Compact SUVs from $25,000 to $35,000 With Standard Active Safety Systems

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Consumer Reports latest recommended compact SUVs that can help you find the level of safety in the affordable ride you are looking for today.

When it comes to car safety, there’s no substitute for the growing demand for cars outfitted with active safety systems that help drivers and their passengers stay safe on the road. My favorite is blind spot warning (BSW) safety feature on our family car that I am certain has prevented several near-miss accidents.

Standard active safety systems include:

Forward Collision Warning---Forward collision warning is designed to alert you of an impending collision with a slower moving or stationary car in front of you. However, bear in mind that forward collision warning alone will not automatically brake for you and should not be mistaken for Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB).

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)---As the name suggests, automatic emergency braking activates a car's brakes when a potential collision is detected---without the driver actually touching the brake pedal. And not only that, but it also increases the braking force if the driver is not applying enough force to the brakes to prevent a collision. Some AEB systems are also designed with sensors to detect pedestrians and cyclists.

Blind Spot Warning (BSW)---Is a system that uses cameras, radar, and/or ultrasonic sensors alongside your vehicle to detect vehicles you can’t see that are next to or behind your car. In the basic system, the driver will see a visual warning in the sideview mirror. In more feature-heavy systems, that warning may also include an audible beep or steering wheel vibration if you activated the turn signal and the sensors detect an unsafe merge or lane change about to occur.

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning (RCTW)---is an advanced safety feature that informs the driver if a vehicle (or pedestrian or cyclist) is approaching from the left or right when the driver's vehicle is in reverse and is backing out of a parking space.

Safety Features Are Not Standard in All Makes and Models

A recent update from Consumer Reports tells us that the aforementioned safety features only come standard on certain models or trim packages. “...automakers often make you pay extra to get it, and some don’t even include it on the base trim line. That’s just wrong...consumers shouldn’t be forced into a more expensive vehicle just to stay safe.”

In fact, CR analyst have this to say on the best car safety features:

To help car buyers find affordable compact SUVs available ranging in price from $25,000 to $35,000 that come standard with active safety systems, CR analysts have come up with the following selection of reliable compact SUVs that scored well in road tests, proven to be reliable, and carry---at the very least---standard AEB with pedestrian detection and AEB that operates at highway speeds. Some models listed also have standard BSW and RCTW. 

A summary of those vehicles that includes price, mileage, model category rating, and their safety features is provided below. All models are listed in order of their Overall Score rating from Consumer Reports.

1. Honda CR-V Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $32,400 - $39,100

CR MPG:  Overall 35 / City 31 / Hwy 38 mpg

Rated #1 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW (hybrid)
• RCTW (hybrid)

 

2. Subaru Forester 2023

Price Range:  $26,395 - $36,795

CR MPG:  Overall 28 / City 20 / Hwy 38 mpg

Rated #2 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

3. Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $31,350 - $44,760

CR MPG:  Overall 35 / City 29 / Hwy 40 mpg

Rated #4 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

4. Nissan Rogue 2023

Price Range:  $27,360 - $38,990

CR MPG:  Overall 25 / City 17 / Hwy 34 mpg

Rated #5 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

5. Kia Sportage Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $27,490 - $43,190

CR MPG:  Overall 36 / City 31 / Hwy 39 mpg

Rated #7 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

6. Mazda CX-50 2023

Price Range:  $27,550 - $42,300

CR MPG:  Overall 24 / City 16 / Hwy 33 mpg

Rated #8 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

7. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $28,275 - $39,530

CR MPG:  Overall 37 / City 32 / Hwy 41 mpg

Rated #9 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

8. Toyota Corolla Cross 2023

Price Range:  $23,610 - $31,065

CR MPG:  Overall 28 / City 21 / Hwy 35 mpg

Rated #3 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

9. Mazda CX-5 2023

Price Range:  $26,700 - $39,650

CR MPG:  Overall 24 / City 17 / Hwy 33 mpg

Rated #11 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

10. Ford Escape Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $28,000 - $40,500

CR MPG:  Overall 34 / City 30 / Hwy 38 mpg

Rated #15 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

11. Honda HR-V 2023

Price Range:  $23,800 - $29,400

CR MPG:  Overall 27 / City 19 / Hwy 37 mpg

Rated #4 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

12. Mitsubishi Outlander 2023

Price Range:  $27,895 - $49,995

CR MPG:  Overall 25 / City 17 / Hwy 34 mpg

Rated #13 of 24 Compact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW
• RCTW

 

13. Chevrolet TrailBlazer 2023

Price Range:  $22,100 - $27,700

CR MPG:  Overall 27 / City 19 / Hwy 37 mpg

Rated #5 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection

 

14. Kia Seltos 2023

Price Range:  $23,340 - $28,840

CR MPG:  Overall 28 / City 20 / Hwy 35 mpg

Rated #6 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Standard Safety Systems
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB

 

And finally…

For additional articles related to safety, here are a few for your consideration:

Timothy Boyer is Torque News Tesla and EV reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily Tesla and electric vehicle news.

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