Compact SUVs Not as Safe for Front Passengers
Compact SUVs are one of the best-selling segments in the marketplace, but what a lot of car shoppers may not realize is that almost all of these SUVs fail to protect the front passenger adequately when involved in a small-overlap crash.
This is important, because 25% of all frontal crash fatalities is a result of a small-overlap crash (this is when the corner of the vehicle crashes into an object such as a pole or other vehicle).
The lack of passenger side protection in this type of crash came to light after the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) decided to test the passenger side instead of only the driver side during their crash tests.
Out of 7 vehicles tested, only the 2016 Hyundai Tuscon passed with a "good" rating. The 2016 Toyota RAV-4 performed the worst, with a "poor" passenger-side rating. Since the IIHS only tested compact SUVs, it's probably safe to assume that other types of vehicles also have poor passenger-side safety.
The car manufacturers claim they haven't had enough time to increase the safety of the front passenger compartment yet, deciding to make improvements to the driver's side first. However, to me, this just seems like cost cutting and hoping to get away with good crash test ratings with minimal effort.
Here are the results of the tests so far. If safety is of utmost importance to you, AND you usually have a passenger in the car, you may want to side with the Hyundai Tucson if you're shopping for a compact SUV.
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
October 2024
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared October 2024 Oct 24, 2024
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Oct 24, 2024
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Oct 24, 2024
- Nissan Special Deals Alert Oct 24, 2024
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars for 2024 Oct 17, 2024
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Oct 17, 2024
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Oct 17, 2024
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Oct 17, 2024
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Oct 10, 2024
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars October 2024 Oct 10, 2024
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Oct 10, 2024
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Oct 10, 2024
- Best 0% Finance Deals October 2024 Oct 03, 2024
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Oct 03, 2024
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Oct 03, 2024
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Oct 03, 2024
September 2024
- Best Car Deals by Category Sep 26, 2024
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Sep 26, 2024
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Sep 19, 2024
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Sep 05, 2024
- How to Get $1,000 Discount on Any Tesla Sep 05, 2024