IIHS publishes driver death rates by model, and the 2026 edition shows SUVs filling most of the safest positions. Eighteen of the twenty models with the lowest rates are SUVs, and several posted a rate of zero. Here are twelve SUVs that earned some of the best results in the report.
1. Audi Q7 4WD: Zero Deaths, Top Billing
Audi Q7 4WD logged zero driver deaths per million registered vehicle years in the IIHS 2026 driver death rate report, a result that ties it for the lowest rate of any model on the list. The institute tallied the figure across registered vehicle years rather than a single crash test, so it reflects real-world driving.
A rate of zero does not promise that no driver can ever be hurt in one. It shows that, across the period the institute measured, drivers of this all-wheel-drive Audi did not die in numbers large enough to register.
2. Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD: Compact Size, Zero Rate
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD posted a driver death rate of 0 in the latest IIHS report, placing the compact three-row crossover alongside far larger vehicles at the very top of the ranking.
That result matters for shoppers who assume bulk is the only route to safety. Buyers comparing sizes can note that this smaller Mercedes matched the best figure on the table, though the rating applies to the 4WD version only.
3. Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD: Rear-Drive Zero
IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 0 for the rear-drive Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD, according to the institute’s published rate table. It is the only two-wheel-drive entry among the zero-rate models.
Shoppers often assume all-wheel drive is essential for a good safety showing, and this entry complicates that view. The figure belongs to the 2WD configuration specifically, so a 4WD GLE would need to be checked against its own row in the report.
4. BMW X7 4WD: Biggest BMW, Smallest Rate
BMW X7 4WD recorded zero driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, set against an all-vehicle average of 37, as listed in the IIHS death rate listing.
The gap between 0 and 37 shows how far this three-row BMW sits from the typical vehicle on American roads. Owners and buyers should still read the number as a statistical outcome for the model group, not a guarantee for any single crash.
5. Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD: Full-Size Zero
Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD earned a driver death rate of 0, level with luxury models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes, according to coverage of the IIHS findings.
The Tahoe is the one mainstream, non-luxury badge in that zero-rate group. For families weighing a large SUV against a premium import, the report places the Chevrolet in the same bracket on this single measure, which is driver deaths relative to vehicles on the road, not crash-test scores or price.
6. Porsche Macan 4WD: Sporty Yet Safe
Porsche Macan 4WD came in at just 4 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, a figure reported in this summary of the IIHS data.
That is close to the zero-rate leaders despite the Macan’s performance orientation. IIHS flagged powerful engines as a risk factor in the same report, which makes this low rate a notable exception, and a useful reference for buyers who want a quick luxury SUV without a high death rate.
7. Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD: Plug-In Standout
The plug-in Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD logged 5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the lowest of any non-luxury small SUV in the IIHS list, per the Auto Channel report.
For shoppers who want a small SUV without paying luxury prices, that is the best figure the report offers in the class. The hybrid powertrain is not credited as the cause, so the rate should be read as an outcome rather than an explanation.
8. Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WD: Largest Class Leader
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WD recorded a driver death rate of 6, the lowest of any very large SUV that IIHS rated, as described in reporting on the findings.
Within the very large category, no rated rival did better than the Suburban. Buyers who need seating and towing room can treat that as evidence the biggest Chevrolet does not trade away driver protection, though the figure applies to the 4WD configuration and should not be assumed for other drivetrains.
9. BMW X5 4WD: Midsize Luxury Result
BMW X5 4WD models from 2020 to 2023 posted 5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, according to the Informed for Life summary of the IIHS data.
The figure covers a defined model-year window, so earlier or later X5 generations are not captured by it. Used-car shoppers can use the 2020-23 span as the relevant comparison, since that is the group the rate describes, and should check other years separately before assuming the same result.
10. Toyota Highlander 4WD: Drivetrain Makes the Difference
The 2020-23 Toyota Highlander 4WD recorded a driver death rate of 7, versus 30 for the front-drive version, as laid out in the IIHS rate breakdown.
That gap of 23 between two versions of one three-row SUV is the starkest drivetrain contrast on the list. Shoppers choosing between configurations of this Toyota can see that the all-wheel-drive version carries the far lower rate, a difference worth weighing when comparing used examples.
11. Hyundai Tucson hybrid 4WD: Hybrid With a Low Rate
The 2022-23 Hyundai Tucson hybrid 4WD recorded 7 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, a result noted in the Informed for Life rundown.
That puts a mainstream hybrid compact within reach of much pricier vehicles on the same chart. The window is only two model years, so the rate rests on a smaller pool of vehicles than the multi-year entries, a caveat worth keeping in mind when comparing it with the others.
12. Volvo XC90 4WD: Swedish Staple Holds Up
Volvo XC90 4WD models from 2020 to 2023 had a driver death rate of 7 and an other-driver rate of 24, based on the published IIHS figures.
The second number measures deaths among occupants of other vehicles in crashes with the XC90, so the pair describes risk to both sides. Buyers weighing safety for their own family and for others on the road get both figures for this model in one place.
More from Morning Overview
- NTSB report details how a family of four died when their plane’s nose suddenly pitched up
- Doctors warn a silent liver disease now affects one in three American adults
- Common allergy, bladder and sleep pills tied to sharply higher dementia odds
- The second-largest U.S. reservoir just fell to its lowest level ever recorded
