover protection. This doesn’t mean that these are the only safe cars out there right now. Any car with a SWR of 4.0 or higher, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags is already going to provide a large amount of protection if you’re unfortunate enough to get into a rollover situation.

If you’re considering an car that doesn’t have the features above, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got ESC at an absolute minimum, followed by a strong roof, and roll-sensitive side airbags. If you have to choose between a strong roof and roll-sensitive airbags, I’d go with the roof score, presuming you have side airbags in both vehicles. However, ESC is by far the most important of the three technologies to have, as prevention is always better than having to deal with the cure, and avoiding a rollover is much better than having technology to increase your odds of surviving it once it’s already occurring.

We can’t control everything. The safest option is still not driving at all, followed by driving as little as possible. But if you’ve got to drive, drive safely, and do your best to choose a safe vehicle. If you’re going to use it with children, definitely check out the plethora of best practice articles I’ve written here on choosing safe car seats, installation tips, seat reviews, and more information to help you make informed decisions.

I loved writing this article, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I look forward to writing more articles examining various factors in car safety design and how they relate to keeping you and your loved ones safer while on the road. Stay tuned, remember to avoid common mistakes parents make with car seats, and check out some 3 across car seat guides while you’re here.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

This is the fourth part of a series of the vehicles you want to be in if you’re about to experience a rollover. The first part dealt with the best minivans for surviving a rollover last year, and the second and third parts dealt with the best 2016-model year family cars and small SUVs and crossovers for rollover survival. Today’s post will deal with the entire field of SUVs and crossovers, whether 2-row or 3-row. By the end of it, I want you to know what makes a safe SUV when it comes to avoiding or surviving a rollover, and which models fit the bill.

I’ve written a series of similar articles on safe vehicles for side impact collisions (here are the safest 2015 cars, small cars, minivans, and SUVs and crossovers for surviving side impacts).  Now let’s take a look at which factors play a role in surviving a rollover in a given vehicle.

What does a family SUV or crossover need to keep my loved ones safe before or during a rollover?

1. Electronic stability control. ESC reduces rollover risks by acting like an advanced version of ABS; it can brake individual tires to help keep your vehicle headed in the same direction as your steering wheel. The NHTSA estimates it cuts the risks of a fatal single vehicle crash by a full 50%. This is technology you want on your side whenever you’re behind the wheel (much like the seat belt and frontal airbag).

2. Rollover-sensitive side airbags with head and torso coverage. Once you’ve got ESC, you’ll also want side airbags programmed to activate when a rollover is imminent. ESC doesn’t help you once a rollover is actually occurring, but side airbags that deploy to keep your head from banging against the windows, roof rail, or vehicle frames can help tremendously. Remember that you have no control over your body during a rollover, so it’s not a matter of “bracing yourself” before a crash.

3. A strong roof. Finally, a strong roof is essential for keeping your survival space intact during a rollover. If your SUV is flipping and your roof crushes when you’re upside down, you aren’t going to live to see the ambulance. Similarly, even if the roof doesn’t collapse into your head but simply buckles enough to detach your seat belt frame or put your airbags out of position, your odds of survival will drop rapidly. A strong roof can mean the difference between walking away from a rollover and being buried a week later.

How strong does an SUV’s roof need to be to keep from crushing in a rollover accident?

That’s a great question, and if you ask the NHTSA and IIHS, you’ll get two different answers. The NHTSA used to think that a roof only needed to support 1.5x the weight of a vehicle before crushing by several inches, and they also only felt this rule needed applying to vehicles weighing less than 6,000 pounds. The NHTSA’s guidelines didn’t go far enough; in a rollover involving a drop of just a few inches to the ground, a vehicle can easily put several times its own weight on its roof. This leads to the tragedies I’ve spent years writing about on this blog.

As a result, the IIHS came along and made up their own roof strength test and guidelines. They decided that a roof should be able to withstand at least 4.0 times its weight (known as the strength-to-weight ratio, or SWR), to be rated “good.”

Their threshold for an “acceptable” rating is 3.25x, while their threshold for a “marginal” rating is 2.5x. Below that, such as in the 1.5x range the NHTSA used to find acceptable, the IIHS marks a roof as poor.

