Acura lineup tops government, IIHS safety ratings

Acura is the only auto manufacturer to have their complete lineup top government and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash test ratings. The Acura RL, TL, TSX, MDX, and RDX have all scored Good in front-, side-, and rear-crash protection and all have electronic stability control--a requirement to earn the Institute’s Top Safety Pick award.

In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests of side- and front-impact crash safety for front and rear passengers, all vehicles received the highest five-star rating. Interestingly, all Subarus are scored as Top Picks in IIHS tests, but not every model received the five-star rating in all of the NHTSA tests.

In addition to their high safety Ratings, models from Honda and Acura, combined, are ranked the highest in our automaker report cards for standout performance in Consumer Reports testing and in reliability surveys. They score well in our Ratings, especially in areas such as handling, ride, and fuel economy.

--Liza Barth

Comments

[UH2L]

Don't forget Saab as one of the top performers in safety ratings as well as in real world injury claims. All the safety features are standard on every model so the cars are great deals from a safety standpoint alone, (plus they don't have that ugly Acura shield on the grill).

[Colenso]

Consideration of safety ratings by Consumer Reports should not only include the safety of the primary vehicle's occupants, but also the safety of other road users in a crash involving the primary vehicle - including the occupants of the second car, pedestrians and cyclists.

The occupants of an army tank will always come off best in a collision with a SUV - but so what?

In short, a vehicle's safety rating should take into account more than the safety of the occupants of the primary vehicle.

[C Gastineau]

It's good to see that CR is finally noticing IIHS rear-crash tests. But I am still incredulous that CR gave the Toyota Sienna a Top Pick pick last month despite the "Poor" rating on the IIHS rear-crash tests. Your press release says its "well-finished interior rivals some luxury sedans", but that's little comfort to those suffering whiplash.

[David Evans]

Although 2006 is seen by CU as a good model year for used cars, very few models met the IIHS standards, unfortunately, including Acura. (The list was even smaller in 2007, when IIHS added the ESC requirement.) The 2004-2008 TL was good for front and side impacts, the 2005-2008 TSX was only acceptable for side, and for rear impacts the TL was marginal and the TSX was poor. One reason to choose a TL over a TSX from that period, seems to me, if you're going for Acura sedans.

[Ben]

With Acura's new styling direction, the cars now look like they've been through a crash test before they even hit the road for the first time.