Few midsize cars excel in updated side crash test - IIHS News

IIHS news release • August 4, 2022

Few midsize cars excel in updated side crash test

Only three of seven midsize cars tested earn good or acceptable ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s updated side crash test.

The Subaru Outback is the only midsize car to earn a good rating. With somewhat higher levels of occupant compartment intrusion, the Hyundai Sonata and Volkswagen Jetta manage acceptable ratings.

Overall, this initial group of midsize cars did not perform as well as the first batches of small and midsize SUVs evaluated earlier. One reason could be their lower ride height.

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[rustyt]

I thought the Outback was classified as a small SUV. Due to the high ground clearance. Which is why it did so well.

[evdanielsson]

why wasn’t the Legacy tested in this batch instead of the Outback? seems to me the Outback started off with an unfair advantage. is it because everyone (including y’all apparently) forgets that the Legacy even exists?

[superspeeder]

It seems like the main reason for the Outback doing well in this test is the high ride height, which puts the rocker panels directly in the path of the protruding bumper of the incoming barrier. It also raises the occupants heads higher above the impact zone, reducing the chance of injury.

As others have commented, the Legacy should have been tested as it’s a sedan, not the Outback which is a tall off-road oriented crossover.

[motormusique]

The irony is, for cars to be safer they have to become heavier and taller, which then makes them more dangerous to smaller cars and pedestrians. The cycle continues with EVs making all cars heavier and then the most vulnerable vehicles and road users suffer

[miguelbaeza]

I don't understand why they consider the outback a midsize sedan. It's a wagon that's been raised up 3-5" off the ground compared to the other sedans.

It's like putting a 300 lbs wrestler to a 150 lbs wrestler just because he's a guy that wrestles even though they're different category of weight wrestling.

[StalePhish]

The problem that makes itself worse. Larger and heavier cars are ever increasing in market share, which crush the smaller cars, so the smaller cars are replaced with larger cars. The cycle repeats.

[AgentSmith]

High ground clearance definitely helped the Outback

[XRturbo]

The IIHS doesn't seem to care about the arms race they are creating by continually rewarding bigger and heavier cars. I bet an M1 Abrams MBT would do really well in this test.

[Inverter]

The Outback has higher ground clearance than a Honda Ridgeline. Is it now a sedan too? Let’s be logical about methodologies, please.

[vxllfire]

ToyotaCamryFan2016 will literally cry because of this!

[koine]

I think the Outback was used because it’s higher off the ground-as a control. While the Legacy Wagon isn’t made anymore, it’s basically a lifted legacy wagon. Other than the ground clearance, it’s the same vehicle from the grill through the back doors. So it tests the handling of a sedan that is higher.

[benjochs]

It’s become an arms race - who can have the biggest, tallest, heaviest, “safest” monster truck on the road. The rest be damned.

[impala]

This shows how dangerous SUVs and trucks are to everyone else.

[legioner]

Man, that Chevrolet Malibu ended up in a horrific state, with that B - pillar completely detaching ... If the barrier would hit a bit over 40 mph, it would go right through the interior of the car.

[SilverFocus]

1:52 the B-pillar is broken, so worse.

[axel]

Everyone debating the Outback test but I'm surprised that two major manufacturers, Toyota and Nissan, performed worse than Hyundai which is priced lower

[FrozenDonut]

Be interesting to see a Fusion in this crash test as it's a car i'm interested in buying. Even so it did well in the original side crash.

[chasing-mental-clarity]

I feel like that was the most informative two minutes and 31 seconds of my entire life

[jonnynatali]

Pro tip: ban sales of high riding vehicles to people that don't need it. Good for the environment and safer for everyone

[kevinschannel]

Now what’s next for this test? Are pickups getting tested soon? If yes, when will you have the results?