Thanks to the IIHS, the NHTSA finally increased their SWR requirement to 3x the weight of the vehicle for vehicles under 6,000 pounds before the roof could cave in by several inches. They also created a requirement for vehicles between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds of 1.5x vehicle weight. Neither requirement is enough, but both are better than what the requirements used to be.

Given these factors, I put together a list of the best model 2016-17 2- and 3-row small, mid-sized, and large SUVs and crossovers to be inside when trying to avoid or survive rollovers. I weighed and combined the three metrics I described above for optimum rollover safety. To only consider the best of the best SUVs and crossovers, I limited the list below to vehicles with ESC, roofs with SWRs of 5.0 or greater, and roll-sensitive side airbags; I then sorted these vehicles by roof strength. Each SUV is identified as a 2016 “Top Safety Pick+” by the IIHS, which means they all feature good frontal, side, roof, and head restraint scores, as well as advanced or better frontal crash prevention with optional features. I used the TSP+ as another filter to ensure these vehicles were at the forefront of recommended technologies.

The safest family SUVs for avoiding and surviving rollovers in 2016

6.68: 2012-2015 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

When it comes to roof strength throughout the small, mid-sized, and large SUV market, there isn’t a vehicle that’s tested better yet than the MB GLE-Class (and the final generation of the ML-Class, which is exactly the same vehicle). It’s capable of supporting more than 6.5x its own weight before caving in by 5 inches. This is by far and away the best option available today. The “peak force” tested value was equivalent to more than 31,000 lbs, or several thousand pounds beyond the weight of a class A RV or a full-sized school bus. This is a roof that won’t let you down, and it’s reflective of MB’s longstanding attention to safety. As an aside, the 2012-16 ML/GLE-Class is also among the leaders in side impact protection; this is a very impressive vehicle all around.

If you’re looking to save money, consider the ’12-’15 ML-Class, as it’s exactly the same vehicle under MB’s old naming scheme. Unfortunately, you can’t go prior to that generation and get all three safety factors I advocate for above, however, as the ’07-’11 ML-Class’s roof was never tested by the IIHS, although it does feature ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags. That said, it’s worth  noting that the ’08-’11 ML-Class 4WD was estimated to have a driver death rate of 3 by the IIHS with none of those deaths occurring in rollover situations, which only reemphasizes the safety of the vehicle and its drivers across various generations.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the ML/GLE-Class is here.

5.87: 2014-2016 Acura MDX

The MDX is one of Honda/Acura’s many appearances on this list, and is a testament to Honda’s safety record. The MDX clocks in with an SWR of 5.87, or close to 6x the weight of the SUV.

If you’re interested in saving money, the previous generation MDX would also be a good choice during the ’12-’13 model years, as it featured ESC, roll-sensitive side airbags, and a good SWR of 4.46. It’s worth noting that the ’08-’11 model years of that generation, which didn’t feature a roof score, were estimated to have a driver death rate of 12 in the 4WD MDX by the IIHS, with 2 of the 5 estimated single vehicle fatal crashes likely to occur due to rollovers. With that said, I’d still rate it as an extraordinarily safe vehicle to drive my family in.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the MDX is here.

5.48: 2013-2016 Acura RDX

The RDX is the smaller sibling of the MDX, but it makes a strong showing with an SWR of 5.48. If you’re interested in saving money, the previous generation RDX (’07’-’11) does have ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags, but it only features a “marginal” roof score with a 2.90 SWR. That said, the IIHS still estimated the ’08-’11 years of that generation to have a driver death rate of 12 in the 4WD RDX, which was no higher than that of the MDX. Additionally, none of the deaths were estimated to occur from rollovers.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the RDX is here.

5.47: 2013-2016 Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 recently made an appearance as the leading small SUV / crossover available in the US for rollover prevention that had also been identified as a 2016 Top Safety Pick. It’s not the highest-ranking SUV on this list due to MB and Honda’s showings above, but it’s one of the all-around safest small SUVs you can buy right now.

Unlike most of the other vehicles on this list, there isn’t a previous-generation CX-5 to look through for savings; however, since the strengths in this model date back to model year 2013, you might be able to find significant savings in the used market.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the CX-5 is here.

