GM MINIVANS SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN CRASH TESTS!

The 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6, Saturn Relay and Buick Terraza, newly redesigned General Motors minivan models, offer better protection for occupants than do earlier versions, according to the results of crash tests conducted by the insurance industry. The Uplander and its three corporate cousins earned the top overall rating of good from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, an industry funded organization.

The group, which released the test results on Sunday, noted that GM's earlier minivan designs were among the worst performing vehicles in the institute's frontal offset crash tests. The tests, performed under the same conditions, were last conducted in 1996. In tests of small pickup trucks, four vehicles -- the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier -- were rated good.

The Tacoma earned a "best pick" designation. Among all minivans, the institute gave the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey its best pick in the frontal tests. The models received the top rating of good.