GS69

Ford Tops IIHS Safety Results; Lexus & Infiniti Miss Out

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today released its annual list of vehicles that had earned the agency’s coveted 'Top Safety Pick' award, revealing that some major milestones had been achieved. According to the president of the IIHS, Adrian Lund, "Top Safety Pick winners are the top performers in tough front, side, and rear crash tests, and they have electronic stability control, a crucial technology that can help drivers avoid many crashes altogether.”

While Ford topped the list with 16 of its vehicles being included, the real celebrations would have been taking place over at Acura. The premium Honda subsidiary garnered a 'Top Safety Pick' for every vehicle in its lineup, while the entire Honda group managed to get 13 of its vehicles into the list. One notable brand missing from the list was Lexus, who along with Infiniti, found many of its vehicles' head and seat restraints were inadequate to achieve the award.

Like Lexus, Chrysler also did not get a single vehicle on to the list. Both Toyota and General Motors had eight vehicles on the list, but their focus on less expensive vehicles made it difficult to include advanced safety features as standard on cheaper models.

A total of 72 cars were on the list, and a large number of these were in the SUV or large car category, however one notable exception to this rule was the Honda Fit (Jazz). As the only subcompact on the list, the Fit managed to shatter the myth that size equals safety, although the lack of other minicars indicates that it is difficult for carmakers to make these cars safe when the profit margins are already so slim.

The large number of offerings from Detroit indicate that new safety technology is hitting its mark, and the disappointing result from Chrysler was said to have been avoidable had some of their cars had better head restraints. Meanwhile, Ford now claims that the results show that American cars can compete with Japanese and European cars when it comes to safety.

The full lineup of Top Safety Pick winners is listed below:

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL
Acura TSX
Audi A3
Audi A4
BMW 3-Series (4-door)
Ford Fusion (with optional ESC)
Honda Accord (4-door)
Mercedes C Class
Mercury Milan (with optional ESC)
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta
Volkswagen Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic (4-door with optional ESC, except Si)
Mitsubishi Lancer (with optional ESC)
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza (with optional ESC)
Toyota Corolla (with optional ESC)
Volkswagen Rabbit (4-door)

Minicars
Honda Fit (with optional ESC)

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
BMW X3
BMW X5
Ford Edge
Ford Flex
Ford Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes-Benz M Class
Nissan Murano
Saturn Vue
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Toyota Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Honda Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large Pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small Pickups
Toyota Tacoma

SLegacy99

Can't help but notice that all of the Subarus are on here.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

FWIW, I don't think they test large luxury cars like the LS, S, 7, and A8, do they?

dunnojack

so, what goes into seat and head restraints?

there can't be a problem with the seat belt. so what's the problem? the headrest doesn't move forward to prevent whiplash?

luxury1

I hate to see that my Range Rover and LS aren't on there. Hopefully you are right MPLexus301 because I like the feeling of saftey that I get with these cars.

mmarshall

Must be a misprint. How could the Mercedes S-Class, their flagship, not be on the list? Mercedes and Volvo are the two manufacturers that not only spend the most money on safety, but have the best reputation for it as well.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Since IIHS and NHTSA actually have to buy the cars that they crash, I am quite sure that they do not purchase high end lux models like LS, S, 7, LX, Range Rover, etc. Too expensive when they can spend that money on 2 or 3 lower end models that more people drive.

encore888

My guess is that with Active Head Restraints making their way onto Lexus models as standard (like the new RX, IIRC), that will resolve the one area where the IIHS has issue. Those headrests were introduced with the LS 460 but for regulatory reasons reportedly were optional/only international at first, then the LX 570 was next to get them.

GS69

Acura Achieves Historic 1st in Crash Test Ratings
For the first time in the history of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) testing, an automobile nameplate has earned the prestigious Top Safety Pick rating for every vehicle in its entire lineup. To accomplish this safety milestone, all 2009 Acura luxury sedans and SUVs received the highest possible rating in each IIHS crash test and feature the Acura Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) electronic stability control system as standard equipment.

"Top Safety Pick winners are the top performers in tough front, side, and rear crash tests, and they have electronic stability control, a crucial technology that can help drivers avoid many crashes altogether," says institute president Adrian Lund. "Acura's achievement means that no matter which Acura model buyers choose, they're getting state-of-the-art protection for the most common kinds of real-world crashes."

To complete the Acura feat, earlier today the IIHS announced that the all-new 2009 Acura TL performance luxury sedan garnered its top safety rating of "Good" for each category, including Frontal Offset Crash Test, Side Impact Collision Evaluation (SICE) and Rear Crash Protection. The completely redesigned 2009 TL went on sale in September and is Acura's top selling performance luxury sedan.

"With every Acura vehicle we build, safety is at the forefront throughout the entire design process," said John Mendel, executive vice president of automobile operations. "We are extremely proud that Acura is the first and only nameplate to ever earn this safety distinction."

