Did you know “Wednesday” is named after an old Germanic god named “Woden”? The Germans stopped calling it “Wodenstag” in the 10^th Century, but more than a thousand years later, the English translation is still going strong.

That’s not the kind of the knowledge we pride ourselves on, however. To stay on top of industry trends and to find out what’s happening in the world of cars and drivers, we seek out new studies, reports, and reviews. Here’s our most-recent batch of noteworthy links.

2011 safety rankings

The Mazda 3, the Honda Odyssey, and the MINI Cooper Countryman are among the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top safety picks.

The dummies are getting smarter

Crash-test dummies now have more than 70,000 sensor points, which translates to better data and safer cars.

Avoiding car repair scams

The National Motorists Association offers some useful tips on how to avoid an unexpected and unfair repair bill.

Another way to make cars more efficient

Fibers from bananas and pineapples could be used to make a lighter plastic in new vehicles. And that weight loss should translate to increased MPG.

Come across any good stories that didn’t make our list? Let us know at communications@esurance.com. You can also tweet it or post it.