2009 Top Safety Picks
Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.
These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.
Small cars
Top Safety Pick
2009-10 Toyota Corolla 4-door sedan
Top Safety Pick
2010 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback
Large cars
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Avalon 4-door sedan
Small SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota RAV4 4-door SUV
Midsize SUVs
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Venza 4-door SUV
Small pickups
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Tacoma crew cab pickup
Large pickups
Top Safety Pick
2009 Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup
2009 criteria
To qualify for 2009 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, original side, and head restraint tests and must offer electronic stability control.