Small Cars are Safer Than Ever: The Top 5 Safest Subcompact Vehicles for 2012
Think all small cars are unsafe? Think again! The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has announced that 5 of the 13 compact vehicles it recently tested were named Top Safety Picks. That’s no small honour—vehicles are subjected to rigorous tests for front, side, rollover and rear crash protection, and they must have earn a “good” rating in all categories. They also have to offer electronic stability control as a standard feature.
And not only have these 5 small cars earned the highest safety honor, but they’re also some of the most fuel efficient vehicles available.
Chevrolet Sonic
The new for 2012 Chevrolet Sonic bears no resemblance to the Aveo it replaces, thanks to a $545 million investment in upgrades. The new model earned top ratings across the board in safety evaluations for both its sedan and hatchback, receiving “good” scores in all four types of tests performed.
The Sonic has 2 more airbags than its subcompact competitors (a total of 10) and during rollover testing, its roof withstood a force equal to 5.37 times the car’s weight. (By comparison, the Aveo only withstood 3.09 times its weight, and the current federal standard is only 1.5.) In addition, the Sonic’s body structure consists of a single welded side unit and more than 60% of its safety cage consists of high-strength steel.
Audi A6
Like the Chevy Sonic, the Audi A6 really shone during the IIHS’s roof strength evaluation. It withstood a force equal to 4.9 times its body weight, unlike the previous year’s model, which only withstood 3.8 times. The A6 also has numerous safety features commonly found on luxury cars, including adaptive cruise control and headlights than turn when the wheel turns (to better illuminate curving roads at night).
Volkswagon Passat
The Volkswagen Passat dominated the rollover test with a whopping score of 6.3 times the car’s weight. Its newly-designed 2012 model has a reinforced front end that absorbs impact more effectively, plus added technologies that make driving more safe, including Bluetooth technology, a tire pressure monitoring system than alerts you when air pressure falls above or below recommended levels, and a multi-function steering wheel that allows the driver to control audio, communication and climate control without ever taking their eyes of the road.
Ford Focus (4-door)
During the redesign of the 2012 Focus, Ford engineers took safety seriously. They crashed the car over 12,000 times in both real-world and virtual tests, proving their new safety technologies were better than ever. The Focus features specialized B-pillar reinforcement that provides enhanced crash protection and advanced restraint systems with innovative next-generation airbags, plus a suite of active safety technologies including ABS brakes, traction control, a LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system and three-point, height-adjustable seatbelts for each passenger.
Honda Civic
The Civic is Honda’s best-selling vehicle, and the all-new, redesigned 2012 model takes safety to an even higher level. It withstood 5.85 times its body weight during rigorous roof strength tests and boasts numerous safety features in its design and function. The Civic has an Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure that enhances occupant protection as well as “intelligent” Multi-information Display and Motion-Adaptive Electronic Power Steering.
