The Safest Family Haulers
When it comes to transporting your family, their safety is the top priority. Minivans are a popular choice for families because of their spacious interiors, substantial cargo capacity, and comprehensive safety features. This article identifies the safest minivans and also considers some strong SUV alternatives. We’ve reviewed the current market to help you choose the best and safest vehicle for your family. Note that scores and prices listed were accurate at the time of writing.
2025 Kia Carnival
Starting MSRP: $36,800 | U.S. News Safety Score: TBD
The 2025 Kia Carnival, a relatively new entry in the minivan class, offers a comfortable and roomy interior, a host of standard driver-assistance features, and easy handling. While it may not boast the most cargo space compared to some rivals, it still stands out. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given the Carnival mostly Good ratings, although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet completed crash testing. Standard safety features include blind spot monitoring, forward automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. The Carnival provides four complete sets of LATCH connectors in the seven-seat version and a fifth set in the eight-seater version. The IIHS rated the Carnival’s LATCH system as “Acceptable.”
2025 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Starting MSRP: $51,055 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.6/10
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has helped bring the hybrid revolution to the minivan class and is an excellent choice for those seeking a greener option. The Chrysler hybrid achieves an EPA-estimated 82 MPGe in combined city and highway driving. As a plug-in hybrid, the Pacifica can travel up to 32 miles purely on electric power before switching to standard gas/electric hybrid mode, which allows the minivan to achieve 30 mpg combined city/highway driving. The NHTSA gave the Pacifica Hybrid a five-star overall safety rating. The IIHS has not yet crash-tested the hybrid version, but the 2025 Pacifica Hybrid comes standard with features like rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring. It also has four complete sets of LATCH connectors.
2025 Chrysler Pacifica
Starting MSRP: $42,450 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10
The 2025 Chrysler Pacifica is the gasoline-powered sibling of the Pacifica Hybrid. It offers generous passenger and cargo space, available all-wheel drive, smooth handling, and an extensive list of standard features. Critics, however, sometimes cite its high base price relative to some competitors, and the back rows of seats are said to be a bit firm. The 2025 Pacifica earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, and “Good” scores from the IIHS. Adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, and blind spot monitoring are standard. This Chrysler model provides four complete sets of LATCH connectors in the seven-seater versions and five sets in the eight-passenger models.
2025 Toyota Sienna
Starting MSRP: $39,185 | U.S. News Safety Score: 8.9/10
The 2025 Toyota Sienna is among the market’s safest vehicles, including minivans. This hybrid Toyota offers impressive fuel economy, comfortable driving dynamics, a spacious cabin, and many safety features. The Sienna’s engine is slightly loud and not particularly inspiring, but most minivan drivers aren’t prioritizing racetrack performance. Regarding safety, the 2025 Sienna receives largely above-average scores from both the IIHS and the NHTSA. Standard features include blind spot monitoring and forward automatic emergency braking. This Toyota minivan includes up to five complete LATCH connectors, earning the IIHS’s highest rating.
2025 Honda Odyssey
Starting MSRP: $41,920 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.2/10
The 2025 Honda Odyssey is the safest minivan available. It also features a more powerful engine than some rivals, along with pleasant driving characteristics, a comfortable and ample cabin, and many standard features. One of the few downsides is that the second-row seats must be removed to maximize cargo space. The Odyssey was awarded the 2024 Best Minivan for the Money and earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS. The Honda Odyssey comes equipped with five complete sets of LATCH connectors.
Minivan Alternatives
This article also highlights some excellent SUV alternatives for families.
2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Starting MSRP: $49,945 | U.S. News Safety Score: TBD
The 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV, is a plug-in hybrid SUV that provides an extensive list of standard features, a luxurious cabin, a lively powertrain, and agile handling. Its cargo hold is somewhat limited, and third-row passenger space is less than some competitors. Although it does not yet have a U.S. News Safety score, the IIHS and NHTSA gave the CX-90 PHEV good ratings in crash tests, and the SUV comes standard with blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and forward automatic emergency braking. There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row, and tether anchors are available in the third row.
2025 Buick Enclave
Starting MSRP: $45,000 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
This midsize SUV earned its place on this list owing to a combination of user-friendly driving characteristics, intuitive technology features, a robust V6 engine, and a generous cargo area. The Enclave has a higher starting price than some rivals and features a few low-grade cabin materials, though these are not major drawbacks. The Enclave achieved a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, but the IIHS did not provide a complete crash test score. There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row and tether anchors for the third-row seats.
2024 Mitsubishi Outlander
Starting MSRP: $28,395 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
Although the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander isn’t at the top of the compact SUV rankings, it still earns a high safety score in its class. The Outlander has a comprehensive list of standard features, a comfortable and durable cabin, a massive cargo area when all seats are folded, and composed driving dynamics. It earned above-average scores from the IIHS and NHTSA. Standard safety features on the Mitsubishi include rear cross-traffic alert, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring. Two complete sets of LATCH connectors are in the second-row outboard seats, and a tether anchor is in the middle seat.
2025 Kia Telluride
Starting MSRP: $36,390 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.4/10
The Kia Telluride offers easy driving dynamics, an intuitive infotainment system, many standard features, and a luxurious cabin, making it a top choice in the midsize SUV category. The Telluride is one of the safest vehicles available, earning a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. The Kia also includes standard 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
Starting MSRP: $38,910 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10
The Subaru Ascent is a good family vehicle, with standard all-wheel drive, a spacious cabin, an intuitive infotainment system, a long list of standard features, and a comfortable ride. While it features some less-than-premium cabin materials, this shouldn’t impact your buying decision. The Subaru Ascent received above-average ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. It also has numerous driver-assistance features, like pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, and lane keep assist. The Ascent has two full sets of LATCH connectors in the second row, and the third row has one.
2025 Ford Explorer
Starting MSRP: $39,755 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.7/10
The 2025 Ford Explorer is the minivan alternative with the second-highest safety rating on this list. The Ford midsize SUV offers one of the highest towing capacities in its class, a choice of powerful engines, and well-balanced driving dynamics. However, the Explorer tends to fall behind its rivals in terms of interior quality and its infotainment system. The Explorer earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, as well as a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. Rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, and blind spot monitoring are all standard. The Ford has four complete sets of LATCH connectors — two in the second row and two in the third.
2025 Hyundai Palisade
Starting MSRP: $37,100 | U.S. News Safety Score: 9.8/10
The 2025 Hyundai Palisade is the top-rated minivan alternative on this list. It’s one of the best midsize SUVs, offering a substantial cargo area, a comfortable ride, numerous standard features, and a luxurious interior. Its mediocre fuel economy is the Palisade’s main drawback. In terms of safety, the Palisade earned good safety ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. Impressive safety features include forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and cyclist detection. The Palisade has two complete sets of LATCH connectors in the second row and a tether anchor for the middle seat.
