Only two of nine midsize SUVs got the highest rating in crash tests done by an insurance industry group.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says General Motors' Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain received its highest, or "good," rating.
The Toyota Highlander got the second-best "acceptable" rating in tests of 2014 models.
The SUVs generally performed well on six crash tests done by the institute, but only the Equinox and Terrain got "good" ratings in a front overlap crash.
The institute says the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner and Ford Explorer got "marginal" ratings, while the Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9 and Honda Pilot all were rated "poor."
That test mimics what happens when a car's front corner collides with another vehicle or an object like a utility pole.