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It's the week ending August 7, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. The biggest news this week continues to be discussion of Obama's Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program, as websites discussed the outcome of the program's first week, as well as plans for its next installment. Thanks to AutoBlogGreen for the latest update clarifying the mysterious status of the Car Allowance Rebate System legislation, telling us it looks set to continue for at least another month. Apparently, the Senate confirmed the House's $2 billion funding of the incredibly popular program yesterday in a 60-37 vote, Obama is expected to sign it into law soon, and the money should last through Labor Day. Note: If you're considering making a purchase based on CARS rebates, don't delay, as it's not expected to be extended again. A report at Edmunds Auto Observer , which was heavily based on information obtained from a Hyundai press release, states that these new purchases could result in a 59-percent fuel economy improvement between the new and old vehicle of the early clunker trades. In...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) has tested bumpers on several midsized family sedans for repair costs, finding not one of the six models earned a top rating of Good. This is the second group of vehicles the Institute has evaluated under a new bumper ratings protocol based on repair costs averaged and weighted to reflect real-world damage and insurance claims frequency. (See “ Small Cars Can Be Costly to Repair .”) A series of four tests were conducted: front and rear full-width impacts at 6 mph and front and rear corner impacts at 3 mph. These tests are designed to drive bumper improvements, though they also highlight the potentially significant costs of a minor bump. Bumpers on 2009 models of the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 6, and Nissan Maxima performed better than their 2007 predecessors in low-speed crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bumpers on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and 2010 Ford Fusion did worse than earlier models. None of the six popular midsize sedans earns the top rating of Good in a recent series of tests designed to assess and compare how well bumpers resist damage in everyday fender-benders. Bumpers on 2009...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) has released crash test results on five small two-door models, marking the first time the safety organization has tested coupes. The Chevrolet Cobalt , Ford Focus , Honda Civic , Scion tC , and Volvo C30 were each run through the organization’s front, side, and rear tests. Two models emerged with Top Safety Pick accolades—Focus and C30—and the others had solid performances. Of the tested vehicles, all except the tC earned the highest rating of Good in the 40-mph frontal offset test. More variation was seen in the side-impact crash test, which simulates the impact from an SUV at 31 mph. Here, the Focus and C30 were the only coupes to earn a Good. The others were rated as Acceptable. "All five cars in this group, from relatively inexpensive to moderately priced, have head-protecting side airbags as standard equipment,” says David Zuby, Institute senior vice president for vehicle research. “In 2003 automakers pledged to voluntarily put side airbags in their vehicles as standard equipment by the 2010 model year. They're making good on this pledge." Simulating a low-speed impact, the rear crash test evaluates the risk for...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) reveals that small cars may save on purchase price and fuel, but there is a real reason why their insurance premiums aren’t also tiny—accidents cause significant damage and consequently injury risk. In its latest test-based report, the IIHS found that none of seven small cars rated “good” under a new system to evaluate repair costs necessitated by low-speed impacts, putting a dollar value on common accident scenarios. (Learn how the IIHS conducts crash tests on new cars.) These are the first bumper test results released under a new Institute ratings protocol that's based on repair costs averaged and weighted to reflect real-world damage patterns. The new ratings protocol represents the common damage that insurance claims centers process daily, and it is based on four bumper tests representing full-width and corner crashes at low speeds. Weighted average repairs must be less than $500 for a good rating, less than $1,000 for acceptable, and less than $1,500 for marginal. Repairs of $1,500 or more earn bumpers a poor rating. With the rules established, the tests identified the Kia Rio as the worst performer with $9,380 total damage...
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The latest study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) shows that bigger is better for safety , with new crash tests showing that small cars take the brunt of the impact when struck by larger vehicles. This laboratory scenario plays out in the real world, as well. IIHS cites the death rate per million 1-3-year-old minis in single-vehicle crashes during 2007 was 35 compared with 11 per million for very large cars. Even in midsize cars, the death rate in single-vehicle crashes was 17 percent lower than in minicars. The lower death rate is because many objects that vehicles hit aren't solid, and vehicles that are big and heavy have a better chance of moving or deforming the objects they strike. This dissipates some of the energy of the impact. Some proponents of mini and small cars claim they're as safe as bigger, heavier cars. But the claims don't hold up. For example, there's a claim that the addition of safety features to the smallest cars in recent years reduces injury risk, and this is true as far as it goes. Airbags, advanced belts, electronic stability control, and other features are helping. They've been added to cars of all sizes, though...
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In its latest physics experiment, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) tested the impact of size on vehicle crashworthiness in a frontal collision. By analyzing the results from midsized cars careening into mini and micro cars, the IIHS has confirmed what Cosmopolitan readers have long known: size matters. The Honda Fit , Smart ForTwo , and Toyota Yaris are good performers in the Institute's frontal offset barrier test, but all three are poor performers in the frontal collisions with midsize cars. The structure of the Honda Accord held up well in the crash test into the Fit , and all except one measure of injury likelihood recorded on the driver dummy's head, neck, chest, and both legs were good. In contrast, a number of injury measures on the dummy in the Fit were less than good. Further, intrusion into the Fit's occupant compartment was extensive. Overall, the Fit was rated poor in the front-to-front crash, despite its good crashworthiness rating based on the Institute's frontal offset test into a deformable barrier—representing a head-on with a same-sized vehicle. On the other hand, the Accord earns good ratings for performance in both tests. The ForTwo...
