Autoblog

IIHS: Small car bumpers cost big bucks to repair

Dan Roth — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Government/Legal, Safety, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mini, Toyota, Carsumer Advocacy

Driving a small car in the urban environs they're so well suited for can add up in big repair bills, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Low speed incidents in parking lots and on tight city streets are everyday occurrences that seemingly shouldn't cost a lot to set right, but they apparently wind up costing consumers many thousands of dollars each year. The smallest cars on the market also have tiny price tags, making the price of repairs a much larger percentage of what the vehicle cost in the first place. The IIHS recently evaluated the bumpers of some of the tiniest vehicles on the market in low-speed incidents, and the results dovetail with the agency's equally low impressions of vehicle-to-vehicle impact performance of small-segment vehicles. A new damage assessment criteria was used to more closely mirror reality, and the cars underwent four tests: two corner impacts and two full width impacts on the bumpers.

Of the seven cars tested, only the Smart ForTwo earned an "acceptable" rating, with most of the pack scoring "poor." Worst was the Kia Rio's startling $9,380 total damage tally, by far the most expensive showing in the test. The Honda Fit and Mini Cooper may be more highly regarded in the small car segment, but both of those models also score poorly.

In diametric opposition to what anyone might actually enjoy driving, the Smart ForTwo and the Chevrolet Aveo came out best in terms of repair costs, bashing their way to $3,281 and $4,490 in total damage, respectively. It's clear from the IIHS' testing where bumpers often failed to engage or slid under the test barrier, that the way improve on the tests is to pay closer attention to bumper position in all circumstances when designing a car. If the bumper doesn't match up properly, bodywork ends up bearing the brunt of the impact, making even low-speed collisions expensive propositions. Hit the jump to see a video and a chart of the results along with the full release.

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ]

Continue reading IIHS: Small car bumpers cost big bucks to repair

IIHS: Small car bumpers cost big bucks to repair originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart USA responds to IIHS crash test results

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Mercedes-Benz, Smart

IIHS crash tests - Click above for high-res image gallery

Needless to say, the folks over at Smart USA were not pleased to see the results of the latest batch of crash testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS did a series of frontal offset crash tests between small and mid-size cars, one of which included a smart ForTwo versus a Mercedes C300. While the results may have been what most people expected, they don't correlate with the ForTwo's results in standardized tests where the IIHS rates the smart as good in front and side impacts. The feds at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration give the smart 4 stars on frontal impact and 5 on side impact.

The problem, as Smart USA sees it, is that the IIHS devised a test that no automaker has designed to and that they claim only represents about one percent of real world accidents. Smart has even set up a site for customer testimonials about the crash safety performance of their ForTwo. Typically in the past, Smarts have actually done quite well in similar vehicle-on-vehicle tests, such as the ones conducted by Mercedes and Auto Motor und Sport after the jump.

The fundamental issue is that car structures are very complex and their response in a crash is highly dependent on the precise nature of the vehicle-to-vehicle interface. Because of standardized tests, cars are optimized to perform well in those, just as the powertrain is optimized to maximize results on the EPA mileage tests. It's not clear at this point how the IIHS methodology varies from what has been done in the past and why the results are so much worse. One thing that's clear: this story is far from over.

Gallery: IIHS mid-size vs sub-compact crash tests

[Source: SmartUSA]

Continue reading Smart USA responds to IIHS crash test results

Smart USA responds to IIHS crash test results originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk

John Neff — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:56:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Safety

Click above for more of the IIHS side impact crash tests for small pickups

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently performed side crash tests for the first time on small pickups. Their sampling included the Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier and Chevy Colorado. The results were published today and they indicate that small pickup owners might want to start wearing helmets while driving.

The IIHS has only three grades for its crash tests: Good, Marginal and Poor. The Dakota, Ranger and Frontier all earned Marginal ratings, while the Colorado could only muster a Poor rating due in part to the moving barrier actually coming in contact with the dummy's head during the simulated crash. The Tacoma, however, was the only vehicle to earn a Good rating. It was also the only small truck tested with side air bags, which are an option for 2008 but will be standard equipment on 2009 Tacomas.

If side airbags are an option, the IIHS will, as a rule, test a vehicle without them unless an automaker wants to rerun the crash test with a model that has side airbags and is willing to pay for the cost of the vehicle that's crashed. Not unsurprisingly, the archaic Ranger was the only small pickup that doesn't offer side airbags at all, though it was surprising that none of the other automakers requested their models be tested with side airbags. The IIHS also tells us that small pickups have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road, which makes these tests all the more significant.

Check out the official press release after the jump, and peruse the gallery of crash test photos below to witness the utter crappiness that is small pickup crash worthiness.

Gallery: IIHS side crash test - small pickups

[Source: IIHS]

Continue reading IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk

IIHS crash tests small pickups, majority flunk originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A gentler tap - IIHS suggests car bumper standards for light trucks

Dan Roth — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:21:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

It's not a surprise that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) would be backing a proposal that has the potential to lower the amount of damage vehicles sustain in crashes, and therefore lead to less costly repairs for insurers. What is surprising is the NHTSA's stubborn attitude about accepting outside suggestions. The proposal is simple enough; the IIHS recommends that trucks and cars use the same bumper standards for greater crash compatibility. Being cynical and following the money does lead one back to the fact that such a change would save the insurance industry a large sum, but so what? Saving the insurance industry money saves us poor saps a few nickels, too - or the rates continue to be just as expensive while the corporate robber barons pocket the increased profits.

NHTSA has heard this argument before, rejecting petitions for porting the car bumper standard to light trucks in both 1984 and 1991. The IIHS is hoping that this time around, the fact that it's an organization proposing the change, and their new research, will sway the regulatory body in a more favorable direction. The IIHS used the Ford Explorer and its more car-compatible bumpers to demonstrate in tests that both vehicles in a crash would sustain less damage without exacting any penalty in usefulness or capability. NHTSA is already on the case of vehicle compatibility in a broad sense, and will likely try to roll any bumper-centric work into that effort. It would seem like a no-brainer to have cars and light trucks with bumpers that match up, but it's taken the past century of automotive production and dependence to get the idea any kind of traction. With that kind of glacial pace, we should start petitioning now in anticipation of a super-tight oil supply and incoming waves of sub-A class vehicles. We sure wouldn't want to get mauled by an Explorer on our way to get milk and bread in our Nano in 2030. IIHS Press Release after the jump.

Continue reading A gentler tap - IIHS suggests car bumper standards for light trucks

A gentler tap - IIHS suggests car bumper standards for light trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acura TSX named Top Safety Pick by IIHS

Michael Harley — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Acura

Click on the image above for pics of our uncrashed 2009 Acura TSX

The all-new 2009 Acura TSX was recently crashed into a barrier at 40 mph, and smacked with a side sled at 31 mph, by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). While the last model (2005-2008 with side airbags) scored "good" in frontal, and "acceptable" in side impact testing, the 2009 model received the highest scores ("good") in both tests. When combined with the improved rear crash test results (seat and head restraint design), the new TSX earned the Institutes's "Top Safety Pick" rating.

While our caps are off to Acura, we think it is time to revise all crash test standards (IIHS and NHTSA). Each time the results are released, we can't help but think that the automakers have learned how to ace the tests over the years. Let's bump up the speed in the barrier and sled tests (maybe throw a random angle in there to make things challenging?), and focus more on dynamic safety. As always, this team prefers to avoid the accidents in the first place.

Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2009 Acura TSX

[Source: IIHS]

Acura TSX named Top Safety Pick by IIHS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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