The 2009 Nissan Murano, which was redesigned for the new model year, earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top safety pick award among testing of midsize SUVs.

The Murano was the top performer in front, side and rear testing, earning a rating of good in each test.

"You don't know what kind of crash you're going to get into, so you want a vehicle that affords the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes," IIHS senior Vice President Joe Nolan said. "The Murano is the only SUV in the group that does this."

In the 2009 Murano, electronic stability control is now standard equipment, where it had previously been offered as an option. It was the only SUV in the group recently tested to earn good ratings in all three IIHS tests, and it's one of two SUVS tested to earn a good rating for protection against whiplash injury in rear-end crashes.

The Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler four-door, and Kia Sorento -- all 2008 models -- are the worst performers in the side test. The Liberty, also sold as the Dodge Nitro, and Wrangler earn the second lowest rating of marginal for protection in side crashes. The Sorento earns the lowest rating of poor.

The Mazda CX-7 and CX-9 as well as the Mitsubishi Endeavor earn good ratings for protection in front and side crashes. All three would have won Top Safety Pick if they had good ratings for protection against neck injury in rear-end crashes. The seat/head restraint combinations in both Mazdas are rated marginal for rear crash protection. The Endeavor's is poor.

Whiplash usually isn't life-threatening, but it can be debilitating and difficult to recover from, the IIHS reported. Whiplash is the most serious injury reported in about 2 million insurance claims each year, which cost at least $8.5 billion.

SUV Safety Improving

In 2001, half of the midsize models that were tested earned good ratings in the frontal offset test. In the latest evaluations, all but the Hummer H3 do, and it earns an acceptable rating.

As manufacturers introduce improved designs, more SUVs are qualifying for Top Safety Pick by earning good ratings in all three tests and having electronic stability control.

Institute research indicates that electronic stability control reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by 56 percent and fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32 percent. Many single-vehicle crashes involve rolling over, and this feature reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle rollovers by 80 percent in SUVs and 77 percent in cars.

"Combined with test results released last year, consumers now have nine midsize, moderately priced SUV models that earn our Top Safety Pick designation," Nolan said. "More good news is that manufacturers have been moving quickly to add safety features like stability control and side airbags to their SUV models."