Review Car

Safety Ratings Released for 2011 Models: Hyundai and VW Dominate

When people are looking for a new car, many times their choice will depend upon what type of safety rating the car received from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, instead of focusing on looks. For the 2011 year, the Institute has released 66 cars that bypass their standards and are considered some of the safest on the road. The companies that are leading this list are Hyundai and Volkswagen, with their affiliate brands Kia and Audi.  

The Hyundai and Volkswagen company each received nine awards, while eight awards were awarded to General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation.   

The cars that were specifically recognized by the Institute for Hyundai were the Genesis sedan, Sonata and Santa Fe and the Tucson. Its Kia brand received awards for the Optima, Soul, Forte, Sorrento and Sportage. Volkswagen received awards for its Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen, Golf, GTI, Touareg, and Tiguan. The Audi brand received awards for its A5, A3 and Q5.  

Those who received some awards just not enough to put them in the running for the safest car award, include five awards for Subaru and Chrysler. While, four awards were given to Volvo and Mercedes. Nissan and Honda received two awards each, while BMW and Mitsubishi won one award each.  

For those that are looking to purchase the safest car that is out there, then they are going to find that Hyundai and Volkswagen are going to be their best bets, as well as a Kia or Audi. This may mean that these two automakers find that they have an increased demand for their vehicles. Which will be fine for the automakers, as they are trying to increase their dominance in the American market. And having some of the safest cars on the market is an excellent way to make sure that they do secure themselves a place in the minds and hearts of American consumers.