34 Vehicles Get Top IIHS Honor
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced the winners of its 2008 Top Safety Picks, and the number has more than doubled since last year, up to 34 this year. The gains came mostly thanks to adjustments from automakers for better crash-test performance. In order to win a Top Safety Pick designation, vehicles had to earn the highest rating possible in front, side and rear crash testing, while also coming equipped with an electronic stability system.
Because they make adjustments in braking and steering, stability systems helps avoid crashes from happening in the first place. IIHS estimates that U.S. drivers would avoid 10,000 fatal crashes each year if every vehicle on the road were equipped with a stability system. An additional 26 vehicles would have won the award if they had included better designs for seat and head restraints, which led to poor results in rear-impact simulations. Lists of both the winners and the just-missed can be found below.
Winners
Large cars
- Audi A6
- Ford Taurus (with optional stability system)
- Mercury Sable (with optional stability system)
- Volvo S80
Midsize cars
- Audi A3, A4
- Honda Accord
- Saab 9-3
- Subaru Legacy (with optional stability system)
Midsize convertibles
- Saab 9-3
- Volvo C70
Small car
- Subaru Impreza (with optional stability system)
Minivans
- Honda Odyssey
- Hyundai Entourage
- Kia Sedona
Midsize SUVs
- Acura MDX, RDX
- BMW X3, X5
- Ford Edge, Taurus X
- Honda Pilot
- Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz (built after August 2007)
- Lincoln MKX
- Mercedes M-Class
- Saturn Vue (built after Dec. 2007)
- Subaru Tribeca
- Toyota Highlander
- Volvo XC90
Small SUVs
- Honda CR-V, Element
- Subaru Forester (with optional stability system)
Large pickup
- Toyota Tundra
Also-Rans
These vehicles would have won if their seat/head restraints also had earned good ratings.
- Acura RL, TL
- BMW 3 Series
- Chrysler Sebring convertible
- Infiniti M35, M45
- Kia Amanti
- Lexus ES 350, GS 350/460, IS 250/350
- Nissan Pathfinder (with optional side airbags), Quest, Xterra (with optional side airbags)
- Toyota Avalon, Camry, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner, Prius, RAV4, Sienna
- Volkswagen Eos, Jetta, Passat, Rabbit
