2011 Top Safety Picks By The IIHS

Their name is a little hard to remember, but if you are in the market for a new or used auto, you definitely do not want to forget who the IIHS is.  Formed over 50 years ago, the mission of the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) is to help reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage. 

Owned by a network of some of the main auto insurance companies in the US, you can bet that the IIHS is taking a very comprehensive approach to understanding what vehicles are the safest to drive, as this information can help insurance companies better estimate the costs associated with repairing a vehicle or the personal injury that can occur, if the vehicle is in an accident.

So, remember to keep safety high on your list of items you measure as you are comparing different autos.  Here is the IIHS's full list of Top Safety Picks for 2011, based on their auto categories:

Minicars

Ford Fiesta (sedan and hatchback models built after July 2010)

Small Cars

Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Volt

Ford Focus 4-door

Honda Civic 4-door (except Si) with optional ESC

Hyundai Elantra (built after March 2011)

Kia Forte (only sedan models)

Kia Soul

Lexus CT 200h

Mazda 3 (sedan and hatchback models built after December 2010)

Mini Cooper Countryman

Mitsubishi Lancer (only 2-wheel drive sedan models)

Nissan Cube

Nissan Juke

Nissan Leaf

Scion tC

Scion xB

Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon models except WRX)

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Prius (built after December 2010)

Volkswagen Golf (only 4-door models)

Volkswagen GTI (only 4-door models)

Midsize Moderately Priced Cars

Audi A3

Chevrolet Malibu

Chrysler 200 (only 4-door models)

Dodge Avenger

Ford Fusion

Hyundai Sonata

Kia Optima

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Volkswagen Jetta Sedan

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

Volvo C30

Midsize Luxury/Near Luxury Cars

Audi A4

Lincoln MKZ

Mercedes C class

Volkswagen CC (except 4-wheel drive models)

Volvo S60

Large Family Cars

Buick LaCrosse

Buick Regal

Chrysler 300

Dodge Charger

Ford Taurus

Toyota Avalon

Large Luxury Cars

BMW 5 series (except 4-wheel drive and V8)

Cadillac CTS (only sedan models)

Hyundai Equus

Hyundai Genesis

Infiniti M37/M56 (except M56x 4-wheel drive)

Lincoln MKS

Mercedes E class 2-door

Mercedes E class 4-door

Saab 9-5

Volvo S80

Small SUVs

Honda Element

Hyundai Tucson

Jeep Patriot (with optional side torso airbags)

Kia Sportage

Subaru Forester

Volkswagen Tiguan

Midsize SUVs

Chevrolet Equinox

Dodge Journey

Ford Edge (built after February 2011)

Ford Explorer

Ford Flex

GMC Terrain

Hyundai Santa Fe

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Kia Sorento (built after March 2010)

Subaru Tribeca

Toyota Highlander

Toyota Venza

Midsize Luxury SUVs

Audi Q5

Cadillac SRX

Infiniti EX35

Lexus RX

Lincoln MKT

Lincoln MKX (built after February 2011)

Mercedes GLK

Saab 9-4X

Volvo XC60

Volvo XC90

Large SUVs

Buick Enclave (built after January 2011)

Chevrolet Traverse (built after January 2011)

GMC Acadia (built after January 2011)

Volkswagen Touareg

Minivans

Honda Odyssey

Toyota Sienna

Large Pickups

Ford F-150 (only crew cab models built after February 2011)

Toyota Tundra (only crew cab models)

You can check out the full details on IIHS Safety Ratings on the IIHS Site, and you can find more information such as Photos, Pricing, and Specs on all of these auto in our New Auto section.