
The
Saab 9-5 , a large luxury car, is a
TOP SAFETY PICK award winner after earning good ratings for performance in the Institute's roof strength test for rollover protection. This car earlier earned good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection, and it has standard electronic stability control.
To measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle's roof at a constant speed. The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5 inches of crush is compared to the vehicle's weight to find the strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural protection in rollover crashes.