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IIHS Announces its Top Safety Picks for 2009
Nov 25 2008 by Sara Lacey
It’s not often that you wake up to car-safety news. I have my alarm set to wake me up to NPR; it’s nice not having some obnoxious clanging sound or some crazy song rousing me from sleep. This morning’s topic of discussion was especially interesting because it was on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2009 Top Safety Picks, which were announced today.
Seventy-two cars and SUVs made the list this year; that’s more than in any other year. The cars on the IIHS list garnered top scores in frontal, side and rear crash tests; they also must have electronic stability systems.
Ford, along with its Mazda and Volvo divisions, has the most cars on the list with 16 (shocker). Honda and Acura have 13 models on the list; the entire Acura lineup made it onto the Top Safety Pick list. Honda, Acura and Subaru each have a Top Safety Pick winner in each vehicle category that they competed in. Also Honda’s Fit is the first minicar to get a Top Safety Pick rating. Nice job!
But none of Chrysler’s cars made it onto this year’s list. “Chrysler is the only major auto manufacturer to not have a single Top Safety Pick. It could have picked up five awards if the head restraints were better in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible, and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country,” according to an IIHS press release.
With more cars on this year’s Top Safety Pick list than in years past, it’s a big win for you, dear readers. You get to feel better about the variety and quantity of cars on the list. And here it is:
Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80
Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 Series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C-Class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat
Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70
Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit
Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control
Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona
Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook
Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M Class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90
Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan
Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra
Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma
