As the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released their honorable list of the Top Safety Picks for 2008, Subaru Impreza was the first small car to be on the praiseworthy line-up.

The 34 vehicles on the list were those who best protects their passengers in front, side and rear crashes based on the IIHS’ test course. All the winners were also equipped with the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System as it also reduce potential crashes.

"With a small car, you have less room to crush up in the front of the vehicle, in the frontal impact, so that's going to make it more difficult for it to perform well," Oesch said from Washington.

"But the Subaru Imprezza did well on our front tests, our side tests and our rear impact test, and when it's equipped with optional stability control, it is one of our top safety picks."

Also according to Oesch, Toyota’s Tundra was the first pick-up truck to make it on the list meeting IIHS’ requirements.

"Up until now there have been very few pickups that have had the side-impact air bags that provide protection in a side impact and the Toyota Tundra is one of the first pickups to include those," he said.

"In addition, it has electronic stability control, which is going to help you in an emergency situation to keep the vehicle under control."

The Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona and the Hyundai entourage were the minivan winners. For the large cars segment, the Audi A6 and the Volvo S80 were the champs. In the small SUV category, the Honda CRV and the Subaru Forester also made it.

The large SUV category was filled with 15 vehicles, making it the category with the majority winners including BMW’s X3 and X5 and the Toyota Highlander.
"SUVs are certainly big sellers now and fortunately we're seeing a lot of manufacturers are paying attention to designing them correctly so that they're going to provide protection in a frontal, side or rear impact," Oesch said.

"And fortunately more of them are being equipped with electronic stability control, which is going to help you keep your vehicle under control in an emergency situation."

The 2008 list is a proof that all automakers are exerting efforts to produce safer and safer cars. According to IIHS, the number of vehicles that made it on the list doubled or easier to say that the Top Safety Picks for 2008 have the most models than ever before.

"At the beginning of the 2007 model year, 13 models qualified, but as manufacturers have made changes and introduced new and safer vehicle designs, 10 additional vehicles qualified during the year. Now another 11 vehicles are being added for 2008," states a news release from the organization.

A list of all the winners:
Large Cars:
• Audi A6
• Ford Taurus with optional ESC
• Mercury Sable with optional ESC
• Volvo S80
Midsize Cars
• Audi A3, A4
• Honda Accord
• Saab 9-3
• Subaru Legacy with optional ESC
Midsize Convertibles
• Saab 9-3
• Volvo C70
Small Car
• Subaru Impreza with optional ESC
Minivans
• Honda Odyssey
• Hyundai Entourage
• Kia Sedona
Midsize SUVs
• Acura MDX, RDX
• BMW X3, X5
• Ford Edge, Taurus X
• Honda Pilot
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Hyundai Veracruz (built after Aug. 2007)
• Lincoln MKX
• Mercedes M class
• Saturn VUE (built after Dec. 2007)
• Subaru Tribeca
• Toyota Highlander
• Volvo XC90
• Small SUVs
• Honda CR-V, Element
• Subaru Forester with optional ESC
Large Pickup
• Toyota Tundra
As for automakers, no vehicle from Chrysler LL made it to the list with its Dodge, Jeep (all with Jeep hard top hoist) and Chrysler brands.