While the tremendous advances in auto safety since the beginning of the 21st century are commendable, watchdog groups like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believe there is always room for improvement. The organization recently analyzed compact SUVs and crossovers, one of the most popular segments currently on sale, and found that there is still work to be done.
IIHS creates a verified list of popular small SUVs (Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, Chevrolet Equinox, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Volkswagen Taos) and checked its paces. A little further than usual. In updating vehicle and vehicle front crash prevention ratings, the organization increased test speeds from 12 and 25 miles per hour to 31 miles per hour, 37 miles per hour, and 43 miles per hour.
Additionally, the latest tests pit these small SUVs against traditional cars, motorcycles, and semi-trailers. Tests are performed at all three speeds for each vehicle type and evaluate the forward collision warning system and automatic emergency braking system. Notably, his IIHS engineers will be driving the car during this test. This means the driver must swerve out of the way to evaluate both safety systems.
“Clearly, crashes that occur at high speeds are more dangerous,” said IIHS senior researcher David Kidd, who led the development of the new assessment. “Fatal underride accidents often occur when the vehicle being rear-ended is a large truck.Also, motorcyclists are often killed when they are rear-ended by a passenger car. This is because there is no protection.”
Each model earns points by warning the driver at least 2.1 seconds before the expected collision time and warning of significant speed reductions under automatic braking, with braking actions counting towards more points. Under these new test conditions, only the Subaru Forester outperformed, avoiding collisions with passenger cars at all test speeds and earning IIHS's highest rating of “Good.”
In addition to slowing down an average of 30 mph before hitting the bike in the 43 mph test, the Subaru midsize product avoided hitting the bike's target at 31 mph and 37 mph. Similarly, forward collision warning was proactive in all situations, including trailers.
Honda's CR-V isn't far behind, earning a second-best rating of “Acceptable” in all passenger car and most two-wheeler tests for timely forward collision warning and aggressive braking performance. Did. The CR-V failed to consistently slow down to the motorcycle target at 43 mph, dropping points. Toyota's RAV4 also received an “acceptable” rating after exhibiting similar automated system behavior.
The Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, and Jeep Compass all received marginal ratings from the IIHS, largely due to delayed forward collision warnings. That said, the IIHS noted that the Ford Escape managed to avoid hitting car and motorcycle targets up to 31 mph, and also slowed significantly in high-speed tests.
The Chevrolet Equinox, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Volkswagen Taos all received poor reviews due to the motorcycle's lack of target identification and slight deceleration from automatic emergency braking systems. Ta. In particular, the Equinox was unable to slow down at all against motorcycle targets, IIHS engineers noted.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest and moved to New York, Emmett White has a passion for all things cars, bikes, airplanes, and motorcycles. Emmett worked in the motorcycle industry after he learned how to ride at the age of 17, joining Auto Week in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. Due to alternating parking issues, his vehicles were kept in moderation, with his 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and his BMW 318i E30 parked on the street. in his Queens community.
