Like any proud parent, Subaru is pretty proud of its offspring's safety records. And with the NHTSA awarding five star crash ratings across the board to both Legacy and Outback, they've got plenty of reasons to be proud. Both models also received four out of five stars for rollover safety.
This is thefirst time the Legacy's gotten five stars across the board (in 2005, it got five for front passenger and driver, but was not rated for side crashes), but the Outback has consistently scored tops since at least 2002.
That now makes two safety agencies smiling upon the Legacy, with the IIHS naming it a Top Safety Pick for 2007.
[Source: Safercar.gov]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
far jr @ Feb 18th 2007 10:52AM
Volvo's safe as a tank image will soon be irrelevant history as most new cars perform quite well in crash testing.
What would really help in the government frontal testing would be a test that would be comparable across all weight/ size classes of vehicles similar to the side testing. Perhaps two parameters such as an oncoming truck/ SUV and a separate concentrated load test on an immovable object like a tree or pole. These would test the safety structure and devices in a different manner and would supplement the IIHS offset test.
I would be interested to know the true safety of a Civic relative to a Tahoe in a true head on collision (not just with a similar sized vehicle)
Evotec @ Feb 18th 2007 11:03AM
thumbs up for Subaru !
Paul Y @ Feb 18th 2007 11:22AM
Subaru's B-pillars are the greatest thing ever:
http://www.drive.subaru.com/Sum06_WhatsInside.htm
Someone on NASIOC posted the article from Firehouse magazine about this, too: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=946826
dakota @ Feb 18th 2007 12:34PM
" Volvo's safe as a tank image will soon be irrelevant history as most new cars perform quite well in crash testing."
Volvo continues to be the leader in crash protection by far, even all the way up to their HD Trucks and Buses.
RPM38 @ Feb 18th 2007 1:27PM
Given that Volvo's reputation for being the "leader in crash protection" was in the area of passenger cars, no one's going to care about trucks and buses. They're not making the safest cars anymore, times have changed.
SaabLover @ Feb 18th 2007 1:52PM
"Volvo continues to be the leader in crash protection by far"
Please explain why none of Volvo's sedans are on the IIHS awards list, and why they were recently criticized by the IIHS for not keeping up safety-wise with others (like Saab and Subaru). I'm a Saab lover, but I'm starting to wish that Saabs were built like Subarus. Funny also that, in Sweden, Folksam Insurance consistently rates Saab as the safest car in Sweden. Volvo's image is nothing but advertising fluff.
Edsel @ Feb 18th 2007 4:11PM
Size matters for safety. As a new driver thirty years ago, I witnessed a trailer truck rear-end another trailer truck in a highway traffic jam. Fortunately for the driver of the impacting truck, (a cab-over model, btw) there was a small car in front of him to "cushion" the crash. The truck driver walked away with some cuts & bruises. The small car looked like a crushed beer can.
From that day forward I drive large vehicles and never, ever find myself positioned between two trucks. All the airbags in the world will not overcome the law of physics.
dakota @ Feb 18th 2007 7:25PM
"no one's going to care about trucks and buses."
Actually alot of drivers do care about having a safe over the road truck. Especially when it comes to being able to walk away from a crash or dying on impact.
CH @ Feb 18th 2007 7:48PM
In response to #6:
"Please explain why none of Volvo's sedans are on the IIHS awards list,"
1. The IIHS crash test are only the tip of the iceberg with respect to crash protection. For example, the Saab 9-5 is consistently rated by Folksam as one of the best cars based on actual crashes, but it isn't an IIHS top safety pick.
2. The IIHS hasn't tested all cars. The XC90, a 2007 awardee, wasn't a top safety pick last year only because it hadn't been tested. The IIHS has not yet tested the old or the new S80, nor any Volvo wagon.
3. You need to consider when the cars were designed. Current models reflect the technology at the time they were designed, not the current state of technology in each company. Volvo has a relatively old model lineup.
"...and why they were recently criticized by the IIHS for not keeping up safety-wise with others (like Saab and Subaru)."
Mostly politics! The IIHS promotes its agenda by pushing the simplistic notion that crash tests tell the whole story, and they routinely berate manufacturers on that basis. Furthermore, Volvo has been very vocal on the point that crash tests tell only a small fraction of what occurs in the real world -- a position that undermines the IIHS' credibility. The IIHS also chooses to ignore the points I raised earlier.
"Funny also that, in Sweden, Folksam Insurance consistently rates Saab as the safest car in Sweden. Volvo's image is nothing but advertising fluff."
Your conclusion is completely at odds with the very data you cite. The latest Folksam data shows Saab and Volvo way ahead of the other manufacturers:
http://www.folksam.se/engelsk/trafik_eng/sakrabilar2005.pdf
Every current Volvo model listed and its immediate predecessor are in the top safety category. Some Volvos designed over 20 and 30 years ago are above average, which means they're better than numerous recent designs from other manufacturers. You can certainly argue from the data that Saabs are safer than Volvos, but I can't see how anyone can reasonably say that Volvo's safety image is advertising fluff.
Smitty @ Feb 20th 2007 6:30PM
Bravo on the positive Volvo comments. A Volvo saved my life and I wouldn't put my family in anything else. Currently it is fashonable to produce "safe" vehicles. Volvo has done it for decades. What other maufacturer has a $150 million dollar safety center and an accident investigation team that has been investigation real life accidents involving their vehicles for the purpose of improving Volvo's safety design? A 35 mph crash is laughable. I survived an accident where a car smashed into me a 90 mph head on. What other automobile has emergency break support or the blind spot information system? I won't bash another manufacturer, but I will defend Volvo.
Cathy Naus @ Feb 27th 2007 12:38PM
We were rear-ended last Tuesday in our 97 Volvo 960.
The driver that hit us was going at least 40 MPH and we were stopped at a red light. The car has been written-off. The police, ambulance attendants, insurance adjuster and the guys at the bodyshop were amazed that none of us had to go to the hospital. Experience seems to be great evidence of safety, doesn't it?
Justin @ Apr 12th 2007 6:23PM
I'm not at all surprised by how the IIHS tends to have a bias. You couldn't expect objectiveness out of a government insitute, let alone a consortium of insurance representatives.