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2012 Honda Civic, Ford Focus Among New Crop of 40 MPG Safety Leaders
The 2012 Honda Civic and Ford Focus, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra,Lexus CT 200h, Nissan Juke and Toyota Prius, are the new crop of 40-mpg safety leaders in the small-car segment, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
At the bottom of the class are the 2011 Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber. The SX4 is rated marginal for rollover and rear protection while the Caliber is rated marginal for side protection. In an unusual twist for small cars, none of the 13 tested earned a poor rating in any of the four tests, notes the IIHS.
The 2011 Honda CR-Z, Honda Insight, Nissan Versa, Scion xD and Nissan Sentra were in the middle of the pack in the small-car safety evaluation.
IIHS says that of the six small cars that earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation, all have at least one version with an EPA fuel economy rating of at least 40 mpg.
"This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings," said the IIHS in a statement on Thursday.
The new round of IIHS crash tests comes just a day after the release of a new Consumer Reports survey that said car buyers want better fuel economy, but are not willing to sacrifice safety.
"The tough economy and high gas prices are driving consumers to prioritize fuel economy with their next car purchase," the survey said. "To save at the pump, (buyers) are willing to compromise on purchase price, amenities, and size but not safety."
The price of gas has tumbled a bit in the last couple of weeks and stood at $3.84 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- The 2012 Honda Civic and Ford Focus, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h, Nissan Juke and Toyota Prius, are the new crop of 40-mpg safety leaders in the small-car segment, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- At the bottom of the class are the 2011 Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber.
- The 2011 Honda CR-Z, Honda Insight, Nissan Versa, Scion xD and Nissan Sentra were in the middle of the pack in the small-car safety evaluation.
The 2012 Honda Civic and Ford Focus, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra,Lexus CT 200h, Nissan Juke and Toyota Prius, are the new crop of 40-mpg safety leaders in the small-car segment, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
At the bottom of the class are the 2011 Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber. The SX4 is rated marginal for rollover and rear protection while the Caliber is rated marginal for side protection. In an unusual twist for small cars, none of the 13 tested earned a poor rating in any of the four tests, notes the IIHS.
The 2011 Honda CR-Z, Honda Insight, Nissan Versa, Scion xD and Nissan Sentra were in the middle of the pack in the small-car safety evaluation.
IIHS says that of the six small cars that earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation, all have at least one version with an EPA fuel economy rating of at least 40 mpg.
"This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings," said the IIHS in a statement on Thursday.
The new round of IIHS crash tests comes just a day after the release of a new Consumer Reports survey that said car buyers want better fuel economy, but are not willing to sacrifice safety.
"The tough economy and high gas prices are driving consumers to prioritize fuel economy with their next car purchase," the survey said. "To save at the pump, (buyers) are willing to compromise on purchase price, amenities, and size but not safety."
The price of gas has tumbled a bit in the last couple of weeks and stood at $3.84 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.