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After shoving a deformable barrier into 16 small cars
at 31mph, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) discovered that a small car is not the best place to be when an SUV piles into the side of your car. The
Ford Focus, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra and Suzuki Aerio all received a “poor” rating in the IIHS test. They were not alone
in their misery; none of the 16 qualified as “good”. The Dodge Neon was singled-out as the worst performer, its results
called “disastrous”. It’s worth noting that the IIHS’ tests cars were without optional airbags unless the manufacturer
agrees to provide a second vehicle for a second test with the airbag. But even with the bags, none of the cars met the
highest standard.