August 2006
Crash tests: Small SUVs & sedans
Air bags alone do not ensure good crash protection
Again and again the crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that side air bags and well-designed head restraints are vital safety components. However, the latest vehicles tested
by IIHS also demonstrate that air bags alone don't guarantee the best protection.
Among that group--the Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage, Kia Optima, Lincoln Zephyr, Toyota Camry, and Toyota RAV4--the Toyotas performed the best in the important front- and side-crashworthiness evaluations.
The Caliber, Camry, and RAV4 all earned Good marks for front crashworthiness but Marginal scores for rear crash protection. However, Consumer Reports gives greater weight to the front- and side-crash performance because rear impacts are much less likely to cause life-threatening injuries.
The 2007 Toyota Camry performed well, earning the IIHS' highest (Good) scores in the front and side crashes. Its Marginal rear-impact scores placed it just after the Chevrolet Malibu, Subaru Legacy, and Volkswagen Passat in IIHS safety rankings.
The Kia Optima earned a Good in front and rear tests, though side crash tests were postponed pending design changes that may influence its performance.
Mediocre results for the Lincoln Zephyr, an upscale relative of the midsized Ford Fusion, are noteworthy. It achieved a second-place Acceptable score for both front and side impacts and Marginal at the rear. That scoring is surprising since most new cars earn a Good in the IIHS front crash these days.
IIHS evaluations show that for most vehicles to do well in a side crash test they must at least have torso bags, the kind that deploy from the seatback or door, and preferably head-level bags as well. But as demonstrated with the Lincoln, air bags alone are no guarantee of good protection.
For instance, the Zephyr managed only an Acceptable rating in the side crash despite having both torso-level and curtain-type side air bags. A 2006 Ford Fusion, upon which the Zephyr is based, was tested without curtain air bags and fared even worse, scoring a Poor. This finding suggests that the curtain bags significantly improved occupant safety. Ford has told the IIHS that it intends to make front-crash improvements to the sedan and has requested a retest later this year.
The new Dodge Caliber showed a different side-crash problem. It had a standard front/rear head-curtain bag but no front-seat torso bag. As a result, the driver dummy sustained serious lower-body "injury," limiting the Caliber's side-impact performance rating to Marginal. In the small-car category, the best all-around crash-test performers are the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza/Saab 9-2X.
The 2006 Toyota RAV4 scored a Good in both front and side-impact tests when equipped with the optional torso and side-curtain air bags, which become standard for 2007. So equipped, the RAV4 ranks second overall in the category behind the Subaru Forester.
Despite the full complement of front and side air bags that come standard with the Hyundai Tucson and its near-twin, the Kia Sportage, those small SUVs achieved only Acceptable scores in front and side tests. They rated Poor in the rear crash test.
THE REAR IMPACT
Relatively few cars have received Good scores in IIHS rear-impact testing. In fact, most still earn Marginal or Poor ratings. Although fatalities are lower than with other impacts, many serious neck injuries result from common rear-end collisions.
The key to rear-impact protection is head-restraint design. Restraints need to be high enough and positioned close enough to the back of the head to cradle an occupant's head in a rear collision. Those restraints that are clearly too low or ill-designed automatically receive a Poor rating from IIHS; those with a chance of providing decent protection are crash-tested.
Out of about 100 cars and SUVs that the IIHS has tested for rear-impact, only 13 have gotten top scores. Besides the Optima noted above, Good rear-impact scores went to the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, Ford Freestyle, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Sonata, Saab 9-3, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, and the Volvo S40, S60, S80, and XC90.
In researching your next new, or even used, vehicle, carefully consider the crash and safety Ratings in the model overview pages. Also see videos of how cars perform in IIHS' front and side crash tests.
Among that group--the Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage, Kia Optima, Lincoln Zephyr, Toyota Camry, and Toyota RAV4--the Toyotas performed the best in the important front- and side-crashworthiness evaluations.
The Caliber, Camry, and RAV4 all earned Good marks for front crashworthiness but Marginal scores for rear crash protection. However, Consumer Reports gives greater weight to the front- and side-crash performance because rear impacts are much less likely to cause life-threatening injuries.
The 2007 Toyota Camry performed well, earning the IIHS' highest (Good) scores in the front and side crashes. Its Marginal rear-impact scores placed it just after the Chevrolet Malibu, Subaru Legacy, and Volkswagen Passat in IIHS safety rankings.
The Kia Optima earned a Good in front and rear tests, though side crash tests were postponed pending design changes that may influence its performance.
Mediocre results for the Lincoln Zephyr, an upscale relative of the midsized Ford Fusion, are noteworthy. It achieved a second-place Acceptable score for both front and side impacts and Marginal at the rear. That scoring is surprising since most new cars earn a Good in the IIHS front crash these days.
IIHS evaluations show that for most vehicles to do well in a side crash test they must at least have torso bags, the kind that deploy from the seatback or door, and preferably head-level bags as well. But as demonstrated with the Lincoln, air bags alone are no guarantee of good protection.
For instance, the Zephyr managed only an Acceptable rating in the side crash despite having both torso-level and curtain-type side air bags. A 2006 Ford Fusion, upon which the Zephyr is based, was tested without curtain air bags and fared even worse, scoring a Poor. This finding suggests that the curtain bags significantly improved occupant safety. Ford has told the IIHS that it intends to make front-crash improvements to the sedan and has requested a retest later this year.
The new Dodge Caliber showed a different side-crash problem. It had a standard front/rear head-curtain bag but no front-seat torso bag. As a result, the driver dummy sustained serious lower-body "injury," limiting the Caliber's side-impact performance rating to Marginal. In the small-car category, the best all-around crash-test performers are the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza/Saab 9-2X.
The 2006 Toyota RAV4 scored a Good in both front and side-impact tests when equipped with the optional torso and side-curtain air bags, which become standard for 2007. So equipped, the RAV4 ranks second overall in the category behind the Subaru Forester.
Despite the full complement of front and side air bags that come standard with the Hyundai Tucson and its near-twin, the Kia Sportage, those small SUVs achieved only Acceptable scores in front and side tests. They rated Poor in the rear crash test.
THE REAR IMPACT
Relatively few cars have received Good scores in IIHS rear-impact testing. In fact, most still earn Marginal or Poor ratings. Although fatalities are lower than with other impacts, many serious neck injuries result from common rear-end collisions.
The key to rear-impact protection is head-restraint design. Restraints need to be high enough and positioned close enough to the back of the head to cradle an occupant's head in a rear collision. Those restraints that are clearly too low or ill-designed automatically receive a Poor rating from IIHS; those with a chance of providing decent protection are crash-tested.
Out of about 100 cars and SUVs that the IIHS has tested for rear-impact, only 13 have gotten top scores. Besides the Optima noted above, Good rear-impact scores went to the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, Ford Freestyle, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Sonata, Saab 9-3, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy, and the Volvo S40, S60, S80, and XC90.
In researching your next new, or even used, vehicle, carefully consider the crash and safety Ratings in the model overview pages. Also see videos of how cars perform in IIHS' front and side crash tests.
