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

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.

Unfortunately, however, that level of safety comes at a price for consumers reports CR automotive experts.

"With every model year, more vehicles are coming with active safety systems such as blind spot warning and automatic emergency braking. However, many automakers continue to make consumers pay extra to get it, and some don't even include these features on the base trim line," says CR analysts in their latest newsletter.

That's just wrong. While most automakers have finally made forward collision warning (FCW) standard equipment, many other features are still optional or not available on some trim levels…Consumers shouldn't be forced into a more expensive vehicle just to stay safe." —Consumer Reports June 2025

Standard Active Safety Systems Car Shoppers Want

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. 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. AEB systems today are also designed with sensors to detect pedestrians and cyclists.

Blind Spot Warning (BSW): This 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 activate the turn signal and the sensors detect an unsafe merge or lane change about to occur.

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning (RCTW): This 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.

In particular, car shoppers need to be aware that in many older models, not all safety features came standard or as an option.

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

With their latest recommended compact SUV choice for car shoppers, CR analysts have this to say about car safety features:

"Below is our list of compact SUVs that cost between $25,000 and $35,000 and have standard AEB with pedestrian detection and AEB that operates at highway speeds. Many of them also have standard BSW and RCTW, though some models don't offer these two features on all trim levels."

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

SUBCOMPACT and COMPACT SUVS

1. Subaru Crosstrek 2025

Price Range: $26,560 - $33,360

CR MPG: Overall 29 / City 20 / Hwy 41 mpg

#1 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features come standard. BSW and RCTW are not available on the base trim; they're optional on the Premium and Sport, and standard on the rest of the line.

2. Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 2025

Price Range: $28,395 - $31,580

CR MPG: Overall 41 / City 34 / Hwy 47 mpg

#2 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW aren't available on the base Hybrid S but are standard on all other trims.

3. Honda HR-V 2025

Price Range: $25,400 - $31,000

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

#3 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features come standard. Neither BSW nor RCTW is available on the base LX model.

4. Mazda CX-30 2025

Price Range: $24,995 - $36,950

CR MPG: Overall 27 / City 18 / Hwy 37 mpg

#5 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

5. Toyota Corolla Cross 2025

Price Range: $24,135 - $31,680

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

#6 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features come standard. BSW and RCTW are unavailable on the base trim but are standard on the higher trims.

6. Hyundai Kona 2025

Price Range: $24,550 - $33,600

CR MPG: Overall 26 / City 18 / Hwy 36 mpg

#7 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

7. Kia Seltos 2025

Price Range: $24,690 - $31,190

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

#8 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW are unavailable on the base trim.

8. Ford Bronco Sport 2025

Price Range: $30,995 - $40,115

CR MPG: Overall 25 / City 17 / Hwy 35 mpg

#9 of 15 Subcompact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

9. Subaru Forester 2025

Price Range: $29,995 - $43,295

CR MPG: Overall 29 / City 20 / Hwy 39 mpg

#1 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW aren't available on the Base version and are optional only on the second-tier Premium.

10. Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2025

Price Range: $33,465 - $41,295

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

#5 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

11. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2025

Price Range: $28,850 - $40,205

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

#6 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW are not available on the base Hybrid LE.

12. Honda CR-V 2025

Price Range: $30,100 - $50,000

CR MPG: Overall 26 / City 19 / Hwy 33 mpg

#8 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW aren't available on the base LX.

13. Mazda CX-5 2025

Price Range: $28,770 - $40,800

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

#9 of 32 SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

14. Hyundai Tucson 2025

Price Range: $28,705 - $40,145

CR MPG: Overall 26 / City 18 / Hwy 35 mpg

#10 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

15. Nissan Rogue 2025

Price Range: $28,590 - $39,990

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

#13 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

16. Kia Sportage 2025

Price Range: $27,390 - $38,290

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

#12 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW aren't available on the base LX.

17. Kia Sportage Hybrid 2025

Price Range: $28,790 - $37,790

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

#14 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB features come standard. BSW and RCTW aren't available on the base LX.

18. Ford Escape 2025

Price Range: $29,515 - $38,400

CR MPG: Overall 26 / City 17 / Hwy 37 mpg

#17 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

19. Mazda CX-50 2025

Price Range: $30,300 - $43,300

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

#19 of 32 Compact SUVs

Safety Systems: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed features as well as BSW and RCTW.

If you are in the market for a used or slightly used new car, here is a recent article titled "Best Used Cars: Consumer Reports' Top Picks for June 2025."

For an additional recent Consumer Reports recommendation, be sure to check out the "10 Best SUVs You Can Buy Right Now for the Road Trip Ahead."

COMING UP NEXT: Most Fuel-Efficient Used Compact SUVs Recommended Today

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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