2012's Safest Cars

As high gas prices have driven Americans to buy more small cars, they
are getting an added bonus, beyond the lofty MPG: Small cars are much
safer than they used to be.

The latest example: The brand-new 2012 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was just named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, according to an announcement today.

In
all, six small cars have received a Top Safety Pick designation from
the IIHS. So as we near the traditional Oct. 1 start to the new model
year, here’s a look at some of the 2012 models — of all sizes — that
IIHS has declared to be among the safest cars. (The Institute will not
release its complete list of 2012 Top Pick models until later this
year.)

The Chevy Sonic, just going on sale, has an EPA rating of 40 MPG in highway driving — joining the 2012 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
to pair safety with fuel efficiency. “The list of cars with the best
fuel economy now includes those with the highest crash-test ratings in
their class,” says IIHS chief research officer David Zuby. To get a Top
Safety Pick rating, cars must get the highest possible score in front,
side, rear and rollover tests.

The top rating for the Sonic,
which covers both sedan and hatchback versions, is a big improvement
from the small car it replaces, the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.],
which got marginal ratings in three out of the four tests. Like many
other new small cars, the Sonic has standard side airbags as well as
electronic stability control, which helps prevent rollover accidents. In
the rollover test at IIHS, the Sonic supported 5.37 times its own
weight; four times is the minimum for a top rating.

Let’s have a closer look at the other top-rated 2012 models:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Ford Focus

Ford Focus:
In addition to stability control and side airbags, the Focus has some
bonus safety features that did not figure in the IIHS ratings.

The
car offers an optional rear-view camera, which lets the driver know if
someone or something is directly behind the car before backing up. Also,
technology called torque vectoring control adds brake force to one side
of the car when negotiating sharp curves.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Honda Civic

Honda Civic:
The 2012 Civic improves the safety profile of the 2011 version, with
stability control and brake assist — which increases braking pressure
when the pedal is hit hard in emergency situations — now standard on all
models.

Additionally, Top Picks ratings were announced last week for the luxury [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and the mid-size sedan [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Audi A6

Audi A6:
The A6 improved its rating over 2011 to get the Top Safety Pick. It
improved especially in the rollover test, withstanding a force equal to
4.9 times the car’s weight during rollover.

The A6 has numerous
other safety features common on luxury cars. Adaptive headlights turn
when the wheel turns, to better illuminate curving roads at night.
Forward collision warning works with so-called “smart” cruise control to
sense with radar when a car ahead is so close a crash is imminent — and
start applying the brakes.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Volkswagen Passat

Volkswagen Passat:
The new Passat replicates the top safety rating of the previous
generation. In the rollover test, it withstood a whopping 6.3 times the
car’s weight.

The Passat also has a full complement of side air bags, stability control and emergency braking assist for panic situations.

While
style, performance and MPG remain major factors in any buying decision,
shoppers should not have to sacrifice safety to get what they want.

Nice post.