IIHS safety awards can change from one model year to the next, even when an SUV carries the same name and general design. The reason is that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety regularly updates its crash tests and award requirements, meaning a vehicle that qualified previously may need to meet tougher conditions to retain recognition.
Comparing the 2024 and 2025 award lists reveals both sides of that change. Some SUVs retained an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ designation, while others disappeared from the list entirely.
The distinction matters to used-car shoppers because the award attached to one model year does not automatically apply to another.
5 SUVs That Kept a Top Safety Pick
1. BMW X1
The BMW X1 provides one of the clearest examples of an SUV carrying its IIHS recognition forward into the next model year. The 2024 IIHS list included the X1 as a Top Safety Pick, and the 2025 list continued that designation for the 2025 X1. The award therefore survived the transition between the two model years.
What makes this particularly relevant is that the X1 sits in the small SUV category, where IIHS applies the same fundamental safety requirements to vehicles competing within that size class.
In 2024, the X1 was listed alongside several other small SUVs receiving either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ recognition. For 2025, IIHS again included the X1 on its small-SUV award list.
The 2025 award was not simply a continuation of the previous year’s page. IIHS’s 2025 criteria required good performance in the small-overlap front test, acceptable or good performance in the updated moderate-overlap front test for Top Safety Pick, a good updated side-impact result, acceptable or good standard headlights, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
That distinction is important when discussing year-over-year safety awards. The X1 did not merely retain a familiar reputation. Its 2025 model remained eligible under the newer award framework.
For someone comparing used X1 examples, this makes the 2024 and 2025 model years particularly interesting from an IIHS award perspective. A buyer should still check the exact vehicle’s equipment and build information because safety ratings can sometimes carry production dates or equipment qualifications.
The award itself is useful evidence, but it should be considered alongside the specific vehicle’s configuration and other safety information.
2. Mazda CX-50
The Mazda CX-50 maintained its place among IIHS’s recognized SUVs across the two model years, and it did so with the stronger Top Safety Pick+ designation. IIHS lists the CX-50 as a 2024-25 Top Safety Pick+ winner in the small SUV category.
That continuous listing is significant because the award requirements were not static. IIHS’s 2024 criteria included a good rating in the small-overlap front test, an acceptable or good result in the updated moderate-overlap front test, a good updated side result, acceptable or good standard headlights, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
The 2025 requirements retained this general structure for Top Safety Pick+, with particularly demanding crash-test requirements.
The CX-50 therefore gives buyers an example of a model that maintained the highest IIHS award level across these two years. It also illustrates why the “+” matters. Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ are separate IIHS designations, with the latter requiring stronger performance in the applicable testing and equipment categories.
Another useful point is that the CX-50’s award covers a vehicle that competes in the small SUV class. IIHS warns that size and weight remain important factors in crash protection, so the award should be interpreted within its category rather than as a universal ranking against every larger vehicle.
For a used shopper, the 2024 and 2025 CX-50 model years provide continuity in IIHS recognition. That does not eliminate the need to inspect the individual vehicle, verify its equipment, and check for recalls. It does show that the model continued to satisfy IIHS’s published award requirements across both years.
The CX-50’s continued Top Safety Pick+ status is therefore useful when comparing model years, especially for buyers who specifically want an SUV with documented IIHS recognition under the newer testing environment.
3. Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V also carried its IIHS recognition from 2024 into 2025, retaining the Top Safety Pick+ award. IIHS lists the HR-V as a 2024-25 Top Safety Pick+ winner in the small SUV category.
Its inclusion matters because the HR-V demonstrates that a smaller SUV could continue meeting IIHS’s increasingly demanding criteria without losing its award between model years. The institute’s 2024 list placed the HR-V among several small SUVs receiving the “+” designation, while the 2025 list continued that recognition.
The award is tied to measurable crash-test and safety-system performance rather than simply the presence of equipment. For Top Safety Pick+ in 2025, IIHS required good results in the small-overlap front test, good performance in the updated moderate-overlap front test, and good performance in the updated side test.
Standard headlights also had to receive an acceptable or good rating, while pedestrian front crash prevention had to meet the required performance level.
That makes the HR-V a useful example of continuity rather than a vehicle receiving recognition only for one isolated model year.
It is also important not to confuse the IIHS award with a guarantee of crash outcomes in every possible collision. IIHS’s testing represents specific controlled scenarios. Real-world crashes can involve different speeds, angles, vehicle sizes, road conditions, and occupant characteristics.
For someone researching a used HR-V, the continued award can help distinguish the 2024 and 2025 model years from vehicles that disappeared from the award list. The buyer should still confirm whether the particular SUV has the equipment and production configuration covered by the IIHS rating.
The two-year continuity gives the HR-V a clear documented safety-award history under the latest IIHS testing framework.
4. Hyundai Tucson
The Hyundai Tucson remained an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ winner across 2024 and 2025, making it another SUV that successfully carried its award forward. IIHS’s 2024 small-SUV list identifies the Tucson as a Top Safety Pick+, and the 2025 list again includes the model with the same designation.