5.40: 2014-2016 Toyota Highlander

The Highlander is Toyota’s first entry in this list, and it’s a strong one, with an SWR of 5.40. If you’re interested in saving money, you’ll be happy to learn that the previous generation Highlander (’08-’13) comes with ESC, roll-sensitive side airbags, and a good roof SWR of 4.74, which is almost enough to give the Highlander two appearances on this list.

The IIHS estimated the ’08-’11 years of the hybrid 4WD, regular 2WD, and regular 4WD Highlanders to have driver death rates of 0, 7, and 14, respectively, which are three strong endorsements of the safety of the vehicle and its drivers. In the 2WD Highlander, 2 single vehicle crash fatalities were estimated to lead to rollover fatalities; there were no rollover fatality estimates for either 4WD model.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the Highlander is here.

5.37: 2016 Hyundai Tucson

Another small SUV makes an appearance! Hot on the heels of the CX-5 is the Tucson with a strong SWR of 5.37. Unlike the CX-5, there aren’t any previous years in this generation yet, as this is the first model year of the current gen. To see any savings, you’ll need to go to the previous gen Tucson, which does still feature a good SWR of 4.43, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Tucson is here.

5.23: 2010-2016 Volvo XC60

The XC60 marks one of Volvo’s two appearances on this list with a respectable SWR of 5.23. There isn’t a previous generation to look back to in order to save money with the XC60, but because the current generation dates back to 2010, you’ll likely be able to find significant savings in the used market.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the XC60 is here.

5.22: 2016 Honda Pilot

The Pilot is the non-luxury counterpart to the MDX, and shows that Honda puts attention into safety up and down their product lines. It features a good SWR of 5.22, although it isn’t quite as strong as that of its Toyota competitor, the Highlander.

If you’re interested in saving money, you’ll be happy to learn that part of the previous generation Pilot (’12-’15) features ESC, roll-sensitive side airbags, and a good SWR at 4.63. However, don’t go back too far in the generation, because the ’09-’11 years of the same gen featured a “marginal” roof SWR at 3.05. Interestingly, the IIHS estimated those very years (’09-’11) to have driver death rates of 2 and 11 in the 4WD and 2WD editions, respectively. It was further estimated that every fatality in the 2WD Pilot would be due to a rollover, which is somewhat unsettling, despite the overall great driver death rate. There were no estimated fatalities due to rollovers in the 4WD editions.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the Pilot is here.

5.18: 2016 Volvo XC90

The XC90 is the second and final Volvo to make the list, and makes the cut with a good SWR of 5.18. Like the ML-Class, the XC90 was recently featured as one of the best SUVs to be in during a side impact collision, attesting to the all-around safety of the SUV.

If you’re interested in saving money, you’ll be happy to learn that the previous generation XC90 (’03-’14) features ESC, roll-sensitive side airbags, and a good SWR at 4.51 from as early as 2003. The IIHS also estimated the later years (’08-’11) of that generation to have had a driver death rate of zero (like the hybrid Highlander), serving as a further testament to the safety of the XC90.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the XC90 is here.

5.13: 2015-2016 Lexus NX

The NX is another Toyota entry, and it’s basically a fancy RAV4 (which appears later on the list) with a good SWR of 5.13. Being a new vehicle, there aren’t previous generations to look toward for savings. However, since the strengths in this model date back to model year 2013, you might be able to find significant savings in the used market.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the NX is here.

5.08: 2012-2016 Honda CR-V

The current generation CR-V makes a strong showing with its SWR of 5.08. If you’re interested in the previous generation for savings, given the high resale value of the CR-V, keep in mind that while the 2007-11 model years do feature ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags, the roof is rated as “marginal” by the IIHS with a SWR of 2.80.

That said, the IIHS also estimated the ’08-’11 4WD and 2WD CR-Vs to have driver death rates of 17 and 19, respectively, with only 2 of those deaths in either configuration estimated to come from rollovers. This suggests that in day-to-day driving, at least, the CR-V was already a very safe vehicle in its prior generation, as well as one unlikely to lead to deaths from rollovers, despite its marginal roof score.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the CR-V is here.

5.00: 2013-2016 Toyota RAV4

The last Toyota on the list, the RAV4 just makes the cutoff with an SWR of exactly 5.00. As with the CR-V, if you look to the prior generation for savings, keep in mind that while the RAV4 does feature roll-sensitive airbags from 2007-12 as well as ESC, the roof is only rated as “acceptable” by the IIHS with a 3.46 SWR.

