2011 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave Earn Top Safety Pick

Bengt Halvorson

1 3,231 views Mar 10, 2011

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2011 Chevrolet Traverse

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2011 GMC Acadia Denali

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2011 Buick Enclave

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GM's large crossover vehicles, the 2011 GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, and Buick Enclave, are among the latest to be named Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Picks.

In new roof-strength tests, the GMC Acadia's roof could withstand about four times its weight before significantly deforming, showing that it—and the structurally related Traverse and Enclave—would provide significantly better-than-average protection in the event of a rollover.

We think these full-size crossovers are much better than average, too; in our full reviews, we give them a rating of 9 out of 10 for safety as well as comfort/quality. As we point out in our overviews—of the 2011 Traverse, for instance—these aren't particularly fun vehicles to drive, but they're very comfortable and versatile for family use. And as proven again here, they're very safe.

The IIHS notes that the new 2011 Top Safety Pick accolade only applies to those Traverse, Acadia, and Enclave models made after January 2011, as GM made some running changes that improve roof strength.

In order to be named a Top Safety Pick, the IIHS requires that vehicles include electronic stability control, and that they achieve top 'good' scores in the roof strength test along with frontal, side, and (seat-based) rear impact tests.

[IIHS]