2009 Top Safety Picks
Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.
These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.
Minicars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Fit 4-door wagon
Small cars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford Focus 2-door coupe
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Civic 4-door sedan
Except Si model
Top Safety Pick
2010 Honda Insight 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2010 Kia Soul 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2010 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Nissan Versa 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2009 Scion xB 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2009 Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan
4-door sedan and wagon models
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen Rabbit 4-door hatchback
Midsize cars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Audi A3 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2010 Chrysler Sebring 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Dodge Avenger 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Ford Fusion 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Accord 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Mercury Milan 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan
4-door sedan and wagon models
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen Passat 4-door sedan
4-door sedan and wagon models
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volvo C30 2-door hatchback
Midsize luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Acura TL 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Acura TSX 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Audi A4 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 BMW 3 series 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Lincoln MKZ 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Saab 9-3 2-door convertible
Top Safety Pick
2009 Saab 9-3 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen CC 4-door sedan
Midsize convertibles
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen Eos 2-door convertible
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volvo C70 2-door convertible
Large cars
Top Safety Pick
2010 Buick LaCrosse 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Ford Taurus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mercury Sable 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan
Large luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Acura RL 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Audi A6 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Cadillac CTS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Hyundai Genesis 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Lincoln MKS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volvo S80 4-door sedan
Small SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford Escape 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda CR-V 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Element 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mazda Tribute 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mercury Mariner 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mitsubishi Outlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Nissan Rogue 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Subaru Forester 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota RAV4 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volkswagen Tiguan 4-door SUV
Midsize SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2010 Chevrolet Equinox 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2010 Dodge Journey 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford Edge 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford Flex 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford Taurus X 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2010 GMC Terrain 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Pilot 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Hyundai Veracruz 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Nissan Murano 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Saturn VUE 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Subaru Tribeca 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Venza 4-door SUV
Midsize luxury SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2009 Acura MDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Acura RDX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Audi Q5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 BMW X3 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 BMW X5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2010 Cadillac SRX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Infiniti EX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2010 Lexus RX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2010 Lincoln MKT 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Lincoln MKX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Mercedes-Benz M-Class 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Volvo XC90 4-door SUV
Large SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2009 Audi Q7 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Buick Enclave 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Chevrolet Traverse 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 GMC Acadia 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Saturn Outlook 4-door SUV
Minivans
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Odyssey minivan
Top Safety Pick
2009 Kia Sedona minivan
Small pickups
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Tacoma crew cab pickup
Large pickups
Top Safety Pick
2009 Ford F-150 crew cab pickup
Top Safety Pick
2009 Honda Ridgeline crew cab pickup
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup
2009 criteria
To qualify for 2009 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, original side, and head restraint tests and must offer electronic stability control.