The award-winning Cadillac CTS got an impressive 5 stars as the redesigned luxury car earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award for 2008! According to my source, the 2008 CTS along with the Audi A6 and Volvo S80 were the only luxury large luxury cars to receive the title this year. Recipients of Top Safety Pick’s five stars provided better-quality overall crash protection among the vehicles in their divisions. A vehicle must get the highest rating of good in the Institute’s front, side, and rear tests and must be set with electronic stability control to qualify.

"Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard equipment on the CTS. Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," says Institute president Adrian Lund.

"All luxury cars should perform as well as the CTS. It’s a leader in its class for safety. Frontal crashworthiness has improved dramatically for all cars in recent years, but there are still significant differences in how vehicles perform in our side and rear tests,” added Lund.

"You don’t know what kind of crash you’re going to be in," Lund explained. "That’s why it’s important to choose a vehicle that will protect you in all kinds of crashes. The Top Safety Pick designation is intended to help people find the safest choices."