That said, even though the SWR is better than that of the CR-V, the 2008-11 4WD and 2WD RAV4s have driver death rates of 19 and 35, with 2 and 10 deaths in the respective configurations estimated to result from rollovers. I’m not sure why the 2WD RAV4 had a much higher overall and rollover-specific death rate; it’s entirely possible that it could be due to statistical noise. However, it’s something to keep in mind.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the RAV4 is here.

5.00: 2017 Audi Q7

Finally, the current generation Q7 rounds out the list with a good SWR of 5.00, tied with the RAV4 but in a clearly different marketing segment. The Q7 is also the current leader in side impact protection resistance, which is another strong nod toward its comprehensive approach to safety. However, if you’re interested in saving money, you’ll need to take your chances with the previous generation (’07-’15) Q7, as it doesn’t feature a roof score, despite including ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to all generations of the Q7 is available here.

In conclusion, any of these SUVs and crossovers will be among the absolute safest you can be in during a rollover today. They feature ESC to reduce the risks of rollover involvement to begin with, rollover-sensitive side airbags to protect you should rollovers occur, and strong roofs to preserve your occupant space and allow your seat belts and side airbags to do their jobs while the rollover occurs. These are life-saving technologies, and we’re blessed to live in an era where they exist and are widely available and increasingly affordable.

What do I do if the SUV or crossover I bought or am considering wasn’t on the list?

Due to space constraints, I focused on only listing the best of the best small SUVs and crossovers currently available for rollover protection. This doesn’t mean that these are the only safe crossovers out there right now. Any crossover with a SWR of 4.0 or higher, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags is already going to provide a large amount of protection if you’re unfortunate enough to get into a rollover situation.

If you’re considering an SUV that doesn’t have the features above, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got ESC at an absolute minimum, followed by a strong roof, and roll-sensitive side airbags. If you have to choose between a strong roof and roll-sensitive airbags, I’d go with the roof score, presuming you have side airbags in both vehicles. However, ESC is by far the most important of the three technologies to have, as prevention is always better than having to deal with the cure, and avoiding a rollover is much better than having technology to increase your odds of surviving it once it’s already occurring.

We can’t control everything. The safest option is still not driving at all, followed by driving as little as possible. But if you’ve got to drive, drive safely, and do your best to choose a safe vehicle. If you’re going to use it with children, definitely check out the plethora of best practice articles I’ve written here on choosing safe car seats, installation tips, seat reviews, and more information to help you make informed decisions.

I loved writing this article, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I look forward to writing more articles examining various factors in car safety design and how they relate to keeping you and your loved ones safer while on the road. Stay tuned, remember to avoid common mistakes parents make with car seats, and check out some 3 across car seat guides while you’re here.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

This is the third installment in a series of the best vehicles to be in when it comes to rollover survival. I wrote about the best minivans for rollover protection last year and recently wrote about the safest mid-sized family cars of 2016 for rollover survival. However, what does the field look like when it comes to small SUVs and crossovers? Are the safety features that make the difference for cars also important in crossovers, and if so, which ones have them?

This article is designed to answer all of these questions. If you’re interested n similar articles I’ve written, check here: I’ve written similar articles on safe vehicles for side impact collisions (here are the safest 2015 cars, small cars, minivans, SUVs and crossovers, and small SUVs and crossovers for surviving side impacts).  Now let’s take a look at which factors play a role in surviving a rollover in a given vehicle.

What does a small SUV or crossover need to keep my family safe before or during a rollover?

1. Electronic stability control. ESC lowers your rollover risk by automatically braking individual tires to help you steer in your intended direction. It’s like an advanced version of ABS, and its estimated to cut your risks of a fatal single vehicle crash in half. Like a seat belt and a frontal airbag, you want to make sure ESC is present in any vehicle you drive.

2. Rollover-sensing side airbags with head and torso protection. If at all possible, make sure whatever you drive features side airbags programmed to deploy during impending rollovers. Your odds of surviving a rollover drop significantly if you bang your head against the windows, roof rail, or vehicle frames, and you can’t control what your body does once a rollover begins.

