Industry IQ: Buckle Up: Small Cars Need Better Crash Protection

Though small cars are more popular as gas prices fluctuate, they offer less protection than larger vehicles. Most new small cars earn good ratings in frontal crash tests, but they are less safe during side and rear crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested 2009 models of the Chevrolet HHR, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn Astra, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Matrix.

o Only the SX4 and Matrix earned high ratings for protection in side crashes.

o The Focus is the only car that earned a good rating for rear impact protection.

o The Chrysler PT Cruiser is the only small car that earned a poor score in side and rear evaluations.

o IIHS also tested the Mini Cooper, which earned good ratings for front and rear crashworthiness, but not side protection.

Eleven of the 21 small car models that the Institute has rated earned good ratings for side protection--an improvement from IIHS's 2006 evaluations, when only three of 19 rated cars earned a positive side protection rating.