IIHS: 2007 Top Safety Pick Awards

IIHS Top Safety Picks – Photo Gallery: Four 2007 cars, seven SUVs and two minivans have been recognized by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as doing the best job of protecting occupants in front, side, and rear crashes. For the first time this year, all winners had to have electronic stability control (ESC), although this life-saving technology will not be government-mandated until 2012. "We added ESC because the research is so compelling," says Rader. "It's a must-have feature." Noteworthy is that the list contains a number of SUVs for the first time, "because SUVs have become more crashworthy and, in the case of the winners, have added ESC," said Rader. Big winners this year are Honda/Acura and Hyundai/Kia with two vehicles, and Subaru – which garnered Top Safety Picks for three 2007 models.