3. A strong roof. Finally, you need a strong roof to keep your occupant cabin in one piece during an active rollover. If the roof caves in during a rollover, you aren’t going to live to see the end of one. Similarly, if the roof starts to buckle, your seat belt might detach from the B frame and you’ll likely be ejected from the vehicle. If not, you probably won’t be in position for your side airbags to help you. In short, you need a strong roof to make it through this kind of crash.

How strong should an SUV / crossover’s roof be to keep my family safe in a rollover?

That’s an excellent question. The NHTSA requirement for how much force a roof must support before caving in by several inches used to be 1.5x the weight of a vehicle for vehicles that weighed less than 6,000 pounds. This wasn’t enough. A vehicle can easily put several times its own weight on its roof during a rollover involving a fall of just a few inches.

The IIHS started their own roof strength test and made a strength-to-weight ratio, or SWR, of 4.0 or better, necessary for a “good” rating. Their threshold for an “acceptable” rating is 3.25x, while their threshold for a “marginal” rating is 2.5x. Below that, such as in the 1.5x range the NHTSA used to find acceptable, the IIHS marks a roof as poor.

Thanks to the IIHS, the NHTSA finally increased their SWR requirement to 3x the weight of the vehicle for vehicles under 6,000 pounds before the roof could cave in by several inches. They also created a requirement for vehicles between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds of 1.5x vehicle weight. Neither requirement is enough, but both are better than what the requirements used to be.

Given these factors, I put together a list of the best model 2016-17 small SUVs and crossovers to be inside when trying to avoid or survive rollovers. I weighed and combined the three metrics I described above for optimum rollover safety. To only consider the best of the best small SUVs and crossovers, I limited the list below to vehicles with ESC, roofs with SWRs of 5.0 or greater, and roll-sensitive side airbags; I then sorted these vehicles by roof strength. Each crossover is identified as a 2016 “Top Safety Pick+” by the IIHS, which means they all feature good frontal, side, roof, and head restraint scores, as well as advanced or better frontal crash prevention with optional features. I used the TSP+ as another filter to ensure these vehicles were at the forefront of recommended technologies.

The safest small SUVs and crossovers for avoiding and surviving rollovers in 2016

5.47: 2013-2016 Mazda CX-5

When it comes to roof strength in the small SUV / crossover market, the best US vehicle you can be in is the Mazda CX-5. It’s capable of supporting close to 5.5x its weight before caving in by 5 inches, and holds a slight edge over its closest competitor, the Tucson. Like every other vehicle on this list, it also comes with roll-sensitive airbags and ESC, as well as a “2016 Top Safety Pick” rating by the IIHS.

Unlike the other vehicles on this list, there isn’t a previous-generation CX-5 to look through for savings; however, since the strengths in this model date back to model year 2013, you might be able to find significant savings in the used market.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the CX-5 is here.

5.37: 2016 Hyundai Tucson

Hot on the heels of the CX-5 is the Tucson with a strong SWR of 5.37. Unlike the CX-5, there aren’t any previous years in this generation yet, as this is the first model year of the current gen. To see any savings, you’ll need to go to the previous gen Tucson, which does still feature a good SWR of 4.43, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Tucson is here.

5.08: 2012-2016 Honda CR-V

The current generation CR-V makes a strong showing with its SWR of 5.08. If you’re interested in the previous generation for savings, given the high resale value of the CR-V, keep in mind that while the 2007-11 model years do feature ESC and roll-sensitive side airbags, the roof is rated as marginal by the IIHS with a SWR of 2.80.

That said, the IIHS also estimated the 2008-11 4WD and 2WD CR-Vs to have driver death rates of 17 and 19, respectively, with only 2 of those deaths in either configuration estimated to come from rollovers. This suggests that in day-to-day driving, at least, the CR-V was already a very safe vehicle in its prior generation, as well as one unlikely to lead to deaths from rollovers, despite its marginal roof score.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the CR-V is here.

5.00: 2013-2016 Toyota RAV4

Finally, the RAV4 just makes the cutoff with an SWR of exactly 5.00. As with the CR-V, if you look to the prior generation for savings, keep in mind that while the RAV4 does feature roll-sensitive airbags from 2007-12 as well as ESC, the roof is only rated as acceptable by the IIHS with a 3.46 SWR.

