Safest Cars of 2008

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety selected its Top Safety Picks for 2008. A total of 34 vehicles were chosen, with 11 new vehicles being added to the list including three Hondas (Accord, Odyssey and Element), two Toyotas (Highlander and Tundra) and two BMWs (X3 and X5).

Next Slide: More safety to qualify

To qualify as a Top Safety Pick, vehicles have to be equipped as standard with electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing. Vehicles are tested for side, rear and frontal impacts.

Next Slide: Pickups now included

Audi's sporty compact scores highly in front, side, and rear crash tests by way of its side airbags, front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags, alongside its optional rear seat-mounted torso airbags. ABS also comes standard.

Subaru's pocket-rocket now also has a well-earned reputation for safety, perhaps naturally considering the speeds some of these will almost inevitably reach. Curtain airbags that deploy from the roof protect rear-seat passengers on impact, alongside front seat-mounted torso airbags and ABS.

This Bimmer comes with front and rear head curtain airbags and front door-mounted torso airbags as standard, alongside optional rear door-mounted torso airbags. Introduced for 2008 models, the X3 has rollover sensors which deploy the side curtain airbags as soon as the car's myriad electronic chips sense it may roll.

Introduced in 2007 and based in part on the Santa Fe, the Veracruz has maintained the Korean carmaker's recently forged reputation for safety with strong safety ratings across the board for head and neck, chest, and leg and foot. This one packs side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. (**built after August 2007)

Refitted for 2008, Toyota's midsize SUV registered good performance in front, side and rear tests. Dummy movement was well controlled in front impact. Measures taken from the neck, chest, and both legs indicated low risk of injuries to these body regions after impact.

Redesigned for 2007, Toyota's full-size pickup was rated good - and the best in its class - for front, side and rear-impact tests, although tests indicated some injuries were possible to head and neck, and left foot. That wasn't, however, enough to keep it off the list of 2008's safest.