Top Safety Pick List Slim at 19 Cars, 8 SUVs

ARLINGTON, Virginia — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has issued its 2010 Top Safety Pick list, which bases evaluations on roof strength in rollover accidents for the first time. Because of the tougher standard, the Top Safety Pick designation is given to only 19 cars and eight SUVs this year, a big drop from the 2009 Top Safety Pick list for 2009 that numbered 94 vehicles.

Ford and Volvo together got six of their vehicles named as Top Safety Picks, and Subaru and Volkswagen/Audi got five. Subaru had the distinction of a Top Safety Pick in each of the four categories in which its vehicles were categorized. Chrysler had four. In a shocker, Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subbrands qualified no vehicles as Top Safety Pick. Last year, the Japanese automaker had 11. BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Saab all also failed to get any vehicles named a Top Safety Pick for 2010.

The Nissan Cube and the Kia Soul both made the list in their first year on the market, but the Honda Accord and Ford Fusion were both shut out. IIHS said those two popular models would need to make only minor changes" to improve roof strength and get the rating. The Toyota Camry was off the list because of "marginal" ratings for rear crash protection due to its seats and head restraints, IIHS said.

In addition to the roof strength requirement, a Top Safety Pick vehicle must be equipped with electronic stability control and must achieve the top Good rating in IIHS front, side and rear crash testing.

The full list of 27 Top Safety Picks includes the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Volvo S80 in the Large Cars category. Midsize Car winners were the Audi A2, the late-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, the Chrysler Sebring four-door and Dodge Avenger with optional electronic stability control, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Subaru Legacy and Outback, the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat sedans and the Volvo C30. In Small Cars, the designation goes to Honda Civic four-doors (except Si) with optional electronic stability control, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, Subaru Impreza (except WRX) and the Volkswagen Golf four-door.

In the SUV category, the Dodge Journey, Subaru Tribeca and Volvo XC60 and XC90 took Top Safety Pick honors for midsize SUVs. The Small SUV category winners include the Honda Element, Jeep Patriot with optional side torso air bags, the Subaru Forester and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Inside Line says: Automakers will be making some changes to roof configurations in plenty of time for next year's list. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent