Top 10 Safest Cars for 2008
Number 6 Through 10

Many people may not be entirely certain what features are required to make a car safe.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates cars according to how well the driver and passenger would survive an automobile crash into a wall or other fixed obstacle at 35 miles an hour.  Unfortunately, each website you check will list different vehicle makes for the top ten safest cars.  Your best bet is to look at the NHTSA rating and their European counterpart, the New Car Assessment Programme.

Car and Driver® rated these vehicles on two things; the first was the ability to avoid collisions; the second was how well any drivers and passengers would survive a collision.  By 2012, the NHTSA has decided that all vehicles sold in the United States will include anti-lock brakes and electronic traction control systems to help prevent collisions.  The US Government insists on a minimum of two airbags in all vehicles, though many come with up to six airbags including side and curtain airbags to prevent head injuries.  Though it is difficult to buy a vehicle that is entirely unsafe, some cars are safer than others.  That is why Car and Driver® came up with their list of the top ten safest cars.

The following is a list of the 6th through 10th top 10 safest cars under $25,000, according to the Car and Driver® website.  For the cars that do not automatically include the side curtain airbags and the electronic traction control systems, Car and Driver® included these options into the price to make sure it still came in under $25,000.

The Mazda CX-7 Sport is the only SUV or crossover SUV that made the Car and Driver® top ten safest cars list.  To keep the price under the $25k limit that Car and Driver® set on their list, you would need to choose the least expensive version of this SUV.  However, even the least expensive Mazda CX-7 Sport earned five star ratings from the NHTSA for both front and side impact crashes. 


7 - Dodge Charger

Since more expensive cars tend to get the best safety features first, you would expect a car that shares a chassis with a Mercedes E-Class to perform very well in both front and side impact crashes.  The NHTSA rates the Dodge Charger with five stars for front impact crashes and four stars for side impact crashes.  Though the stability package and the side and curtain airbags are extras, these additions make the Dodge Charger one of the top ten safest cars.  Additionally, since the Charger is made of sheet metal, the crumple zones will help absorb some of the impact of any crash.


8 - Toyota Camry

Since the Toyota Camry has been around for over 20 years, Toyota has had plenty of time to perfect their sedan for crash tests.  However, since the design of the Camry has not varied much in the last 24 years, you may find that this car looks very similar to many other vehicles in the parking lot of your local mall.  The Camry did get a perfect five stars from the NHTSA in both front and side impact crashes, putting this easy to miss car on the Car and Driver® top ten safest cars list.


9 - Honda Accord

The Accord is a favorite of the editors at Car and Driver® and has appeared on many of their top ten lists.  The Honda Accord has been redesigned for 2008 with even the base models coming with Vehicle Stability Assist.  The stability and performance has brought it to the top of the Car and Driver® list for this year.  NHTSA has already crash tested the 2008 model and gives it five stars for front impact crashes and four stars for side impact crashes.


10 - Volvo C30

You may not expect a Volvo to show up on a top ten safest cars list for under $25,000.  However, the Volvo C30 comes standard with Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC), six airbags, and Volvo’s own whiplash protection system.  The Volvo C30 only scored four stars on the driver’s side front impact; however, it scored five stars on all other NHTSA crash tests, putting it on the Car and Driver® top ten safest cars for under $25,000 list.

Since this list includes only five of the top ten safest cars according to the Car and Driver® website, you will want to go to their website to learn more about the other cars in their list.  If you search online for a list of the top ten safest cars, many other companies have their top ten lists also.  Some of these lists include more SUV’s, or a broader range of types of vehicles, with several from each type.  You will need to read the criteria that each website used to decide on their list of the top ten safest cars to decide what car you want to buy.

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