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.