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Click above for a gallery of high-res IIHS crash carnage

Recent testing indicates that new cars are safe, regardless of their relative size. No surprise, then, that most of the latest 2009 model-year small cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed fairly well. Included in this round of testing were the Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Matrix. All seven of these machines (remember too that the Pontiac Vibe uses the same underpinnings as the Matrix) scored "good," the highest rating available, for occupant protection in frontal crashes, and only the newest designs -- the SX4, Matrix and Vibe -- scored that high in side crash testing.

The poorest performer of the group, Chrysler's PT Cruiser, also happens to be the oldest design. This being the case, it's lowly "poor" rating in side and rear crashes, due in large part to its ineffective head restraints and lack of rear side-mounted airbags, isn't too shocking. The HHR and SX4 also scored only marginally better in seat/head restraint testing. The latest MINI Cooper was also smashed for science, and it performed fairly well for a car of its diminutive proportions. For a complete recount of the IIHS results, click past the break. Feeling an unhealthy desire to see the aftermath? Check out our gallery below.

Gallery: IIHS 2009 small car crash testing


[Source: IIHS]

Continue reading SX4, Matrix score Good on IIHS tests, PT Cruiser... not so much

SX4, Matrix score Good on IIHS tests, PT Cruiser... not so much originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 mini crash test2009MiniCrashTestastra crash testAstraCrashTestelantra crash testElantraCrashTestfocus crash testFocusCrashTesthhr crash testHhrCrashTestiihsiihs crash testingiihs small car crash testingiihs testingIihsCrashTestingIihsSmallCarCrashTestingIihsTestingmatrix crash testMatrixCrashTestmini crash testMiniCrashTestpt cruiser crash testPtCruiserCrashTestsmall car crash testsSmallCarCrashTestssx4 crash testSx4CrashTestvibe crash testVibeCrashTestWed, 17 Dec 2008 15:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1403721/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/12/17/sx4-matrix-scores-good-on-iihs-tests-pt-cruiser-not-so-much/1403721/article-detail.xml 1403721 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/pt_cruiser_crash_580_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/pt_cruiser_crash_580.jpg <![CDATA[IIHS praises Ford Focus for cheap crash repairs]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/09/iihs-praises-ford-focus-for-cheap-crash-repairs/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/09/iihs-praises-ford-focus-for-cheap-crash-repairs/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/09/iihs-praises-ford-focus-for-cheap-crash-repairs/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe

Reminding us once again that there's more than meets the eye when shopping for a vehicle are recent impact tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that measure how much it costs to fix a vehicle after after a low-speed accident. Sure, we're all interested in safety and styling, but we should also be concerned with how much these low-speed impacts will cost to repair. The winner of the testing was the Ford Focus, which scored light damage all the way around. The IIHS heaped praise on Ford for designing a bumper that can truly take a bump -- a novel idea.

Amazingly, some small cars like the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius and VW Rabbit cost up to a third of the car's worth to fix from damage resulting from a minor impact. That's a big problem for any car, but especially so for those sold on the merits of economy. To prove that it's not too difficult for auto manufacturers to design a better bumper, the IIHS made a few simple changes to a Prius that didn't affect the looks of the car. After retesting, it made it through the impact tests with a fraction of the damage. For the complete rundown on the testing procedures and results, click past the break.

Gallery: 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe


[Source: IIHS]

Continue reading IIHS praises Ford Focus for cheap crash repairs

IIHS praises Ford Focus for cheap crash repairs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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