Small SUV crash tests - New Top Safety Picks

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named six small SUVs Top Safety Picks: the Volkswagen Tiguan, Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, and Nissan Rogue.

To qualify for this accolade, the six got the Institute's top rating of Good in offset frontal and side crash tests, plus an evaluation of rear crash protection. They also all offer electronic stability control as standard equipment. The Mercury Mariner and the Mazda Tribute are twins to the Ford Escape; the test results also apply to the hybrid versions of these models.

The Honda CR-V, Honda Element, and Subaru Forester are also Top Picks in this class based on earlier tests.

IIHS rates cars in an offset frontal crash that is more severe than U.S. government crash test standards and more closely mimics real-world accidents. Side crash tests are conducted to simulate a vehicle being hit in the side by a tall, heavy SUV. Vehicles are rated on a scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. (Learn more in "Crash Test 101.")

Other small SUVs, including the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Jeep Patriot, Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, Jeep Patriot, and Jeep Wrangler received lower grades in one of the crash measures. The Wrangler offered Poor protection in a side crash when tested without its optional side air bags.

If you're in the market for a small SUV, we recommend you look for one that has Good crash scores from both the IIHS and the government, as well as one that performed well in our testing and has good predicted reliability.

Of the IIHS Top Picks, we recommend the Honda CR-V and Element, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Subaru Forester. The Forester is our Top Rated small SUV.

Read our recent Small SUV and Sporty SUV tests covering many of the models featured here, including the Tiguan featured in the embedded CR road test video. Crash test videos based on the latest tests will be posted next week.

View more than 250 crash test videos.

—Eric Evarts

Comments

[Woodbourne]

Are these tests meaningful? Do they correlate with real world accident statistics? If not why even bother. I have never seen any evidence that they do correlate.

[Scott D]

In reply to Woodbourne, see the extensive discussion at www.informedforlife.org. It provides the evidence you're seeking, and argues strongly that these two organizations' crash tests are (when combined) quite predictive as to the relative safety of the vehicles tested.

[Washington]

As a firefighter/paramadic I can say to you ABSOLUTELY there IS a correlation. A car with a lower safety rating means that there are potentially more dangerous crumple zones that will increase the transmisson of the kinetic energy from a crash into the passenger compartment. This is a fancy way of saying that a vehicle with a lower safety rating does not absorb the energy from a crash as well as a higher rated vehicle. Any energy that is not absorbed by the structure of the vehicle will be transmitted to tne occupants of the vehicle. The faster the speed, the deadlier the result. I have seen more of this first hand then I want to. Stronger vehicles, airbags and other safety features, although they have some drawbacks, have definitely improved the survivability of these incidents.

[Alan]

Does anyone know how the IIHS ratings compare between classes of cars? For example, would a car in the "Large" class that has a "Marginal" rating be better safety-wise than a car in the "small" class that has a "good" rating?

[glenns]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 'Top Safety Picks' means nothing. While we're posting lists, I'd like to point out that the 2009 Saturn Vue belongs to the more elite group than just the IIHS top safety pick list: the top NHTSA score.
Consumer Reports? Reason for excluding this compact SUV?

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

Glenn - I disagree. The IIHS Top Safety Picks set a high standard and identify vehicles proven to offer a full compliment of occupant protect.

The Vue is a Top Safety Pick. It was not featured in this post, as we were covering the latest crash tests, not previous ones.

For a full list of Picks:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx

To learn more about NHTSA and IIHS crash tests:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2006/crash-test-101-understanding-tests-and-ratings-11-06/overview/0611_crash-test-101.htm