New crash tests show SUVs may not be safer than cars

People often think they are safer in an SUV than a car, but new crash tests show that not all SUVs are created equal. The latest tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that some cars perform better in side crashes than some midsized SUVs, the focus for their most recent test group. While frontal crash tests are only comparable within a vehicle type, IIHS side-impact tests are designed to simulate an impact from a tall SUV and are comparable across vehicle types.

In these latest tests, the Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra, both with optional side- and head-curtain air bags, and the Toyota 4Runner, with standard side- and head-curtain air bags, were the only models to earn a Good rating--the Institute's highest score - in the side-impact test. The Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer, even with side- and head-curtain air bags, earned only an Acceptable rating. The Pathfinder and Xterra, without the optional side- and curtain air bags, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x with standard front- and rear head curtain air bags only, all earned Marginal ratings.

None of these SUVs performed as well as some midsized SUVs tested previously. The Ford Taurus X, Ford Edge, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Subaru Tribeca are all included in the Institute's Top Safety Picks, achieving Good overall ratings in its frontal-, side-, and rear-impact tests.

While it looks like SUVs should fare better than cars hit in the side by a taller SUV, as simulated in IIHS testing, the latest results show that "the structures of some SUVs are weak enough that they are not taking advantage of being higher off the ground," says David Zuby, senior vice president of vehicle research at IIHS.

Of the midsized SUVs covered here, Consumer Reports recommends the Ford Taurus X, Honda Pilot, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota 4Runner, and the Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra.

Read the IIHS report.

Learn more about safety tests in "Crash Test 101" or watch the crash test videos. (Note: These latest tests are not yet available on the CR crash test player.)

--Eric Evarts