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From a group who take the saying “keep the shiny side up” to heart, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its latest roof-crush test result and announced that such testing will play a key role in naming future Top Safety Picks. Roof crush is the next major safety challenge the IIHS, having made significant strides in front and side-impact safety. More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollovers . When vehicles roll, their roofs hit the ground, deform, and crush. Stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that people will be injured by contact with the roof itself. Stronger roofs also can prevent occupants, especially those who aren’t using safety belts, from being ejected through windows, windshields, or doors that have broken or opened because the roof has deformed. “We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way that our frontal offset and side impact consumer test programs have led to better protection in these kinds of crashes,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. This new rating system is based on Institute research showing that occupants in rollover crashes benefit from stronger roofs. Vehicles...
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Hyundai has been having a banner year, with sales remaining strong in tough times , a successful Assurance Plus program bolstering consumer confidence, numerous awards for the Genesis sedan , and now, Top Safety Pick accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ). To qualify for a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of "good" in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with ESC. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of ESC, which is standard on the Genesis. Top Safety Pick status is applicable for all 2009 Genesis models built after November 2008. A good car with excellent safety marks – all the making for a sales success and a smart purchase decision. Read our Hyundai Genesis review , and research Hyundai models in the 2009 new car buyer’s guide .
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Pickup trucks are engineered to tackle serious work chores, but test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that not all provide good, or even marginal, protection in side impacts. The IIHS recently tested crew-cab pickup trucks and found shortcomings with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, and Nissan Titan. (Learn about the IIHS and government crash tests .) “The size, weight, and height of these large pickups should help them ace the side tests just like the other large pickups we’ve tested. Not these three,” says Institute senior vice president David Zuby. “They perform worse than many cars we’ve evaluated.” The Silverado, Ram, and Titan should have an advantage in side crash tests over smaller vehicles, not just because of their size and weight but also because the dummies’ higher seating positions put their heads and shoulders above the striking barrier. Occupants of cars, for instance, are more vulnerable because their bodies are in line with the fronts of vehicles, especially tall ones, which might hit them in the side. “These large pickups don’t have to work as hard as smaller vehicles do to protect their occupants. Even with their characteristic...
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Most new small cars now earn good ratings in frontal crash tests but not when it comes to side and rear crashes, according to the latest crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ). The Institute just released the results of front, side, and rear tests of seven 2009 model small cars: Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Matrix. All performed well in frontal impact protection, however the results were mixed in side and rear crash simulations. Just 11 of the 21 current small car models the Institute has rated earn good ratings for side protection. Where the frontal impact test represents an offset collision with a same-sized vehicle, the side-impact test simulates the perpendicular impact from a midsized SUV – putting small cars as a category at a disadvantage. Only the SX4 and Matrix and its twin Pontiac Vibe also earn good ratings for protection in side crashes. The worst performer was the PT Cruiser, the vehicle also distinguished as having the oldest design. In general, newer vehicles tend to perform better, but as you’ll see below, results may vary. Safety equipment can make a difference...
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In a series of crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently assessed how well the bumpers of 20 small car models would protect the vehicles from damage in low-speed collisions. The worst performers were the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius , and Volkswagen Rabbit, each sustaining about $4,000 damage or more in a single test. The Ford Focus performed the best, with about one-third that amount of damage in its worst test. "Small cars are supposed to be economical, but there's nothing economical about three or four thousand dollars in repairs after a low-speed collision," says Institute Senior Vice President Joe Nolan. "Ford did the best job of putting bumpers on a small car that largely do what they're supposed to do. In 3 of the 4 tests, the bumpers on the Focus protected sheet metal and most other expensive parts from damage." To assess and compare bumper performance in low-speed impacts, the Institute conducts a series of 4 crash tests -- full front and rear into a barrier designed to mimic the front or back bumper on another vehicle plus front and rear corner impacts. The full-width impacts are conducted at 6 mph while the corner...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) recently completed crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models finding most provide good protecting in front-end collisions, but decidedly mixed results from side and rear crashes. The best performers, earning the Institute's Top Safety Pick award, are the 2009 Ford Escape, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue, and 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. These models earn good ratings in Institute's frontal offset, side, and rear evaluations, and all are equipped with standard electronic stability control and side airbags. The Escape's ratings also apply to the hybrid version, as well as corporate siblings Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute. “This is a huge change from just five years ago when most small SUVs were rated either marginal or poor in our side test, and standard side airbags and electronic stability control were rare," says Institute president Adrian Lund. Consumers now have multiple hybrid SUVs earning Top Safety Pick to choose from. Others include the midsize Saturn Vue and Toyota Highlander, which the Institute evaluated earlier. Jeep and Chevrolet models did not perform as well. The Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet...
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