Victoria Nissan

VICTORIA, TX --- Nissan's flagship, the all-new 2009 Maxima, is scheduled to arrive before in just days. This 290 horsepower monster will take on the best from the US, Japan, and Europe to put the Maxima at the top of the luxury sport sedan category. For availability and specifications, call Hutch Pine at 361-533-1205, or email at hpine@victorianissan.com 

Murano wins Top Safety Pick designation: The Murano has been redesigned for the 2009 model year and ESC, previously an option, now is standard equipment. This is the only SUV in the group recently tested to earn good ratings in all 3 Institute tests, and it's 1 of only 2 in this group to earn a good rating for protection against whiplash injury in rear-end crashes.

Whiplash usually isn't life-threatening, but it can be debilitating and difficult to recover from. Whiplash is the most serious injury reported in about 2 million insurance claims each year, which cost at least $8.5 billion. Rear impacts are common in everyday commuter traffic. In one urban county in Virginia, 63 percent of daytime crashes on urban interstate highways in 2003 were rear impacts.

"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," Nolan says. "The Murano is the only SUV in the group that does this."

The Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler 4-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.