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November 15, 2005
NEW IIHS CRASH TEST RESULTS ANNOUNCED
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced that three new or redesigned midsize cars earned "double best pick" designations for very good overall performance in both front and side tests it conducted. They are the 2006 Audi A3, 2006 Volkswagen Passat, and 2006 Subaru Legacy. The 2005-06 Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, a large car, earned good overall ratings in both tests but didn't earn the "best pick" designation in the side impact. IIHS also announced the results of its first crash-test evaluation of the performance of minivans in side impact crash tests. Three minivans with standard side airbags - Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, and Honda Odyssey - earned the Institute's highest rating of good (side airbags were optional in the 2005 Sienna). The Sienna and Quest earned the added designation of "best pick" for side crash protection. The Sienna also is a "best pick" in the Institute's frontal offset test, so this minivan with side airbags is a "double best pick" for front and side crashworthiness. The Ford Freestar with optional side airbags earned a rating of acceptable. When the Freestar and Mazda MPV were tested without their optional side airbags, both earned the lowest rating of poor (the MPV with optional side airbags wasn't tested; see note* below). To see the detailed test results, visit the IIHS website.Posted by MVHAP at November 15, 2005 10:42 AM