Six Small Cars Earn Top Safety Pick Award

Small cars on U.S. highways appear to be getting safer, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by IIHS earn the Top Safety Pick Award, and none earns a poor rating in any of four tests.

The six cars are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid.

The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn't earn a Top Safety Pick.

Good fuel economy and safety

"The list of cars with the best fuel economy now includes those with the highest crash test ratings in their class, too," said David Zuby, the Institute's chief research officer. "At a time of high gasoline prices, consumers have never had a bigger selection of small cars that earn Top Safety Pick."

Small cars have recorded an improvement from recent years when few earned a top safety rating. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market, IIHS said.

The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for the Top Safety Pick award.

New safety equipment

The big change for small cars in recent years has been the addition of safety equipment. These days, all have standard side airbags, and many now have standard ESC for preventing many kinds of crashes. An Institute study found that ESC reduces fatal single-vehicle crashes by up to 50 percent. The government will require standard ESC on all new vehicles, starting with 2012 models.

The Hyundai Elantra's results show how vehicle designs have improved, IIHS says. The 2001-03 Elantra was rated poor for frontal crash protection. A late-deploying airbag contributed to high forces on the driver dummy's head and neck. Forces on both lower legs indicated that fractured bones and a foot injury would be possible in a real-world crash of similar severity.

"The Elantra has gone from one of our lowest rated small cars to a Top Safety Pick, and ESC is now a standard feature," said Zuby. "The big things the automakers have done to improve crashworthiness are designing better front crush zones to manage crash energy, stronger occupant compartments to limit intrusion, and stronger roofs to better protect people in rollovers."