Top Car Safety Picks for 2009

The IIHS says the number of vehicles that win its top award has doubled in the past year.

Top Safety Picks

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named its "Top Safety Picks" for 2009 Tuesday. 72 cars vehicles earned the top honor which is more than double last year's winners and three times 2007's recipients.

The Top Safety Pick award covers autos that earned the IIHS' best possible ratings for front, side and rear impact protection, and they are available with electronic stability control (ESC), which helps a driver maintain control during emergency maneuvers.

Ford and its Volvo Subsidiary had 16 winners, including the Ford F-150. Honda and its Acura unit had 13 winners. The IIHS, which is funded by insurance companies, pointed out that Honda, Acura and Subaru each have at least one Top Safety Pick in every vehicle class where they compete.

For the first time ever, every class of vehicle tested had a winner, except for microcars. "Consumers are the biggest winners," Institute president Adrian Lund said in a statement. "No matter what kind of vehicle buyers may be considering, now they can walk into just about any dealership and find one that affords the best overall protection in serious crashes."

Chrysler is the only major automaker without a single Top Safety Pick.

Following is a selection of top picks:

Cadillac CTS Photo: Courtesy of General Motors

Large car - Cadillac CTS

The CTS has elegant, sculptured thin-backed front seats that are designed to offer as much support and safety as traditional car seats.

Not only do they look nice, they make things a little roomier for back-seat passengers.

As Cadillac's entry-level model, the CTS is designed to compete against cars like the Mercedes Benz C-class and BMW 3-series.

Midsize car - Honda Accord

Safety has long been a focus for Honda which boasts about the unique energy-absorbing body structure it uses in its cars.

Under the motto of "Safety for everyone" Honda works to reduce injuries not only to occupants but also occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Long one of the best-selling cars in America, the Accord is edgier and more spirited than its top competitor, the Toyota Camry.

Subaru Impreza Photo: Courtesy of Subaru

Small car - Subaru Impreza

While brands like Volvo get a lot of attention for safety, the excellent crash-test scores of brands like Subaru often get overlooked.

Like Honda and its luxury brand, Acura, Subaru has at least one Top Safety Pick in each category in which it competes.

Midsize convertible - Volkswagen Eos

The EOS is a hard-top convertible that even offers an openable sunroof for days when you don't quite want to go all out.

In the event of a side crash, a head-protecting side airbag releases from the top of the door.

Volkswagen and its luxury brand Audi have nine models in the full list.

Minicar - Honda Fit

Only one minicar, the smallest category of vehicle, earned this award.

The Fit, which competes against vehicles like the Toyota Yaris and Chevrolet Aveo, is designed to play the role the Civic once did before it grew into a larger, more expensive car. This is Honda's bargain buy.

In all, Honda and its Acura brand have 13 vehicles in the full list.

Minivan - Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of the nation's most popular minivans. It combines the drive and handling of a sedan with the room of a van.

Safety features include a body structure designed to absorb and spread the impact of frontal crashes, the all-important ESC and safety belts designed to fit children better.

Buick Enclave Photo: Courtesy of General Motors

SUV - Buick Enclave

Of the five winners in this category, four are basically the same vehicle with different looks.

The Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook are all based on General Motors' Lambda platform for three-row crossover SUVs.

As crossovers, they have lighter bodies that lack the heavy underframe of a truck while still maintaining a rigid safety cage for crash protection.

For the complete list of safest cars for 2009, click here.