The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) puts all new and fully redesigned cars and light trucks through vigorous safety crash tests, and they recently found the href="http://www.compassautowarranty.com/resources/my-manufacturers-warranty/chevrolet.aspx" title="Chevrolet">Chevrolet Sonic to be the best in its class. The subcompact car was given an overall five-star rating after being award five stars for front and side crash tests and four stars for the rollover test.

"Small cars don't usually come to mind when you think of safety, but Chevy built the Sonic to be tough enough to withstand some serious trauma," said Rick Smith, general manager of a Chevrolet dealership in Maine. "We'll have to wait until the NHTSA releases ratings for all of its test cars before the Sonic can officially be called the safest, but so far its competition has fallen short."

The Sonic beat out the Ford Fiesta, which had five stars for the front crash test but only four stars for side crash and rollover tests. This left the small vehicle with only four stars overall.

Any car, big or small, is safer when it runs well. It's important for drivers to get regular tuneups to keep their vehicles in good shape. This can be expensive, especially if repairs are needed. An extended auto warranty can help cover the cost so drivers don't have to worry about footing the bill.