Earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick Plus award has become tougher for 2014, but 22 cars managed to earn the agency’s highest safety award.
IIHS has revised its Top Safety Pick Plus criteria. For a car to earn the top nod, it must earn the highest score of good — out of good, acceptable, marginal and poor — in moderate overlap frontal-, side-impact, roof-strength and rear-impact tests; it also must receive a score of good or acceptable in the small overlap frontal-impact crash test, which simulates a car hitting a tree or light pole at 40 mph from the front-left corner. IIHS introduced this crash test in 2012.
Top Safety Pick Plus cars need one more piece to get the award — front crash protection technology that allows drivers to avoid a potential collision through warnings and, in some models, automatic braking. Earlier this year, IIHS began testing the systems, awarding the title of superior, advanced or basic to cars with the systems.
“We’ve made it more difficult for manufacturers this year,” says IIHS President Adrian Lund. “Following a gradual phase-in, the small overlap crash is now part of our basic battery of tests, and good or acceptable performance should be part of every vehicle’s safety credentials. We also felt it was time to offer extra recognition to manufacturers that are offering a proven crash avoidance technology.”
The frontal overlap tests are the biggest difference between the two national testing agencies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crashes cars head-on into a solid immovable barrier. Neither the angle nor the obstacle corresponds with the majority of real collisions. IIHS conducts a frontal-offset crash into a deformable barrier that reacts like another vehicle. This gauges how well half of the vehicle’s front end absorbs crash energy. Many experts say this test is more revealing and better represents the majority of real-world crashes. Additionally, NHTSA has acknowledged that its New Car Assessment Program hasn’t evolved quickly enough to account for marketwide improvements in vehicle crashworthiness. Simply put, too many models are getting high scores from NHTSA, and the differences among them — which exist — aren’t reflected in the ratings.
Front crash prevention systems are available in more cars, and for 2014 the IIHS distinguishes between Top Safety Pick Plus winners and Top Safety Pick winners; the criteria is the same except for the front crash protection technology requirement. For 2014, 17 models earned Top Safety Pick status.
Front crash prevention systems can be basic like those found on the Ford Fusion midsize sedan, Lincoln MKZ midsize sedan and Honda’s Civic Hybrid, Accord coupe and sedan, and Odyssey minivan, or complex like Subaru’s EyeSight warning and autobrake system that avoids collisions at both 12 mph and 25 mph. EyeSight is optional on the Forester SUV, Legacy family sedan and Outback wagon.
Most of the 2014 Top Safety Pick Plus winners qualify only with the optional front crash protection systems. When a vehicle doesn’t have that system, it instead receives the Top Safety Pick award. The Volvo S60, S80 and XC60 and the Honda Civic Hybrid all have a front crash prevention system standard and therefore earn only the Top Safety Pick Plus award.
2014 Top Safety Pick Plus award winners
Compact cars
Honda Civic Hybrid
Mazda3, built after October 2013
Toyota Prius, built after November 2013
Midsize cars
Ford Fusion
Honda Accord coupe and sedan
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Mazda6
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Midsize luxury/near-luxury cars
Infiniti Q50
Lincoln MKZ
Volvo S60
Full-size luxury cars
Acura RL
Volvo S80
Compact SUVs
Mazda CX-5, built after October 2013
Mitsubishi Outlander
Subaru Forester
Midsize SUV
Toyota Highlander
Midsize luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
Mercedes-Benz M-Class, built after August 2013
Volvo XC60
Minivan
Honda Odyssey
Except for the Volvo S60, S80 and XC60 and Honda Civic Hybrid, vehicles listed under Top Safety Pick Plus qualify for that award only when equipped with optional front crash prevention. Front crash prevention isn’t available on non-hybrid versions of the Civic.
Top Safety Pick winners
Minicar
Chevrolet Spark
Compact cars
Dodge Dart
Ford Focus
Honda Civic coupe
Hyundai Elantra
Scion tC
Subaru Impreza
Subaru XV Crosstrek
Midsize moderately priced cars
Chrysler 200 sedan
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Dodge Avenger
Kia Optima
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry, built after November 2013
Volkswagen Passat
Midsize luxury/near-luxury car
Acura TL
Small SUV
Mitsubushi Outlander Sport
Midsize luxury SUV
Volvo XC90
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