Ford, Audi Sedans Get Top Safety Rating

Ford Motor Co.’s Taurus and Sable sedans and Audi’s A8 won the federal government’s top safety rating in tests to measure protection to occupants in front-end collisions. The models shared five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, indicating the cars offered the best crash protection among vehicles of similar weight. The 1999 Taurus and 1998 Audi A8, made by Volkswagen’s luxury car unit, are among the first vehicles to be tested this year. The tests were also valid for Audi’s 1999 model. The NHTSA also said General Motors Corp.’s EV1 electric car received a three-star rating in frontal crashes. That means the EV1, the first mass-marketed electric car, meets the recommended industry requirement for isolating the car’s batteries and limiting electrolyte spillage in crashes.