Top 10 Safest Cars for 2008
Number 1 Through 5

The NHTSA Announces Top 5 Safest Cars For 2008

The Top 10 Safest Cars in the United States are typically presented to American consumers through a variety of automotive industry publications and are often displayed and categorized by vehicle type and size (i.e., economy/compact, mid-size sedans, etc.), as well as identified by manufacturer and model year.  For the 2008 model year, the first three vehicles topping the list of the top 10 safest cars as reported by The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States are manufactured by BMW and include the BMW 5 Series, MINI Cooper ( which, although it carries its own brand name, is engineered by BMW) and BMW X5-Series.  The remaining two spots in the first five of the 10 safest cars list are manufactured by Cadillac and have been awarded to the Cadillac CTS and SRX.

Some of the standard safety equipment commonly found in the cars rated highest for safety include telecommunication and informatics systems, such as BMW Assist and General Motor's OnStar System. These safety systems combine various advanced technologies, including GPS, to monitor the vehicle’s location and performance, and will notify emergency personnel in case of an accident, which is especially important if the driver is incapacitated due to the crash.

1 - The BMW 5 Series

The 2008 BMW 5 Series is available in both a luxurious wagon and sedan body style, as well as with rear wheel or all wheel drive powertrains. Some of the more outstanding safety equipment for the 5 Series includes Hill Start and Hill Descent, rear seat side airbags, a lane departure system and a night vision system.

2 - MINI Cooper

The popular and iconic compact MINI Cooper features BMW engineering and provides excellent gas mileage in addition to impressive safety features. Standard side airbags and antilock disc brakes are part of the standard equipment package for all MINI Cooper's, while stability control is available as an option. The convertible style boasts fixed roll bars and the S trim model comes standard with traction control.

3 - BMW X5 Series

The BMW X5 Series is a luxury cross over vehicle that is available in two trims identified as the X5 3.0si and the X5 4.8i. Standard safety features for both trims include front and side curtain airbags for both the first and second rows of seating, as well as traction control, antilock brakes, stability control, and a rollover sensor. Optional safety equipment includes front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.

4 - Cadillac CTS

The Cadillac CTS is a mid-size entry level luxury sport sedan that is available in two trims. Standard safety equipment includes a full array of airbags, including full length side curtain airbags as well as front seat side airbags. Additional safety features include traction control, antilock disc brakes, stability control and General Motor's OnStar communications system which will automatically alert the proper authorities should the driver become incapacitated to do so due to a crash situation.

5 - Cadillac SRX

The Cadillac SRX is a mid-size luxury cross over sport utility vehicle that has earned favorable recognition for its spacious and finely equipped cabin, as well as excellent safety ratings. Standard safety equipment includes front seat side and side curtain airbags for the first and second rows of seating, as well as both a stability control and brake assist system.

Who Decides Which Cars Are Safest

In the United States, there are two predominant organizations that perform the tests and conduct the research that ultimately determines the actual safety rating of each vehicle tested in comparison to others on the market.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, also known as IIHS, is supported entirely by automotive insurers.  The IIHS produces annual lists that apply to each vehicle tested and presents the information in one of the four categories of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, also conducts research and performs crash tests to identify which vehicles are amongst the 10 safest cars.  However, the NHTSA and IIHS perform their crash tests differently, and therefore the results and the information they provide may also differ.  The NHTSA uses a 5 star rating system, with 1 star indicating the lowest level of safety, and 5 stars being representative of the highest safety rating.

Many different automotive industry specialist publications provide annual top ten safest cars lists to help automotive consumers by offering the information they need to make well informed choices about their new or used car purchases.  Some of these automotive industry publications are available in hard copy or Internet only versions, or they may be available as a combination of both.  Smart shoppers will research their vehicles prior to purchase, rather than just trust the automotive dealership sales representative.  Many different automotive industry publications provide valuable information to potential car buyers presented in a variety of unique ways.  However, in general, the one thing all reputable publications share is the source from which they obtain the actual automotive manufacturers that conduct the testing and research that ultimately constitute the actual safety ratings list of the 10 safest cars for any given year.

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