When buying a car, what’s most important to you? Is it cost? Reliability? Safety? Whether other drivers would buy it again?
If it is safety that’s paramount, then you might want to consider the results of the annual Top Safety Picks awards, released by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).
The following is each year’s list of winners since the IIHS started recognizing what vehicles they considered safest. If you’re thinking of buying a new car, or a gently used vehicle, this list might just help you decide what car fits your needs best.
Released at the end of each year, this is the current list of winners; all 72 of them! The Top Safety Picks award recognizes vehicles that, according to IIHS tests, do the best job of protecting drivers and passengers in front, side, and rear crashes.
LARGE CAR
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80
MIDSIZE CAR
Acura TL and TSX
Audi A3 and A4
BMW 3 series (4-door models)
Ford Fusion (with optional Electronic Stability Control – ESC)
Honda Accord (4-door models)
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan (with optional ESC)
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta and Passat
MIDSIZE CONVERTIBLE
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70
SMALL CAR
Honda Civic (4-door models with optional ESC except Si models)
Thirty-four vehicles were featured of all 2008 models. These automobiles were identified by the IIHS as doing the best job of protecting people in the vehicles during front, side, and rear crash tests.
LARGE CAR
Audi A6
Ford Taurus (with optional Electronic Stability Control - ESC)
Mercury Sable (with optional ESC)
Volvo S80
MIDSIZE CAR
Audi A3 and A4
Honda Accord
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy (with optional ESC)
MIDSIZE CONVERTIBLE
Saab 9-3
Volvo C70
SMALL CAR
Subaru Impreza (with optional ESC)
MINIVAN
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona
MIDSIZE SUV
Acura MDX and RDX
BMW X3 and X5
Ford Edge and Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz (built after August, 2007)
The second year of the IIHS awards identified 13 vehicles: four cars, seven SUVs, and two minivans as doing the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes.
The inaugural awards went to 10 cars: two large car designs, seven midsize and one small car. The awards are meant to identify car designs that offer the best protection for people in front, side, and rear crashes based on IIHS tests.
LARGE CAR
Audi A6
Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego (with optional side airbags)
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