Small Cars Test Poorly for Side Impact

[Perian]

Associated Press
Small Cars Test Poorly for Side Impact
Sunday March 6, 8:03 pm ET
By Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press Writer
Dodge Neon, Ford Focus and VW New Beetle Among Small Cars Getting Lowest Side-Impact Rating

DETROIT (AP) -- The Dodge Neon, Ford Focus and Volkswagen New Beetle are among the small cars that got the lowest safety rating in new side-impact crash tests performed by the insurance industry, according to results released Sunday.

Eleven of the 13 cars tested earned a "poor," the lowest of four ratings, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said. The Chevrolet Cobalt and the Toyota Corolla earned the second-highest rating of "acceptable," but only when they were tested with their optional side air bags. They earned "poor" ratings without the air bags.

Other vehicles that earned a "poor" rating were the Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, Saturn Ion, Suzuki Forenza and Suzuki Aerio.

The institute's test simulates a severe crash. A barrier designed to resemble the front of a pickup or sport utility vehicle hits the side of the vehicle at 31 mph. A "poor" rating means a high chance of serious injury in a similar crash.

Four of the vehicles tested -- the Elantra, New Beetle, Forenza and Spectra -- have standard, head-protecting side air bags. But the institute's chief operating officer, Adrian Lund, said the cars had poor structure that failed to prevent injuries to the torso and pelvis.

Several of the vehicles offer optional side air bags, but the institute will only test those vehicles without side air bags unless the manufacturer provides a second vehicle with the option installed.

Toyota Motor Co. provided the Corolla with side air bags and General Motors Corp. provided the Cobalt and Saturn Ion. But even when it was tested with its optional side air bags, the Ion got a "poor" rating because the institute said it didn't adequately protect the driver's lower body.

GM said in a statement that the Cobalt and Ion meet or exceed all federal vehicle safety standards and got higher ratings in the institute's frontal crash tests.

The institute was most critical of the Neon, saying the car performed so poorly that the driver likely wouldn't have survived the crash. DaimlerChrysler AG defended the Neon, saying it meets federal safety standards and its performance is similar to other small cars.

"No single test can determine a vehicle's overall safety performance or how the vehicle will perform in a specific crash," DaimlerChrysler said in a statement.

Lund said the ratings were similar to frontal crash test ratings for small cars in 1997. Since then, manufacturers have redesigned those cars and now most get the highest safety rating in frontal crash tests.

"As manufacturers redesign their vehicles, we expect that small cars will get better in the side-impact test too," Lund said.

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Perian

The institute was most critical of the Neon, saying the car performed so poorly that the driver likely wouldn't have survived the crash. DaimlerChrysler AG defended the Neon, saying it meets federal safety standards and its performance is similar to other small cars.

Wow! Go DC.

It is time for Chevy and Saturn to make the curtain airbags standard. The Cobalt and Ion also need (currently unavailable) driver and passenger side airbags. Time is wasting - the media will be all over these results.

This is really embarrassing coming at a time when GM's national ad campaign entitled "Only GM" is focusing on safety (stability control and OnStar are becoming standard equipment on many future models). Unless the testing is somehow faulty, there is no excuse for these results, especially on a brand new car (Cobalt).

[Innotech]

this really doesnt matter, because NO cars in that segment have good side impact ratings. Not a good hting, but there isnt exactly enough CAR to protect you in that situation anyway. Side impacts dont have an engine and bumper block to go through before affecting you. Even the safest side impact vehicles can injure you severely if a big enough vehicle is doing the plowing.
This is one aspect of safety that NO company has yet excelled in.

[gmsickofan]

The title of this thread is very misleading, and puts too much attention on Cobalt. If the following is true, then even the precious import compacts in general fared poorly also.

The Chevrolet Cobalt and the Toyota Corolla earned the second-highest rating of "acceptable," but only when they were tested with their optional side air bags. They earned "poor" ratings without the air bags.

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Perian

Several of the vehicles offer optional side air bags, but the institute will only test those vehicles without side air bags unless the manufacturer provides a second vehicle with the option installed.

With all due respect - let's face facts: If Toyota pulled something like this > alone < I would be all over them...talk about bait and switch!!

But, it is unfortunate that we must also read that GM did the same thing. This was a VERY smart move on their part. The publicity this morning is fantastic. Thousands of consumers will be heading to Chevrolet dealers article-in-hand to look at Cobalts with side curtain airbags.

But what will they find in stock at the dealer?

Bad news. I have done a search of three Chevy dealers near my home here in New York for Cobalts equipped with side curtain airbags.

They had plenty of Cobalts in stock.

Not one - NOT ONE - had the airbag option.

A question that MUST be answered: GM apparently knew how the non-curtain unit would test because they supplied a curtain-equipped unit.

If this was so, why didn't they ramp up production of units with the option?

People see this as a great event.

I see a wasted opportunity to sell alot of cars.

[Taycron]

Definitely a misleading title..

[Family Man]

Originally Posted by Perian

With all due respect - let's face facts: If Toyota pulled something like this > alone < I would be all over them...talk about bait and switch!!

But, it is unfortunate that we must also read that GM did the same thing. This was a VERY smart move on their part. The publicity this morning is fantastic. Thousands of consumers will be heading to Chevrolet dealers article-in-hand to look at Cobalts with side curtain airbags.

But what will they find in stock at the dealer?

Bad news. I have done a search of three Chevy dealers near my home here in New York for Cobalts equipped with side curtain airbags.

They had plenty of Cobalts in stock.

Not one - NOT ONE - had the airbag option.

A question that MUST be answered: GM apparently knew how the non-curtain unit would test because they supplied a curtain-equipped unit.

If this was so, why didn't they ramp up production of units with the option?

People see this as a great event.

I see a wasted opportunity to sell alot of cars.

One problem might be cost...

Although the Dateline story mentioned that the extra airbags were only a few hundred dollars more (the story did mention the actual $$), they failed to to mention that you can't get side airbags without ordering On-star.

I built a Cobalt LS on GM Canada's website.
Cost of side air-bags: $400
Cost on On-Star: $1230.
Total cost to have side airbags: $1630cdn

As much as I like On-Star, the extra $1600 represents a significant jump in price, especially for a $20k car.

[jwrebholz]

Don't know about Canada, but in the US you can order the side airbags seperately.

[vdoh182]

well, the Elantra, New Beetle, Forenza and Spectra got poor even w/ airbags, so ur still just as safe in a cobalt w/o them, i don tknow why they would bait and switch, if people were coming in looking for side airbags, GM would make more money by selling them the option, and im sure its not that hard to get one.

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Family Man

I built a Cobalt LS on GM Canada's website.
Cost of side air-bags: $400
Cost on On-Star: $1230.
Total cost to have side airbags: $1630cdn

As much as I like On-Star, the extra $1600 represents a significant jump in price, especially for a $20k car.

Prices for the same options here in the United States are:

OnStar: $ 695 List
Side Air Curtain: $ 395 List

Confirming above, you need not order OnStar to get the curtain.

Even with the cdn/usd rate, that is a big difference. I assume the pricing can be justified.

[jwrebholz]

I think the thing that might have got you confused is that if you order OnStar, you have to order the airbags. You can get airbags with no OnStar, but no OnStar without airbags.

[spudglo08]

Side air bags curtain or canapy should be standard on all cars.

[gerardo_zg]

Originally Posted by vdoh182

well, the Elantra, New Beetle, Forenza and Spectra got poor even w/ airbags, so ur still just as safe in a cobalt w/o them, i don tknow why they would bait and switch, if people were coming in looking for side airbags, GM would make more money by selling them the option, and im sure its not that hard to get one.

Mmm it looks like poor is better than poorer...

[MCGARRETT]

Yes, this is true for both the ION and the Cobalt, the side air bags are a separate option, or can be had with a "Safety and Security" package that bundles ABS, Head Curtain Airbags and OnStar all together.

The price for the package on a ION is $1215 on an ION 2 and $1235 on an ION 3. I dont know what the similar package cost for the Cobalt, but I cant imagine that there is much of a difference.

Where was the Honda Civic in this test? I see most of the small cars on the market mentioned, but why no Civic? Why was Honda excluded?, also, if they tested 2 GM cars, I feel that perhaps a Scion should have been tested along with the Corolla.

[oachalon]

Did you guys see how well the cobalt did in the rest of the tests. They gave the cobalt as the best for safety out of the competition.