Autoblog

Dodge Dart and three others latest to earn IIHS Top Safety Pick

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Crossover, Dodge, Hyundai, Lexus, Subaru

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named four more vehicles to its coveted Top Safety Pick list, which has grown to include 131 models. This time around, the 2013 Dodge Dart, Lexus ES, Hyundai Santa Fe and Subaru XV Crosstrek achieved top marks for crash safety in all applicable criteria tests. The IIHS has yet to start any large-scale tests of its new small overlap front crash test, so none of these models were subjected to this new category.

Proving how safe small cars now are, the Dart is one of 31 compact cars to grab a spot as a Top Safety Pick, being joined by XV Crosstrek. This is definitely good news for Subaru as, aside from the old-bodied Impreza WRX, its lineup of new products is on this list of safe vehicles.

While the new Santa Fe was named as a Top Safety Pick, it was actually the smaller Santa Fe Sport that was crash tested by Hyundai rather than the three-row model that now wears this name. Finally, both the hybrid (ES 300h) and non-hybrid versions of the new Lexus ES made the cut even though it is listed solely as the ES 350.

Continue reading Dodge Dart and three others latest to earn IIHS Top Safety Pick

Dodge Dart and three others latest to earn IIHS Top Safety Pick originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

VIDEO: IIHS celebrates 50th anniversary by crashing modern Malibu into '59 Bel Air

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Sedan, Safety, Videos, Chevrolet

2009 Chevy Malibu versus 1959 Chevy Bel Air - Click above to watch the video after the break

They just don't build 'em like they used to. While that old saying is constantly bandied about in regards to modern-day cars and trucks, it's once again worth saying and was the first thing that popped into our heads after watching the video pasted after the break.

You see, most of the time, we like to think of our old automobiles as tank-like hunks of metal with full frames and acres of dead space in front of the driver and the massive chrome front bumper. While that may often be the case, all those thick bits of steel don't automatically equal safety. This point is driven home by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which decided to celebrate its 50th anniversary by crash testing a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air into a 2009 Chevy Malibu. The results were eye-opening. Says the IIHS of the Bel Air's performance:

The dummy's head struck the steering wheel rim and hub and then the roof and unpadded metal instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel.... The windshield was completely dislodged from the car and the driver door opened during the crash, both presenting a risk of ejection. In addition, the front bench seat was torn away from the floor on the driver side.

Ouch.... an instant death according to the IIHS. And the '09 Malibu? "A high acceleration was recorded on the left foot, indicating that foot injuries would be possible." Well now, as much as we like our left foot (perfect for operating the clutch, ya know), we'd rather take our chances in the new car, thank you very much. Click past the break to watch the video in all its car-crushing glory, and take a moment to mourn the passing of what used to be a rather nice '59 Bel Air.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: IIHS celebrates 50th anniversary by crashing modern Malibu into '59 Bel Air

VIDEO: IIHS celebrates 50th anniversary by crashing modern Malibu into '59 Bel Air originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

IIHS tests roof strength on microcars, Smart Fortwo comes out on top

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Safety, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Mini, Smart, Toyota

IIHS microcar roof tests - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just tested the latest batch of the smallest cars on the market to determine the strength of their roofs in the event of a rollover accident. Coming out on top with a "good" rating was the Smart Fortwo, which isn't all that surprising - due in large part to the runabout's diminutive size, Daimler put lots of effort into the design of its so-called Tridion safety cell.

Somehow, we're equally as unsurprised that the Chevy Aveo scored the lowest of the six automobiles tested. Chevy's least expensive car earned a "marginal" rating from the Institute. Sitting in between those two bookends were the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper, and Toyota Yaris, all of which scored "acceptable" ratings.

It's interesting to note that the Smart Fortwo fared quite a bit better in this kind of test than in the Institute's series of frontal offset crash tests versus a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. Click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: IIHS microcar roof tests

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading IIHS tests roof strength on microcars, Smart Fortwo comes out on top

IIHS tests roof strength on microcars, Smart Fortwo comes out on top originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments