I’ve blogged a lot about the economy and its effect on the automobile industry, but what we haven’t really delved into is the cars themselves, and namely, which ones are the safest. A few names come to mind in terms of safety: Volvo, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Toyota – these are the major European and Japanese auto makers, sure, and they make a great product. But some of the choices for the best cars to be in when you get hit (or hit something) might surprise you.

The 2009 Audi Q7 is probably one of the best choices. It earned five stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), comes with front side airbags (with complete pelvis protection included), whiplash protection for both the driver and the passenger, and energy-absorbing protection under the instrument panels for protection of your legs. Other cars that have been rated highly by the NHTSA include the Saturn Vue, the Volvo XC90 (see, Volvo’s really are safe!), and the Mercedes-Benz M Class.

But, the average consumer is typically more concerned about price than safety in this troubled economy, and that’s understandable. Most of these cars, sans the Benz and the Volvo, ship under $20,000, which will put your wallet at ease. Not only that, but most of them have gas mileage of over 20 MPG, while the Volvo gets only 16 MPG. This isn’t necessairly a bad thing, however, because it is much safer. If I were picking which car I’d buy for safety and price, hands down it would be the Saturn Vue, with roughly 30 MPG it’s one of the most consumer-friendly cars on the road today.

If you want, you can shop around some more. I’d do that.