4 SUVs Get Top Rating in New IIHS Whiplash Protection Test

Key Points

• Previous whiplash prevention evaluation abandoned in 2022
• New test relies on additional measurements and updated data
• Four of 18 small SUVs earn top rating

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a major driving force behind improving vehicle safety, and its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards are coveted by automakers and frequently touted in advertisements. Now, IIHS is resuming an evaluation it was able to discontinue a few years back because the test had done its job.

In 2022, the agency stopped testing vehicle seats for whiplash protection in rear-end collisions because nearly every vehicle it evaluated earned top marks. But occupants were still suffering whiplash injuries even in those vehicles. The agency notes in a statement, “Variations in insurance claim rates for different models showed that some designs provided better protection than others — even if the original test could not identify them.”

Related: Automakers Respond Quickly to New IIHS Front Crash-Prevention Test

Initial Results

For the updated evaluation’s grand debut, IIHS subjected 18 small SUVs to the test. With the exception of a 2024 Honda CR-V, all were 2025 models. Since many of the vehicles are relatively unchanged for the new year, the ratings apply to 2026 models in most cases. The agency rates vehicles on a grade of four tiers: Good is best, followed by acceptable and marginal, with poor at the bottom.

The agency says the vehicles rating good “provided excellent protection across nearly all the metrics at both impact speeds. The acceptable vehicles faltered slightly in multiple areas, while the marginal ones exhibited more serious flaws.” The three vehicles that earned poor ratings failed in all three measures and performed extremely poorly in at least one area. Their chief failure was an inability to adequately limit head movement relative to the spine.

The complete results of the tested vehicles are as follows:

Good

• 2025 Audi Q3
• 2025-26 Hyundai Ioniq 5
• 2025-26 Subaru Forester
• 2025 Toyota RAV4

Acceptable

• 2025-26 Buick Encore GX
• 2025-26 Chevrolet Equinox
• 2024-25 Honda CR-V
• 2025-26 Jeep Compass
• 2025-26 Kia Sportage
• 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLB
• 2025-26 Mitsubishi Outlander
• 2025-26 Volkswagen Taos
• 2025-26 Volvo XC40

Marginal

• 2025 BMW X1
• 2025-26 Nissan Rogue

Poor

• 2025-26 Ford Bronco Sport
• 2025-26 Hyundai Tucson
• 2025-26 Mazda CX-50

Refining the Metrics

IIHS research doesn’t always mean smashing whole vehicles in crash tests. The previous whiplash evaluation involved fitting a vehicle’s seat to a sled that was then accelerated with force equivalent to being rear-ended at 20 mph by a vehicle of the same weight. Measurements were taken from a dummy with an articulated spine buckled into the seat. The new test retains this format, but it adds new measurements and metrics gathered from extensive testing of seats from 36 different vehicles at three impact speeds.

IIHS’ scientists combed this new data for correlation between these measurements and injury rates from the related Highway Data Loss Institute. Several key metrics emerged from the 20 and 30 mph impact tests, so the updated evaluation includes measurements taken in tests simulating impacts at both of those speeds.

Key measurements in the original test were how long it takes a dummy’s head to contact the head restraint, as well as the acceleration of the T1 vertebra, the last vertebra in the upper spine where it joins the neck. To these, the new tests add pelvic displacement relative to the head. In a rear-end collision, a vehicle occupant should sink into the seatback, maintaining a consistent relative position between the pelvis and the head. The new test also takes into account the tilting or bending force of the head relative to the neck. To offer the best protection, the head restraint should contact the middle of the occupant’s head, near the center of gravity. Contacting the head above the center of gravity tilts the chin down toward the chest; contacting the head below the center of gravity tilts the head back and up.

Incorporating these measurements gives IIHS a more comprehensive view of head and spine support, the interaction of the occupant’s head with the head restraint, and how well the seat manages the crash energy that is transferred to the occupant’s body. Good performance in this test requires the seat to keep the head and spine in alignment and allow the neck to retain its natural curvature. It also requires the head restraint being properly positioned, highlighting the importance of that small action if the head restraints in your car are adjustable.

Read More About Automotive Safety on Cars.com:

• 16 Vehicles Qualify for IIHS Crash-Test Awards In Latest Round of Testing
• These Cars Do Well in Crash Tests for 2025, According to IIHS
• These EVs Missed Out on IIHS Crash-Test Awards
• Research Automotive Safety

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