That said, even though the SWR is better than that of the CR-V, the 2008-11 4WD and 2WD RAV4s have driver death rates of 19 and 35, with 2 and 10 deaths in the respective configurations estimated to result from rollovers. I’m not sure why the 2WD RAV4 had a much higher overall and rollover-specific death rate; it’s entirely possible that it could be due to statistical noise. However, it’s something to keep in mind.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the RAV4 is here.

In conclusion, any of these crossovers will be among the absolute safest you can be in during a rollover today. They feature ESC to reduce the risks of rollover involvement to begin with, rollover-sensitive side airbags to protect you should rollovers occur, and strong roofs to preserve your occupant space and allow your seat belts and side airbags to do their jobs while the rollover occurs. These are life-saving technologies, and we’re blessed to live in an era where they exist and are widely available and increasingly affordable.

What do I do if the SUV or crossover I bought or am considering wasn’t on the list?

Due to space constraints, I focused on only listing the best of the best small SUVs and crossovers currently available for rollover protection. This doesn’t mean that these are the only safe crossovers out there right now. Any crossover with a SWR of 4.0 or higher, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags is already going to provide a large amount of protection if you’re unfortunate enough to get into a rollover situation.

The current generation Subaru Forester, for example, just barely missed the 5.0 cutoff with a 4.95 SWR; like the vehicles on this list, it also features roll-sensitive side airbags and ESC, and would be a great choice for families. Similarly, the Jeep Renegade features a class-leading SWR of 5.84 as well as roll-sensitive side airbags and ESC, but it doesn’t yet feature a good small overlap or head restraint score, preventing it from receiving a “Top Safety Pick+” award, and thus preventing it from appearing on this list.

If you’re considering an SUV that doesn’t have the features above, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got ESC at an absolute minimum, followed by a strong roof, and roll-sensitive side airbags. If you have to choose between a strong roof and roll-sensitive airbags, I’d go with the roof score, presuming you have side airbags in both vehicles. However, ESC is by far the most important of the three technologies to have, as prevention is always better than having to deal with the cure, and avoiding a rollover is much better than having technology to increase your odds of surviving it once it’s already occurring.

We can’t control everything. The safest option is still not driving at all, followed by driving as little as possible. But if you’ve got to drive, drive safely, and do your best to choose a safe vehicle. If you’re going to use it with children, definitely check out the plethora of best practice articles I’ve written here on choosing safe car seats, installation tips, seat reviews, and more information to help you make informed decisions.

I loved writing this article, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I look forward to writing more articles examining various factors in car safety design and how they relate to keeping you and your loved ones safer while on the road. Stay tuned, remember to avoid common mistakes parents make with car seats, and check out some 3 across car seat guides while you’re here.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

We don’t like to think about rollovers, t-bones, head-on collisions, or rear-enders, but they’re sad facts of life on our roads. This post is part of a series of posts on the safest passenger vehicles you can buy in the US for surviving various kinds of collisions. Today’s focus is on how to survive a rollover in a family car. Why this important?

Per the NHTSA, there are more than 30,000 fatalities on US roads each year, and more than 10,000 of them, or 1 out of every 3 fatalities, involves a rollover. Only 2 out of every 100 crashes overall involve rollovers, but if that crash is a fatal one, there’s a 33% chance it involved a rollover. That’s huge.

From the NHTSA and IIHS, we also know that rollovers are primarily a single vehicle problem. In other words, even though it’s possible to get into a rollover by hitting or being hit by another vehicle, 75% of rollovers only involve one vehicle. Furthermore, more than 1 out of every 2 fatal single vehicle crashes comes from a rollover.

With all of these risks in mind, it’s worth doing whatever possible to reduce the risks of our loved ones or ourselves being involved in these crashes. I’ve written similar articles on safe vehicles for side impact collisions (here are the safest 2015 cars, small cars, minivans, and SUVs and crossovers for surviving side impacts). I also wrote an equivalent article for surviving rollovers in minivans.

Now let’s take a look at which factors play a role in surviving a rollover in a given vehicle.

What important safety features should a family car have to offer good levels of rollover protection?

1. Electronic stability control. ESC reduces the risk of rollovers by selectively and automatically braking individual tires to keep you going in the direction you want. It’s estimated to reduce the risks of dying in a fatal single vehicle crash by about 50%. Don’t buy a vehicle without it; it’s as basic technology as the seat belt and airbag.

2. Rollover-sensing side airbags with head/torso protection. Speaking of airbags, make sure you only consider vehicles with side airbags programmed to activate not just during side impacts, but during impending rollovers. If your head hits the windows, roof rail, or vehicle frames, your odds of survival drop considerably. And once you’re in a rollover, you have no control over what your body does.

3. Strong roof. Finally, a strong roof is essential to keep the occupant cabin from caving in during a rollover. If your vehicle ends up on its side or roof, even for a fraction of a second, and the roof isn’t strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle as well as the crash forces placed on it, it’s going to buckle and crush you. If it doesn’t crush you, your seat belt will detach from the vehicle and send you flying into the roof or out of the vehicle entirely. You need a strong roof to survive a rollover.

How strong does my car’s roof need to be for me to survive a rollover?

That’s a great question. The NHTSA only thinks your roof needs to be strong enough to support 3x the weight of your vehicle (before caving in by several inches) if it weighs <6,000 lbs and 1.5x the weight of your vehicle if it weighs between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds. It’s not enough, but it’s an improvement over their previous requirement of only 1.5x, which also only applied to vehicles beneath 6,000 pounds.

Thanks to the IIHS, however, most manufacturers aim for a strength-to-weight-ratio, or SWR, of 4.0 or better, as that’s what the IIHS requires for a roof to be rated as “good” by their roof crush test. If the roof crushes by 5 inches before encountering a force of at least 4x the weight of the vehicle, it doesn’t get a “good” rating. The threshold for an “acceptable” rating is 3.25x, while the threshold for a “marginal” rating is 2.5x. Below that, such as in the 1.5x range the NHTSA used to find acceptable, the IIHS marks a roof as poor.

Given these factors, I made a list of the best model 2016-2017 cars to be in when attempting to avoid or survive a rollover by weighing and combining the three elements of rollover safety I describe above. Because of the wide number of cars available in the US, I only looked at mid-sized non-luxury cars featuring ESC, roofs with SWRs of 5.0 or greater, and roll-sensing side airbags; these vehicles are then sorted by roof strength. All of these cars are identified as “Top Safety Picks” by the IIHS, and are as noted above, are further classified as mid-sized family and moderately priced cars.

The safest family cars for avoiding and surviving rollovers in 2016

6.32: 2012-2016 Volkswagen Passat

When it comes to roof strength in the mid-sized family car category, the best car you can be in is currently a Passat. It’s capable of supporting more than 6x its weight before caving in by 5 inches, and is the only vehicle in its class to do so. Like every other vehicle on this list, it also comes with roll-sensitive airbags and ESC, as well as a “2016 Top Safety Pick” rating by the IIHS.

If you’re interested in the previous generation Passat (2006-10), it also featured a good SWR of 4.79 and ESC, but did not feature roll-sensitive airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Passat is here.

5.36: 2015-2016 Subaru Outback 

Hot on the heels of the Passat are the Outback and Legacy; they share the same SWR because they share a similar roof design. The previous generation Outback was estimated to have a driver death rate of 6, attesting to the high degree of safety present in the recent Outback designs.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2010-14) Outback, it also featured a good SWR of 4.68 and ESC, as well as roll-sensitive airbags, making it a better choice than the previous generation Passat.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Outback is here.

5.36: 2015-2016 Subaru Legacy 

As noted above, the current Legacy and Outback are largely based on the same platform, and as a result, share the same roof score. The previous generation Legacy was estimated to have a zero driver death rate by the IIHS, making it the first mid-sized non luxury sedan to appear on the zero list.

It’s worth noting that the previous generation (2010-14) Legacy, which featured a zero driver death rate, had ESC and a good SWR of 4.95, but did not feature roll-sensitive airbags. As a result, the prior Outback is, on paper, a better choice. However, the actual survival statistics gave a slight edge, at least regarding the driver, to the Legacy.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Legacy is here.

5.35: 2011-2016 Volkswagen Jetta

VW makes their second appearance with the Passat’s smaller cousin, the Jetta, which has a nearly identical SWR to the Subarus at 5.35.

