The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently put the wraps on its ratings for SUV safety picks, and several Japanese models came out on top. According to tests that involved front, side, and rear impacts, the 2009 Nissan Murano was rated as the top safety pick. The Mitsubishi Endeavor and Mazda's CX-7 and CX-9 would have earned top rankings as well, but all three models failed to earn good ratings for protection against neck injuries in rear-end crashes. (Both Mazdas were rated marginal, while the Endeavor was rated poor.)

To earn the Top Safety Pick designation, an SUV must rank as good or higher in all three impact tests. They also must be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), a crash prevention technology that monitors how well a car responds to a driver's steering input. Last year, the nation's top transportation officials announced a rule that will require ESC to become standard equipment on every new passenger vehicle sold in America by 2012, which could lead to reduced number of auto claims for insurers.

The Nissan Murano was bolstered by its "good" rating for protection against whiplash injury in rear-end crashes. According to the IIHS, whiplash is the most serious injury reported in about two million insurance claims each year, which cost at least $8.5 billion.