Exciting news from the IIHS regarding the 2010 Top Safety Pick announcement
Subaru was the only manufacturer to have a Top Safety Pick winner in every vehicle class in which it competes.
To determine crashworthiness - how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash - the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates vehicles Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently announced their list of 2010 Top Safety Pick vehicles, and Subaru is the only manufacturer with a "Top Safety Pick" winner in every vehicle class in which it competes. This means that no matter which Subaru model you are interested in, you can be confident that Subaru provides the highest possible level of safety based on tests conducted by the IIHS.
Last year, there were 94 vehicles listed on the IIHS Top Safety Pick list. This year, that number dropped to only 27 vehicles due to changes in the requirements for meeting the demanding standards for Top Safety Pick designation. Of those 27 vehicles, Subaru had 5, or nearly 20%, of the vehicles which met the new criteria.
This year, a roof strength requirement was added to the criteria for Top Safety Pick as a measure of the vehicle's rollover protection. In order to earn a "Good" rating, the roof must be able to support 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called strength-to-weight ratio. The IIHS standard of 4 times the vehicle's weight far exceeds the Federal Government standard of 1.5 times.
The criteria for being awarded a "Top Safety Pick" by the IIHS requires a rating of "Good", the highest rating, in each of the categories for testing; front, side, rear and the newest category, roof strength. In addition, the vehicles must have a stability control system as standard equipment or available as an option. The Subaru Impreza (except WRX), Forester, Legacy, Outback and Tribeca met these standards, and were awarded the IIHS "Top Safety Pick" designation.
The IIHS list of 2010 Top Safety Pick vehicles are:
LARGE CARS Buick LaCrosse Ford Taurus Lincoln MKS Volvo S80
SMALL CARS Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si, not tested) with optional ESC Kia Soul Nissan Cube Subaru Impreza (except WRX, not tested) Volkswagen Golf 4-door models MIDSIZE CARS Audi A3 Chevrolet Malibu built after November 2009 Chrysler Sebring 4-door models with optional ESC Dodge Avenger with optional ESC Mercedes C class Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Volkswagen Jetta sedan Volkswagen Passat sedan Volvo C30 MIDSIZE SUVs Dodge Journey Subaru Tribeca Volvo XC60 Volvo XC90
SMALL SUVs Honda Element Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags Subaru Forester Volkswagen Tiguan
If you are interested in learning more about Subaru's IIHS safety ratings, or you would like to set up a test drive, contact us by filling out the form below.