It’s also worthy to note that the ’11 Jetta was estimated to have a driver death rate of 20 by the IIHS, which, while not perfect, was only bested by the aforementioned Legacy, the Acura TSX, Volkswagen CC (a larger version of the Passat), and Honda Accord in the moderately-priced mid-sized car category.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2005-10) Jetta, be aware that while it did feature a good SWR of 5.02, it did not feature ESC as standard until ’09 and didn’t feature roll-sensitive side airbags in any year, making it the worst choice so far for a previous generation compromise.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Jetta is here.

5.29: 2015-2016 Nissan Altima

The Altima is the first non-VW/Subaru on the list, and has a very respectable SWR of 5.29. Although this generation actually begins in 2013, I only listed it from 2015 onward because this was when roll-sensitive side airbags were added; prior to then, the airbags were only normal side airbags.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2010-12) Altima, be aware that it did not feature a good SWR, but an acceptable one at 3.79, although it did feature ESC. It also didn’t feature roll-sensitive side airbags. It’s also important to note that it had a rather high estimated driver death rate of 44 during the ’10-’11 model years.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Altima is here.

5.21: 2016 Mazda 6

The 6 is the only Mazda to show up on this list, and features a good SWR of 5.21. Although this generation of the 6 began in the ’14 model year, I only include the ’16 because this is when Mazda made the side airbags roll-sensitive.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2009-13) 6, be aware that it also didn’t feature a good SWR, but an acceptable one at 3.55, although it did feature ESC. As with the previous generation Altima, it also didn’t feature roll-sensitive side airbags. It’s also important to note that it had a rather high estimated driver death rate of 54 during the ’09-’11 model years.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Mazda 6 is here.

5.19: 2016 Kia Optima

The current generation Optima is structurally similar to the current generation Sonata, and as a result, both share the same roof rating of 5.19.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2011-15) Optima, it also featured a good SWR of 5.12 and ESC, although it did not feature roll-sensitive side airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Optima is here.

5.19: 2015-2016 Hyundai Sonata

The current generation Sonata, as noted above, shares a platform with the current generation Optima, resulting in a shared SWR of 5.19.

If you’re interested in the previous generation (2011-14) Sonata, it also featured a good SWR of 4.89 and ESC, although it did not feature roll-sensitive side airbags.

My full 3 across car seat guide to the various generations of the Sonata is here.

In conclusion, any of these cars will be among the absolute safest you can be in during a rollover today. They feature ESC to reduce the risks of rollover involvement to begin with, rollover-sensitive side airbags to protect you should rollovers occur, and strong roofs to preserve your occupant space and allow your seat belts and side airbags to do their jobs while the rollover occurs. These are life-saving technologies, and we’re blessed to live in an era where they exist and are widely available and increasingly affordable.

What do I do if the car I bought or am considering wasn’t on the list?

Due to space constraints, I focused on only listing the best of the best moderately mid-sized cars currently available for rollover protection. This doesn’t mean that these are the only safe cars out there right now. Any car with a SWR of 4.0 or higher, ESC, and roll-sensitive side airbags is already going to provide a large amount of protection if you’re unfortunate enough to get into a rollover situation. The current generation (2013-16) Honda Accord, for example, just barely missed the 5.0 cutoff with a 4.92 SWR; like the vehicles on this list, it also features roll-sensitive side airbags and ESC, and would be a great choice for families.

If you’re considering a car that doesn’t have the features above, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got ESC at an absolute minimum, followed by a strong roof, and roll-sensitive side airbags. If you have to choose between a strong roof and roll-sensitive airbags, I’d go with the roof score, presuming you have side airbags in both vehicles. However, ESC is by far the most important of the three technologies to have, as prevention is always better than having to deal with the cure, and avoiding a rollover is much better than having technology to increase your odds of surviving it once it’s already occurring.

We can’t control everything. The safest option is still not driving at all, followed by driving as little as possible. But if you’ve got to drive, drive safely, and do your best to choose a safe vehicle. If you’re going to use it with children, definitely check out the plethora of best practice articles I’ve written here on choosing safe car seats, installation tips, seat reviews, and more information to help you make informed decisions.

I loved writing this article, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I look forward to writing more articles examining various factors in car safety design and how they relate to keeping you and your loved ones safer while on the road. Stay tuned, remember to avoid common mistakes parents make with car seats, and check out some 3 across car seat guides while you’re here.

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.