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Most people think that buying a large car means buying a safe car. While that statement does hold merit, all large cars are not equally safe. And purchasing a large, heavy sedan is not for everyone. With that in mind, Insure.com's Safe Autos For Everyone (S.A.F.E.) Program identifies the safest in six categories: small cars, medium-sized cars, heavy cars, SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks. (For full details about the program see Choose a safe new car with Insure.com's S.A.F.E. Car program.)
 The first vehicles to be awarded Insure.com's 2002 S.A.F.E. Car designation:
- Chevrolet Impala 4-DR
- Ford Windstar
- Honda Civic 4-DR
- Lincoln LS
- Toyota Sienna
- Volkswagen Jetta 4-DR
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volvo S80
Vehicles in each category are selected based on how well they performed in crash tests by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). To be awarded the Insure.com S.A.F.E. Car designation, the model must be tested by both the IIHS and NHTSA and receive ratings of:
| Why isn't my car a winner?
You might assume that cars faring best in crash tests are the largest, heaviest vehicles — perhaps the Mercedes S-600, BMW 745i, or the Rolls Royce Park Ward. You might be right.
However, IIHS and NHTSA do not test every vehicle every year, and they rarely test less-popular, expensive luxury cars (none of the three mentioned above have been tested). So, the S.A.F.E. Car list is not inclusive of all vehicles that otherwise might be eligible because the data do not exist.
What is included are many of the most popular new cars on the road today. Both IIHS and NHTSA officials say they perform most of their crash tests on only the most popular vehicles due to budgetary constraints (IIHS is funded by the insurance industry and NHTSA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation). For example, the best-selling Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry are tested almost every year.
Both organizations point out that vehicle manufacturers can pay to have their vehicles tested by their respective organizations if they so choose. |
- "Good" in the IIHS's overall frontal-offset crash test performance rating (on a scale of "Poor," Marginal," "Acceptable," and "Good").
- Five stars in NHTSA's frontal-impact crash tests and a minimum of four stars in NHTSA's side-impact crash tests (on a scale of one to five stars), meaning a 10 percent or less chance of serious injury.
Further, because SUVs and pickup trucks are more than twice as likely to be involved in rollovers, according to NHTSA, these types of vehicles must score no lower than four stars in NHTSA's rollover resistance rating (on a scale of one to five stars), meaning a 20 percent or less chance of a rollover in a one-car accident.
Honorable Mentions are awarded to vehicles tested by both IIHS and NHTSA that receive ratings of:
- Good" or "Acceptable" in the IIHS's overall frontal-offset crash test performance rating.
- A minimum of four stars in NHTSA's frontal-impact crash tests and a minimum of three stars in NHTSA's side-impact crash tests, meaning a 20 percent or less chance of a serious injury.
- A minimum of three stars in NHTSA's rollover resistance rating, meaning a 30 percent or less chance of a rollover in a single-vehicle accident.
Not all 2002 models (and most 2002 models that were substantially redesigned since the 2001 models) have been tested by both NHTSA and the IIHS, so they could not be included in this report. As new crash test data become available, the list will be updated.
No 2002 pickup trucks have made the grade.
Ratings in the above chart should be compared only within the same vehicle class. For example, a five-star rating for a small car is not comparable to a five-star rating for a large car.
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