We've all seen the video clips this week of how small cars (Yaris, Fit, Smart) seem to crumple like a used Kleenex when crashed into by moderate sized cars. And in Friday's (4/17) issue of the Wall Street Journal there is a good article discussing these issues in which the EPA, NHTSA, and Ralph Nader type groups ignore the size/danger issue. They have traded public safety for more Government power. And the environment trumps safety as far as the Government is concerned these days. But according to the WSJ it says this about Consumer Reports: "has consistently failed to mention the importance of size and weight in discussing how to choose a safer car. Though it is regarded as the information bible by many car buyers, not a single one of its annual auto issues in the last five years has touched on this topic." I'm no fan of CR as I think much of it's testing and data is agenda driven (remember the Moose test dishonesty a few years ago?). But if what the WSJ says is true why is no one calling out CR for failing to mention size as it relates to safety? What's their agenda?

 

good post. CR is IMO the LEAST objective source of info about vehicles.

 

I remember this from a couple of years ago when a Consumer Reports participant rated the Ford Explorer as a "poor quality vehicle" because the trunk door couldn't be fully opened when the vehicle was parked inside her garage. So how exactly does this make the Explorer a "poor quality" car?

 

I agree! Everyone should buy the largest vehicle possible -- the person with the largest vehicle wins every time.

I'm looking at an 18 wheeler so I'll be the safest; damn neighbor is buying an M1

 

Would you post the actual reference from CR on this, if possible? I find it hard to believe that CR itself would make a statement that dumb.

Now, if it was not the actual magazine staff saying that, but just one person just filling out a survey, that's something else. That is ignorance on a much smaller scale.

 

While it is true, in general, that the laws of physics prevail in a collision, and that, all other things equal, the larger, heavier vehicle will often come out in better shape, size and weight alone does NOT determine safety....many other factors are involved. Crumple zones, air bag design, seat belt/harness design, frame strength, how far back the engine cradle moves in a frontal crash, how well the fuel tank is protected, type of glass used for the windows, center of gravity for resisting rollovers....all of this, and much, much more, plays a role in how well cars do in crash testing. Volvo and Mercedes, in particular, are well-known for relative safety even in smaller vehicles.

And, it also has to be taken into account that smaller cars are often more agile and manuverable, and may be able to steer AROUND a potential accident that a relatively soft-sprung and poor-handling Lincoln Town Car or Buick Lucerne would plow straight ahead right into.

 

CR regularly references the crash test results of the cars they review. I don't recall reading about how the various sizes of vehicles fare in crashes with each other though.