Traditional air-bag systems mounted in the car's steering wheel and elsewhere use a hot gas to rapidly inflate the bag during a crash.

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That means that even if an air bag is deployed, the steering wheel may go around or under it and directly hit the driver.

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From those finalists, we then awarded points to cars that offer the following as standard on at least one trim level: all-wheel drive, leather front seats, an XM radio subscription, Bluetooth capability, cruise control, advanced air bag protection and remote entry.

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