In addition, all 2009 Acura vehicles have earned top governmental crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA*) for NCAP Frontal Crash tests-the most common form of vehicle accident.

The top crash safety ratings are a direct result of Acura's "Safety Through Innovation" initiative that is based on the brand's commitment to leadership in safety. The initiative's goal is for all Acura models to provide a high level of occupant protection along with injury mitigation to pedestrians, as well as increased crash compatibility with other vehicles, regardless of size or price.

For 2009, all Acura models include as standard equipment the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure along with a host of other standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), anti-lock braking system (ABS), dual-stage/dual-threshold front airbags, side airbags with front passenger Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), active head restraints for front seats, front seatbelts with automatic tensioning system and load limiters, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Daytime Running Lights (DRL).

Acura's ACE body structure is designed to help absorb the energy of a frontal crash, while also helping to minimize the potential for an "under-ride" or "over-ride" phenomenon that can occur during frontal impact with a significantly larger, smaller, higher or lower vehicle. ACE channels frontal crash energy to both upper and lower structural elements, including the floor frame rails, side sills and A-pillars. These specially engineered load pathways help distribute frontal impact forces through a greater percentage of the vehicle's total structure and away from the passenger compartment.

Acura engineers have the advantage of being able to utilize two ultra-sophisticated crash test facilities, including the world's first indoor multi-directional car-to-car crash testing facility, located in Tochigi, Japan. This facility has played a crucial role in the development of enhanced designs for occupant and pedestrian safety as well as vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility.

Along with the Japan facility, Acura also conducts extensive safety testing on all U.S. developed models at the company's Automotive Safety Research Facility which is located in Raymond, Ohio. The facility features the world's first pitching test sled, which aids efficiency by enabling economical, repeatable and quick crash test simulations with certain interior safety components (such as seats and seatbelts) prior to conducting a crash test with an actual vehicle. It also features one of the world's highest resolution impact barriers, which enables precise measurement of the distribution of impact load forces on a vehicle allowing for even more advanced vehicle designs.

Acura has been the first to market on many safety technologies including: the first production vehicle in the U.S. to offer a 4-channel braking system; the first production vehicle with a passenger-side airbag with height and position sensors; the first car to have dual-stage driver- and passenger-side airbags; the first luxury SUV to receive a 5-Star crash safety rating from NHTSA; and the first production vehicle to offer Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) that varies the deployment of the passenger side airbag depending on the occupant's body location.

As part of its commitment to improving safety for all road users, Acura has also led the U.S. industry in the application of features designed to reduce injuries to pedestrians in a collision- such as collapsible hood hinges and breakaway windshield wiper pivots, with a focus on reducing severe head injuries, which account for 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities. In addition, the company sought to better understand the dynamics of pedestrian collisions, thus it developed the POLAR II safety test dummy which is widely recognized as the world's most advanced pedestrian safety test dummy.


About IIHS
The IIHS is a not-for-profit organization that conducts independent testing to help reduce losses – deaths, injuries, and property damage – from crashes on the nation's highways, and provides its findings to automotive insurers. IIHS has been conducting vehicle testing since 1969, and while it conducts impact crash tests similar to those conducted by NHTSA, IIHS tests make use of offset barriers rather than full-vehicle-width barriers.

Based on post crash test analysis, IIHS rates crash safety using four ratings: Good, Acceptable, Marginal and Poor. IIHS also conducts other vehicle safety tests including low-speed bumper impact tests and seat headrest evaluations based on rear impact tests. IIHS information and vehicle ratings can be obtained by visiting www.iihs.org.

About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 271 dealers within the United States. The 2009 Acura lineup features five distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbocharged RDX crossover SUV and the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle.


* Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). All models tested with standard side-impact air bags (SABs)

nabbun

good to know i'm safe in my q7 if i ever get into an accident

UDel

Glad the TL was the top pick in its category, my parents just got an 08 TL. Does not surprise me the RL is a top pick, it has that tank like vault quality to it when you drive it that is rare these days with modern cars. Acura/Honda putsalot into the safety research/development of their vehicles and it shows in the results as they always do very well and are at the top of their segments. Ford deserves props for their good ratings too. I am surprised more Mercedes vehicles are not on that list but the new vehicles are not the overbuilt tank like cars of the past and it shows in their ratings. Pretty sad and disturbing how no new Lexus even made it anywhere on those lists, but I guess I am not too surprised as there is a noticeable downgrade in quality/solidness especially in the interiors in their more recent offerings and they too don't have the vault like feel of the 90's and early 2000 models. The new 3rd gen GS just does not feel as solid as my 2nd Gen GS after sitting in it and driving it and this also seems to have translated to accident performance/safety. The 2nd Gen GS did well in safety/accident tests.

LexFather

As one who walked away from a totaled GS, I have no worries. Kudos to all the winners. The thing is, its really no good unless you wreck the vehicle

UDel

European Accord receives highest ever crash and safety ratings in all categories based on recent tests.

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=801640