Consumer Reports Best Midsized SUVs Under $35,000 That Come Standard with Active Safety Systems

SUV Buying Decisions

Deciding on a new SUV today can be bewildering to say the least. The choices available are even greater now than the last time you bought an SUV as your family car now that your trusted model is nearing its end of life. In fact, a broader range of new choices is a good thing as demand from car owners for models that come standard with active safety features offers you a better SUV today than it did yesteryear.

Safety is What Consumers Expect in an SUV

And when it comes to car safety, nothing beats enjoying and benefiting from a level of comfort knowing that you have a vehicle literally and automatically watching your back. For example, active safety systems that include:

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.

Related article: Consumer Reports Best and Worst Car Models with Lane Keeping Assist Systems

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) or Full Self Driving (FSD) available in some makes of cars.

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.

CR Analysts Did the Work for You

To help consumers make a smart and informed purchase decision, automotive analysts from Consumer Reports recently updated their under $35K midsized SUV list to help you find the best SUVs based on safety features and Consumer Reports’ rigorous testing measures and scoring system.

SUV Models that Don’t Make the List and Why

And if you are wondering why some makes and models did not make the list such as models from Subaru---it’s because that “…sometimes automakers don’t include the safety technology as standard equipment on the base trim. That’s why there aren’t any models from Subaru on this list and just one from Toyota. But there are several options for savvy shoppers who want affordable SUVs with key safety equipment,” report CR analysts.

That said, here is CR’s latest listing. For a more detailed breakdown of the data, please visit the Consumer Reports website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

Please note the following safety feature abbreviations used:

• FCW---forward collision warning
• BSW---blind spot warning
• AEB (with pedestrian detection)---automatic emergency braking

Also note that there is now a relatively new safety feature designation and distinction for two levels of one type of automatic emergency braking (AEB):

• Low Speed AEB— Also called city speed AEB, this type of forward emergency braking works at speeds typically below 55 mph.

• Highway Speed AEB— Also called highway AEB, this type of forward emergency braking works at speeds above 55 mph.

The BEST SUVs UNDER $35K TODAY

1. 2022 Kia Telluride
Price Range: $33,390 - $45,190
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 14 / Hwy 30 mpg
Rated #1 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row

Standard ADAS Features
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

2. 2022 Hyundai Palisade
Price Range: $33,600 - $48,990
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 15 / Hwy 29 mpg
Rated #3 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row

Standard ADAS Features
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

3. 2022 Buick Envision
Price Range: $31,500 - $41,650
CR MPG: Overall 23 / City 15 / Hwy 33 mpg
Rated #1 of 35 Luxury compact sport-utility vehicles

Standard ADAS Features
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• BSW

4. 2022 Mazda CX-9
Price Range: $35,630 - $47,560
CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 15 / Hwy 32 mpg
Rated #4 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row

Standard ADAS
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

5. 2022 Toyota Venza
Price Range: $33,240 - $40,730
CR MPG: Overall 37 / City 31 / Hwy 42 mpg
Rated #2 of 11 Midsized sport-utility vehicles

Standard ADAS
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

6. 2022 Nissan Murano
Price Range: $33,310 - $46,560
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 15 / Hwy 29 mpg
Rated #4 of 11 Midsized sport-utility vehicles

Standard ADAS
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

7. 2022 Volkswagen Atlas
Price Range: $34,335 - $51,505
CR MPG: Overall 20 / City 13 / Hwy 28 mpg
Rated #7 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row

Standard ADAS Features
• FCW
• AEB with pedestrian detection
• Highway-speed AEB
• BSW

And finally...

For more new car articles related to the topic, be sure to check out the following linked articles “Consumer Reports Most Reliable 3-Year-Old Midsized SUVs With Modern Safety Features"; and, “Consumer Reports Recommends This Important Negotiation Point to Focus on When Buying a New Car.”

COMING UP NEXT: Consumer Reports Worst Deals on New Cars Update

Timothy Boyer is Torque News automotive 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 automotive-related news.

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