2011 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
2012 Fiat 500 2-door hatchback
applies only to vehicles built after July 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Fiesta 4-door hatchback
applies only to vehicles built after July 2010
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Fiesta 4-door sedan
applies only to vehicles built after July 2010
Small cars
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chevrolet Cruze 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Chevrolet Sonic 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chevrolet Volt 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Ford Focus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Honda Civic 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011 Honda Civic 4-door sedan
except Si model
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Hyundai Elantra 4-door sedan
applies only to vehicles built after March 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Kia Forte 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011 Kia Soul 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lexus CT 200h 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback
applies only to vehicles built after December 2010
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
applies only to vehicles built after December 2010
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mini Countryman 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-door sedan
Except 4-wheel drive
Top Safety Pick
2011 Nissan Cube 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Nissan Juke 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Nissan Leaf 4-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Scion tC 2-door hatchback
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Scion xB 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2011 Subaru Impreza 4-door sedan
except WRX
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback
applies only to vehicles built after December 2010
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen Golf 4-door hatchback
4-door models
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen GTI 4-door hatchback
4-door models
Midsize cars
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Audi A3 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chrysler 200 4-door sedan
4-door models
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Dodge Avenger 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Fusion 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Kia Optima 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4-door wagon
Top Safety Pick
2012 Volkswagen Passat 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volvo C30 2-door hatchback
Midsize luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Audi A4 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lincoln MKZ 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen CC 4-door sedan
Does not apply to 4-wheel drive models.
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volvo S60 4-door sedan
Large cars
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Buick LaCrosse 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Buick Regal 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chrysler 300 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Dodge Charger 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Taurus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan
Large luxury cars
Top Safety Pick
2012 Audi A6 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 BMW 5 series 4-door sedan
Except 4-wheel drive and V8 models
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Cadillac CTS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Hyundai Equus 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Hyundai Genesis 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Infiniti M37/M56 4-door sedan
excluding M56x 4-wheel-drive models
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lincoln MKS 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2-door coupe
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011 Saab 9-5 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volvo S80 4-door sedan
Small SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2011 Honda Element 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011 Hyundai Tucson 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Jeep Patriot 4-door SUV
with optional side torso airbags
Top Safety Pick
2011 Kia Sportage 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Subaru Forester 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen Tiguan 4-door SUV
Midsize SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chevrolet Equinox 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Dodge Durango 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after May 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Dodge Journey 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Edge 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after February 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Explorer 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford Flex 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 GMC Terrain 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011 Kia Sorento 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after March 2010
Top Safety Pick
2011 Saab 9-4X 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Subaru Tribeca 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Toyota Venza 4-door SUV
Midsize luxury SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Audi Q5 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Cadillac SRX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011 Infiniti EX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lexus RX 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lincoln MKT 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Lincoln MKX 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after February 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Mercedes-Benz GLK 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volvo XC60 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volvo XC90 4-door SUV
Large SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Buick Enclave 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after January 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Chevrolet Traverse 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after January 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 GMC Acadia 4-door SUV
applies only to vehicles built after January 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Volkswagen Touareg 4-door SUV
Minivans
Top Safety Pick
2012 Chrysler Town & Country minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Honda Odyssey minivan
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Toyota Sienna minivan
Top Safety Pick
2012 Volkswagen Routan minivan
Large pickups
Top Safety Pick
2011-12 Ford F-150 crew cab pickup
applies only to vehicles built after February 2011
Top Safety Pick
2011 Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup
2011 criteria
To qualify for 2011 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests and must offer electronic stability control.