Small Cars Get Poor Ratings in Crash Tests

April 2009

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently crash tested three 2009 small-sized cars to see how they fare in car accidents with midsize sedans. The small vehicles performed so poorly that the agency had to change their crash ratings from "good," the highest ranking, to "poor," the lowest.

The Smart Fortwo was tested against a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, the Honda Fit against a Honda Accord, and a Toyota Yaris against Toyota Camry. In the tests, the vehicles were crashed into each other while traveling at about 40 miles an hour. The Fortwo, Fit, and Yaris all received "poor" ratings, a grade that is based on how far the larger vehicle enters into the occupant compartment of the smaller one, how much the driver dummy moves during the crash, and the forces that are recorded on the dummies. Here are specifics on each small car's performance:

Smart Fortwo: After it struck the Mercedes, the Smart went airborne and completed a 450-degree turn. There was excessive movement of the dummy and extensive intrusion into the space around the dummy. The instrument panel and the steering wheel were shoved up and toward the dummy.

Honda Fit: Intrusion into Fit's occupant compartment was "extensive," according to officials. This poses a high risk of leg injury. In addition, the dummy's head struck the steering wheel through the airbag.

Toyota Yaris: The door of the Yaris was largely torn away. The driver's seats in both the Yaris and Camry tipped forward, but the steering wheel in the Yaris moved excessively. The heads of the dummies in both cars struck the steering wheels through the airbags, but the head injury in the Yaris measured "poor."