NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
The Chrysler 300 sedan and its corporate cousin, the Dodge Magnum wagon, received the highest safety rating for passenger cars in the first group of 2005 models tested by the government.
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| The Chrysler 300 in NHTSA's most recent front-end crash test. |
The 4-door Subaru Outback SUV was the only vehicle to score five stars in all four categories, driver and passenger front impact safety and driver and rear passenger side impact safety.
According to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum both received the highest possible score, five stars on a scale of one to five, in three of the four crash test categories. Both models scored four stars for the driver's position in the side impact test.
Other vehicles crash-tested included versions of the Dodge Ram pickup, the Ford Focus, Nissan's Altima, the Toyota Corolla, the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix. The Vibe and Matrix, which received identical ratings, are essentially the same vehicle.
All the vehicles tested scored four stars or higher in every category where a final score was given except the 2-door hatchback version of the Ford Focus, which received three stars for driver safety in a side impact.
A NHTSA spokesman said side crash results for the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix are still under review and that the side crash test on the Nissan Altima will be performed later this year.
NHTSA conducts its front crash test by running the vehicle at 35 mph into a flat barrier. The side impact test is done by pushing a 3,015-pound barrier hitting the vehicle at 38.5 mph. (Clickhere for more details on how to interpret NHTSA and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test scores.)
NHTSA also released rollover resistance ratings for three pickups and one van in this latest round of rollover scores. 4x2 and 4x4 versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and its corporate twin the GMC Canyon, the Dodge Ram 1500 and the Ford Freestar van each received 4-star rollover ratings.
The 4x2 Ford Ranger scored three stars in the rollover rating while the 4x4 Ranger received just two stars. The 4x4 Ranger has a 30.6 percent chance of rollover during a one-vehicle accident, according to NHTSA.
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 | | Vehicle | | Type | | Driver/ Front | | passenger/ Front | | Driver/ Side | | Rear Pass./ Side | | Chysler 300 | Heavy passenger car | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | | Dodge Magnum | Heavy passenger car | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | | Dodge Ram 1500 | Pick-up | 5 | 5 | Not tested | Not tested | | Ford Focus 2-dr hatchback | Compact passenger car | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4* | | Nissan Altima | Medium passenger car | 5 | 5 | To be tested | To be tested | | Pontiac Vibe | Compact passenger car | 5 | 4 | Under review | Under review | | Subaru Outback | SUV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Toyota Corolla | Compact passenger car | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | | Toyota Matrix | Compact passenger car | 5 | 4 | Under review | Under review |
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| * High likelihood of head injury | | Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
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None of the vehicles tipped during NHTSA's "dynamic stability test," in which the vehicles are put through a series of turns at 35 and 50 mph. Vehicles that do not tip have approximately an extra half-star added to the rating, which is otherwise based solely on the vehicles width and the height of its center of gravity.
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