The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released a new study in which five minivans received the Institute’s "Top Safety Pick" award for rollover protection.  The award winners include the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Volkswagen Routan, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

"Safety-conscious parents shopping for a family hauler should be pleased with today's minivan choices," stated David Zuby, the Institute's chief research officer.

In order to receive a high rollover safety rating, each minivan had to withstand a metal plate being pushed against one corner of their roof at a constant speed, a force equal to 4 times their weight, without caving in 5 inches or more. 

Not all minivans performed as well though.  The Nissan Quest received an "acceptable" rating, while the Kia Sedona was rated "poor," the lowest-possible rating.  Zuby noted that “the ratings show that major differences remain in this segment when it comes to protection in a rollover crash."