Safest Vehicles of 2010

Published: Wed 27 Jan 2010

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released its Top Safety Picks for 2010, and the list is unusually short this year. Because of stringent new standards on the roof strength test, only 27 vehicles, 19 cars and 8 SUVs, earned the coveted IIHS award this year. Last year, prior to the introduction of the new roof strength test, a whopping 94 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick award.

The Institute's new roof collision test pushes a metal plate on one side of the vehicle's roof at a constant speed. To earn the highest rating of "Good" in the test, the vehicle must withstand four times its weight without crumpling more than five inches. The strict new test disqualified some of the best-selling cars in the United States from earning the designation, including the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, and the complete Toyota lineup. Interestingly, not a single minivan, convertible, pick-up truck, or large SUV made the Top Safety Pick list for 2010.

Although manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda, and BMW were conspicuously absent from the 2010 list, Subaru came out a clear winner. In fact, Subaru was the only automaker to have a winning vehicle in the four classes in which it competes. Winning a total of five Top Safety Pick awards, Subaru won an award for every vehicle model in its lineup except the WRX STi. Ford and its Volvo subsidiary also did well with six winning vehicles, while Volkswagen and Audi won a combined five awards.

The IIHS' new standards are intended to recommend the vehicles best-equipped to protect drivers in the four most frequent kinds of collisions: front, side, rear, and rollover accidents. The IIHS also required 2010 Top Safety Pick vehicles to offer electronic stability control as a standard or optional feature. Electronic stability control significantly reduces the likelihood of a rollover accident by helping the driver maintain control of the vehicle during emergency maneuvers.

"With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes," explains IIHS president Adrian Lund. "Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety."

Top Safety Picks 2010

See if your vehicle made the list for safest cars of 2010. Or, if you're in the market for a new car, we suggest you consider purchasing one of the vehicles below.

Large Cars

Buick LaCrosse
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80

Small Cars

Honda Civic (four-door models, except Si, with optional electronic stability control)
Kia Soul
Nissan Cube
Subaru Impreza (except WRX)
Volkswagen Golf (four-door models)

Midsize Cars

Audi A3
Chevrolet Malibu (built after November 2009)
Chrysler Sebring (four-door models with optional electronic stability control)
Dodge Avenger (with optional electronic stability control)
Mercedes C-Class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Passat sedan
Volvo C30 (2010-2011 models)

Midsize SUVs

Dodge Journey
Subaru Tribeca
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs

Honda Element
Jeep Patriot (with optional side torso airbags)
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan