It’s harder than ever to create the list of safest cars made in USA, for roads. In its annual rankings from its crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provided about 22 vehicles its highest rating, compared with 130 vehicles in 2012.
For achieving the organization’s new highest Safety Pick Plus ranking, a 2014 model car had to have good status in its crash tests. It includes the institute’s tough new “small overlap” test as well, which contains hitting a tree or light pole with one corner of the car.
Top-rated vehicles should offer a crash prevention system at least in its option, including automatic braking or front collision warning. Other 17 vehicles that performed well in crash tests but they didn’t had accident-prevention technology, so they got the second-level ranking of Top Safety Pick (without the plus).
“Consumers who want crash-prevention option and the latest in occupant protection have a fine number of vehicles to select from,” said Adrian Lund, the President of IIHS. “We hope manufacturers will keep incorporating front crash prevention, making more robust systems and adding them to more trim levels or, better yet, making them standard equipment.”
Some of the main points of the institute’s latest car safety rankings:
Tough new test. The new small overlap crash test presented a problem for vehicles that otherwise did well in the front, side and roof strength rollover tests. This was especially correct among small SUVs.
Of the 13, 2013 and 2014 models tested, only the 2014 Subaru Forester gained institute’s top “good” rating. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport received second-level “acceptable” rating. Few other popular crossovers—including the Ford Escape, BMW X1 and Hyundai Tucson—got got lower ratings. The Honda CR-V also got a poor rating, Honda’s only poor performance on this test.
Although Honda scored well. Acura did the best in it’s category, with six models achieving a Top Safety Pick Plus two as a Top Safety Pick. Subaru’s three models with the top ranking and two at the second level.
Camry has improved. This top-selling Toyota sedan lowered from the safety rankings last year because of poor performance in the small overlap test. But a partial structural reinnovation won the 2014 Camry an agreeable rating in that test and an overall Top Safety Pick. The 2014 Toyota Prius risen up to a Top Safety Pick Plus.
Here is the the full listings of the IIHS top two rankings. :-
TOP SAFETY PICKS PLUS
Small Cars
– Honda Civic Hybrid
– Mazda 3 built after October 2013
– Toyota Prius built after November 2013
Midsize, Moderately Priced Cars
– Ford Fusion
– Honda Accord 2- and 4-door
– Mazda 6
– Subaru Legacy
– Subaru Outback
Midsize Luxury Cars
– Infiniti Q50
– Lincoln MKZ
– Volvo S60
Large Luxury Cars
– Acura RLX
– Volvo S80
Small SUVs
– Mazda CX5 built after October 2013
– Mitsubishi Outlander
– Subaru Forester
Midsize SUVs
– Toyota Highlander
Midsize Luxury SUVs
– Acura MDX
– Mercedes-Benz M Class built after August 2013
– Volvo XC60
Minivan
– Honda Odyssey
TOP SAFETY PICKS
Small Cars
– Dodge Dart
– Ford Focus
– Honda Civic 2-door
– Hyundai Elantra
– Scion 1C
– Subaru Impeza
– Subaru XV Crosstrek
Midsize, Moderately Priced Cars
– Chrysler 200
– Dodge Avenger
– Kia Optima
– Nissan Altima
– Toyota Camry built after November 2013
– Volkswagen Passat
Midsize Luxury Cars
– Acura TL
– Small SUVs
– Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Midsize Luxury SUVs
– Volvo XC90
