Ask any midsize SUV buyer from the US why he or she thinks owning a midsize SUV is a good idea, and for most, if not all, one of the main attractions is the safety these types of vehicles have been known to offer. However, that would clearly be a bit of a misconception, as the latest batch of crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals.

A total of nine such vehicles were recently tested to see how well they withstand the most brutal of frontal impacts, the small overlap test; only a handful earned laurels.

It was the Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain and Toyota Highlander that were awarded the Top Safety Pick+ rating, taking the simulated crash well, while at the other end of the scales, we have the Honda Pilot, which did not do well at all, scoring the lowest score of the bunch.

The Mazda CX-9, even with its fresh new face, didn’t do much better, while the Kia Sorento, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee were distinctly average at it.

Check out the detailed ratings list as well as the videos posted below.