Prioritizing Family Safety: The Safest Minivans and Alternatives
When you’re driving your family, nothing is more important than their safety. Minivans have become a popular choice for families because of their spacious interiors, substantial cargo capacity, and a wide array of safety features. But which minivans are the safest?
This article presents the safest minivans currently available in the market, along with some compelling SUV alternatives. This information will help you find the vehicles best suited for you and your family.
Note: The safety scores and pricing information in this article were accurate at the time of writing. For the latest details, please consult individual vehicle reviews.
2025 Kia Carnival
MSRP: $36,800 | U.S. News Safety Score: TBD
The 2025 Kia Carnival is one of the newer entries in the minivan class. It boasts a comfortable and roomy interior, numerous driver-assistance features as standard, and user-friendly driving dynamics. While its cargo space may be slightly less than others, it’s still a strong contender.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given the Carnival mostly Good ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet fully crash-tested the Kia. Standard safety features include blind spot monitoring, forward automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist.
The Carnival offers families four complete sets of LATCH connectors in the seven-seat version, and five in the eight-seater. The IIHS gave the Carnival an “Acceptable” rating for its LATCH system.
2025 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
MSRP: $51,055 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.6/10
The 2025 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is an ideal choice for families wanting a more eco-friendly option in the minivan class. The hybrid is estimated to achieve 82 MPGe combined city and highway driving.
As a plug-in hybrid, the Pacifica can drive up to 32 miles solely on electric power. After that, it transitions to a gas/electric hybrid mode, achieving 30 mpg combined city/highway.
The NHTSA gave the Pacifica Hybrid a five-star overall safety rating. The IIHS has not crash-tested the hybrid version specifically. The standard safety features include rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring.
The Pacifica Hybrid has four complete sets of LATCH connectors.
2025 Chrysler Pacifica
MSRP: $42,450 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10
The 2025 Chrysler Pacifica, the gasoline-powered counterpart to the Pacifica Hybrid, offers significant passenger and cargo space, optional all-wheel drive, smooth driving dynamics, and an extensive list of standard features.
However, it has a relatively high base price compared to some competitors, and the rear seats can be a bit firm for some drivers.
The 2025 Pacifica earned a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and received mostly Good scores from the IIHS. Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, and blind spot monitoring. The vehicle contains four complete sets of LATCH connectors in the seven-seat model and five in the eight-passenger models.
2025 Toyota Sienna
MSRP: $39,185 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10
The 2025 Toyota Sienna is recognized as one of the safest vehicles on the market. This hybrid Toyota also provides excellent fuel economy, comfortable driving dynamics, a large and cozy cabin, along with a wide range of safety features. The Sienna’s engine is a bit loud.
This Toyota earns above-average scores from both the IIHS and NHTSA. It includes standard safety features such as blind spot monitoring and forward automatic emergency braking.
The Toyota minivan has up to five complete LATCH connectors, earning the IIHS’s highest rating.
2025 Honda Odyssey
MSRP: $41,920 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.2/10
The 2025 Honda Odyssey is the safest minivan currently available. It offers a more powerful engine compared to its rivals, enjoyable driving dynamics, a comfortable and spacious cabin, and a long list of standard features. One potential downside is that the second-row seats must be removed to access maximum cargo space.
The Odyssey earned a five -star rating from the NHTSA and was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. It also won the 2024 Best Minivan for the Money award. The Honda Odyssey comes with five complete sets of LATCH connectors.
Minivan Alternatives
Although minivans traditionally excel at family safety, other vehicles are also worth considering. The following SUVs offer comparable levels of safety, comfort, and features:
2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
MSRP: $49,945 | U.S. News Safety Score: TBD
This SUV offers a comprehensive suite of features, a luxurious interior, a powerful engine, and agile handling. While its cargo area may be slightly smaller and the third-row passenger space less generous than some rivals, the CX-90 PHEV remains a solid choice.
The IIHS and NHTSA gave the CX-90 PHEV good crash test ratings. It comes standard with blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward automatic emergency braking. It features two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row and tether anchors in the third row.
2025 Buick Enclave
MSRP: $45,000 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
The 2025 Buick Enclave, a midsize SUV, has a well-rounded balance of easy driving dynamics, intuitive technology, a robust V6 engine, and a generous cargo area. The Enclave has a higher base price than competitors and some low-grade cabin materials.
The Enclave earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS did not provide a complete crash test score for this SUV. There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row, plus tether anchors for the third-row seats.
2024 Mitsubishi Outlander
MSRP: $28,395 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
Despite its position near the bottom of our compact SUV rankings, the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander receives one of the highest safety scores. The Outlander features a long list of standard features, a comfortable cabin, a sizable cargo area, and composed driving dynamics.
When it comes to safety, the 2024 Outlander received above-average scores from both the IIHS and NHTSA. Standard features include rear cross-traffic alert, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring. The car has two complete sets of LATCH connectors in second-row outboard seats, plus a tether anchor for the middle seat.
2025 Kia Telluride
MSRP: $36,390 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
The 2025 Kia Telluride is a well-rounded vehicle offering easy driving dynamics, an intuitive infotainment system, an abundant list of standard features, and a luxurious cabin. It ranks near the top of the midsize SUV rankings.
The Telluride earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and received a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. Standard features include rear cross-traffic alert, forward automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring. There are three complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second-row outboard seats and the third-row driver’s side seat.
2025 Subaru Ascent
MSRP: $38,910 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10
The Subaru Ascent is a good choice for families, coming standard with all-wheel drive, a spacious cabin, an intuitive infotainment system, a long list of standard features, plus a smooth and comfortable ride. Despite some lower-quality cabin materials, this shouldn’t affect your buying decision.
The Ascent earned above-average ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. It comes with driver-assistance features, such as pedestrian and cyclist detection, along with lane keep assist. The second row features two full sets of LATCH connectors while the third row has one.
2025 Ford Explorer
MSRP: $39,755 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10
The 2025 Ford Explorer is another minivan alternative and has the second-highest safety rating on this list. The Explorer offers one of the highest towing capacities in its class, two powerful engine options, and perfectly balanced driving dynamics. It lags behind rivals in interior quality and infotainment.
The Explorer earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. Standard features include rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, and blind spot monitoring. The Ford has four complete sets of LATCH connectors—two in the second row and two in the third.
2025 Hyundai Palisade
MSRP: $37,100 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.8/10
The safest minivan alternative on this list, the 2025 Hyundai Palisade, is considered one of the best midsize SUVs. It provides a large cargo area, a comfortable ride, a wealth of standard features, and a luxurious interior. The Palisade’s biggest downside is its mediocre fuel economy.
The Palisade received good safety ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. It offers safety features like forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and cyclist detection. For child seats, the Palisade has two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row and a tether anchor in the middle seat.
When choosing a vehicle, consider the best options for your family’s needs. Prioritize the safety features that align with your preferences and driving conditions.