This example is particularly useful because Tucson did not merely remain on the award list at the standard Top Safety Pick level. It retained the more demanding “+” designation.
IIHS’s award requirements changed significantly over the years as the institute introduced tougher crash tests. By 2024, the criteria included the updated moderate-overlap front test and updated side test, along with pedestrian front crash prevention and standard-headlight requirements. The 2025 criteria continued these demanding evaluations.
A vehicle maintaining Top Safety Pick+ recognition across this period therefore gives buyers a straightforward example of safety performance that remained competitive under the institute’s current methodology.
The Tucson’s position also demonstrates why year-to-year comparisons should be made carefully. A model retaining an award does not necessarily mean its crash performance improved dramatically from one year to the next. In many cases, the more accurate interpretation is that the vehicle continued to meet the applicable criteria.
For used buyers, this can be valuable when comparing two otherwise similar Tucson examples. A 2024 model and a 2025 model both appear in the IIHS award record with Top Safety Pick+ recognition, giving the shopper a consistent safety reference point.
Still, the exact vehicle should be checked for equipment differences, production restrictions, and recalls. IIHS awards are tied to specific tested configurations and published conditions, so buyers should not assume that every trim or production version automatically has identical results.
The Tucson’s continued designation is therefore a useful piece of evidence when assessing its two model years.
5. Volvo XC90
The Volvo XC90 represents the larger SUV side of this comparison and maintained its Top Safety Pick+ status from 2024 into 2025. IIHS lists the XC90 among its 2024-25 Top Safety Pick+ winners in the midsize luxury SUV category.
Its inclusion is useful because IIHS does not treat all SUVs as one category. The XC90 competes in the midsize luxury SUV class, while the X1, HR-V, CX-50, and Tucson discussed above fall into the small SUV category.
IIHS specifically cautions that larger and heavier vehicles generally provide more protection to occupants than smaller and lighter vehicles, so awards should be interpreted within their respective classes.
The XC90’s continued “+” designation means its applicable 2024 and 2025 configurations satisfied the institute’s requirements for the higher award.
The 2025 criteria included good results in the small-overlap front test, updated moderate-overlap front test, and updated side test, along with acceptable or good standard headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention performance.
For a used buyer, the significance is continuity. A 2024 XC90 did not lose its IIHS recognition simply because the calendar moved into the next model year. The 2025 model remained listed as a Top Safety Pick+.
That makes the XC90 another example of how an award can remain attached to a model across consecutive model years.
However, the award should not be treated as a complete ownership assessment. It does not measure reliability, maintenance cost, fuel economy, or every possible safety scenario. It specifically reflects IIHS testing and award criteria.
The XC90’s two-year listing is valuable precisely because it provides documented evidence from the same independent safety organization across consecutive model years.
5 SUVs That Lost Their Top Safety Pick Award
1. Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V provides one of the clearest examples of an SUV that had IIHS recognition in 2024 but did not appear on the 2025 award list. The 2024 IIHS results identify the CR-V as a Top Safety Pick, while the 2025 small-SUV list does not include the CR-V among the winners.
That change deserves context because the CR-V had previously demonstrated strong performance under IIHS testing. In the 2023 and 2024 award records, the model was listed as a Top Safety Pick+, reflecting the applicable requirements for those model years.
By 2024, however, the CR-V was listed as a standard Top Safety Pick rather than the “+” designation. IIHS’s 2024 criteria required good ratings in the small-overlap front test, good performance in the original moderate-overlap test and updated side test, acceptable or good standard headlights, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
The disappearance from the 2025 list therefore does not mean that every 2024 CR-V suddenly became less capable in a crash. It means the model was no longer included among that year’s award winners under the applicable IIHS criteria.
For a used buyer, the distinction is important. A shopper considering a 2024 CR-V can still examine its actual IIHS test results rather than treating the absence of a 2025 award as a retroactive change to the earlier vehicle.
The year-over-year difference is nevertheless worth knowing. Buyers who prioritize current IIHS award recognition should distinguish between a 2024 vehicle carrying an award and a 2025 vehicle that does not appear on the winner list.
That is precisely why checking the award year matters when comparing otherwise similar used SUVs.
2. Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 is another model that appeared on the 2024 IIHS award list but was absent from the 2025 winners. In 2024, IIHS listed the RAV4 as a Top Safety Pick, while the 2025 small-SUV results no longer included the RAV4 among the award recipients.
The change is notable because the RAV4 had a long history of IIHS recognition. The 2023 and 2024 award records show the RAV4 carrying Top Safety Pick status across those model years.
This makes the year-over-year comparison more informative than simply looking at a single award page. The RAV4 had established a pattern of recognition, then disappeared from the 2025 list.
IIHS awards are based on a combination of crash-test results and safety equipment. In 2024, Top Safety Pick required good results in the small-overlap front test, the original moderate-overlap front test, and the updated side test, along with acceptable or good headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention.
The 2025 criteria continued to require strong performance but used an updated moderate-overlap test for Top Safety Pick, with Top Safety Pick+ requiring an even stronger result.
