FIRST RESULTS OF SIDE IMPACT TESTS:
ONLY TWO SMALL SUVs EARN GOOD RATINGS; ONLY ONE IS
RATED GOOD IN BOTH FRONT AND SIDE CRASH TESTS

The Institute's side impact crash test represents what happens when a passenger vehicle is struck by a pickup truck or SUV. (Photo: IIHS)

For the first time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated vehicles in side impact crash tests to provide consumer information. The best performers among the 12 small SUVs tested (2003 models) are the Subaru Forester and the Ford Escape with optional side airbags. In contrast, seven other small SUVs earned the lowest rating of poor — the Escape without optional side airbags, Toyota RAV4, Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara/Chevrolet Tracker, Land Rover Freelander, Mitsubishi Outlander, Saturn VUE, and Honda Element. The Jeep Wrangler and Honda CR-V are rated marginal and the Hyundai Santa Fe is acceptable.

The Subaru Forester is the only one of the 12 small SUVs to earn a good rating in not only the side impact crashworthiness evaluation but also the Institute's frontal offset crash test.

The Institute's side impact crash test represents what happens when a passenger vehicle is struck by a pickup truck or SUV.
The side impact test represents what happens when a passenger vehicle is struck in the side by a pickup truck or SUV at about 30 mph. The results of this test expand the Institute's testing programs for consumer information. For eight years the Institute has been providing comparative rankings of passenger vehicles based on performance in frontal offset crash tests at 40 mph. Now most new passenger vehicles are being designed to earn good ratings in this test.

"Our side impact crash test is severe," said Institute president Brian O'Neill. "Given the designs of today's vehicles, it's unlikely that people in real-world crashes as severe as this test would emerge uninjured. But with good side impact protection, people should be able to survive crashes of this severity without serious injuries."

O'Neill adds that he expects this new crashworthiness evaluation program to influence consumers' car-buying choices. "This is what happened with our frontal crash test results, and now we expect consumers will use the new test results to help them choose vehicles with good occupant protection in both front and side impacts."

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