Today we're putting out 13 new
crash-test ratings for small cars and
six of those small cars earned Top
Safety Pick which means they get a good
rating in all four of the tests that we do.
Small cars are much safer than they
used to be. A few years ago many of the
small cars that we tested were rated
poor in our side impact crash and few
were really good. Now none is rated poor
and many cars earn good ratings in all
four of our tough tests. Small cars which
had the best fuel economy for years and
years have not always been equipped with
the same safety features as more
expensive cars but today all 13 of the
vehicles that we're releasing results
for are equipped with front airbags, the
standard side airbags and most have
electronic stability control to help
keep you from being in a crash in the
first place. Small cars will never be as
protective as larger cars. Despite all
the improvement in safety there is an
advantage of being in a larger heavier
car. Interest in small cars and
fuel-efficient cars goes up when gas
prices go up. The good news about today's
results is there are a number of small cars
with very good gas mileage that also
have the highest level of crash
protection available today.