That change in methodology is one reason a year-to-year award comparison needs careful wording.
A 2024 RAV4 does not lose its historical award simply because the 2025 model is absent. Its 2024 recognition remains attached to the vehicle and the testing conditions under which it qualified.
For someone buying used, this creates an important distinction between the vehicle’s documented safety performance and the latest award status. A buyer should review the specific model year, trim, and available IIHS test information instead of assuming that the newer model is automatically identical to the previous year’s safety configuration.
The RAV4’s disappearance from the 2025 award list is therefore a significant year-over-year change, but it is not by itself evidence that the earlier vehicle was unsafe.
3. Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage had Top Safety Pick recognition in 2024 but did not appear among the 2025 IIHS award winners. The 2024 small SUV list identifies the Sportage as a Top Safety Pick, while the 2025 list does not include it.
The model’s history makes this especially interesting because IIHS had recognized the Sportage under earlier testing as well. The 2022 and 2023 award records show the Sportage receiving Top Safety Pick recognition, while the 2024 list continued that status.
A change in award status should therefore be examined against the testing framework rather than treated as a simple judgment about the vehicle.
IIHS’s 2024 Top Safety Pick requirements included a good small-overlap front result, good original moderate-overlap performance, a good updated side result, acceptable or good standard headlights, and acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
The 2025 framework introduced an updated moderate-overlap requirement for Top Safety Pick. That means the threshold for maintaining recognition can change even when the SUV itself does not undergo a dramatic redesign.
For used shoppers, the 2024 Sportage remains a vehicle that earned its IIHS award under the 2024 requirements. The absence of the Sportage from the 2025 list should instead be viewed as a separate piece of information about the newer model year.
This distinction becomes particularly useful when a buyer is comparing a discounted 2024 vehicle with a newer model. The older SUV’s award should not be erased from consideration simply because the next year’s model failed to appear on the winner list.
At the same time, buyers interested specifically in current IIHS recognition should understand that the 2025 Sportage was not listed among the award winners.
The Sportage demonstrates how quickly an established safety designation can change when testing requirements become more demanding.
4. Lexus UX
The Lexus UX was listed as a Top Safety Pick in the 2024 IIHS small-SUV results, but it was absent from the 2025 winners. The 2024 listing identifies the UX as a Top Safety Pick, while the 2025 small SUV award list does not include the model.
This model also has an established history with IIHS. In 2023, the UX was listed as a Top Safety Pick+, and the 2023-24 designation continued into the following model year.
That history makes the 2025 absence particularly useful for illustrating the difference between an award and a permanent reputation. A vehicle can have several years of strong IIHS recognition and still disappear from a later annual award list.
The 2024 criteria under which the UX earned recognition included strong crash-test performance and required safety equipment. IIHS’s award methodology also evaluates pedestrian front crash prevention and headlights, meaning the result is not based solely on structural crash performance.
The 2025 list used revised requirements, and the UX does not appear among the small SUVs receiving either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ recognition.
For a used buyer, the practical lesson is to identify the exact model year before discussing an IIHS award. A 2024 UX can legitimately be described as an IIHS Top Safety Pick, while the same statement should not automatically be applied to a 2025 vehicle.
That distinction is particularly important for listings and dealership advertisements, where safety-award language can sometimes refer to an earlier model year.
The UX therefore provides a clear example of how an award can disappear without changing the historical status of the preceding model year.
5. Mitsubishi Outlander
The Mitsubishi Outlander rounds out the five SUVs that appeared on the 2024 IIHS award list but did not carry recognition into 2025. IIHS listed the 2024 Outlander as a Top Safety Pick, while the 2025 award list does not include the Outlander among the recognized small SUVs.
Its award history extends beyond a single year. The 2022 and 2023 IIHS results show the Outlander receiving Top Safety Pick+ recognition, with the 2023-24 listing continuing the award into 2024.
The progression is interesting. The Outlander had a period of Top Safety Pick+ recognition, then appeared as a Top Safety Pick in the 2024 list before disappearing from the 2025 winners.
That sequence illustrates why readers should distinguish between the two IIHS awards. Top Safety Pick+ requires stronger performance in several categories than the standard Top Safety Pick designation. A change from “+” to the standard award is already a meaningful difference, while disappearance from the award list represents another change.
For 2024, IIHS required good results in the small-overlap front test, the original moderate-overlap front test, and the updated side test for Top Safety Pick, along with acceptable or good headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention. The 2025 criteria introduced an updated moderate-overlap requirement for the standard award.
A used 2024 Outlander therefore retains its historical 2024 award regardless of what happened on the 2025 list. The later absence should not be used to rewrite the earlier test result.
For buyers, this distinction matters when comparing prices across model years. A 2024 Outlander with documented IIHS recognition is different from a 2025 model that does not appear on the award list.
The Outlander shows why annual IIHS lists are best read as snapshots of a vehicle’s performance under a specific set of requirements rather than permanent labels attached to a nameplate.
