Back in October of 2010 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a new set of
standards for crash safety, raising the bar for the coveted 5 Star

rating by a considerable amount. Initially some 2010 models that did

get a 5 star rating under the old rules did not fair well. The new

crop of vehicles designed with the tougher standards in mind are

doing much better. See the bottom of the page for the NHTSA website to see how your potential purchase stacks up.

2011 BMW 5 Series

The class of 2011 does have some shinning examples, at the top of the list are two cars from oposite
parts of the world and the price spectrum. The 5 Series BMW is at the

top of everyone’s list as the model has legendary reputation for

high performance and safety. The other vehicle that shares the top of

the ratings is from a more humble and affordable price range, The

Hyundai Sonata. Yes Hyundai! Not only that but Hyundai shares the top

honer with Volkswagen for the most cars from a manufacturer that has

excellent ratings at 9 each. That is right VW and Hyundai have nine

cars each in the list.

2011 Hyundai Sonata

For some of us in the industry it is not as big a surprise as it may seem at first. In 2005 Hyundai made
a major investment in opening a design facility in Germany. They also

hired some people away from BMW by paying what many would consider a

Kings Ransom, money well spent in my opinion given the huge jump

Hyundai and Kia have made in the last couple of years.

http://www.safercar.gov/?gclid=CMDW47b3_6UCFUeW7QodSmR8nA