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E-mail this ArticleOver the last four years, improved designs and standard side airbags have made mid-size cars significantly safer. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted crash tests of seven top ’08 models in a wide price range: the Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger, Infiniti G35, Kia Optima, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima and Saturn Aura. All seven earned the highest possible rating in frontal offset crash tests, and all but one earned the highest rating for side-impact protection. The Optima scored “average” in that test.
As a class, the cars showed the biggest improvement in side-impact protection. Four years ago, IIHS tested 10 mid-size cars, and all 10 earned “poor” ratings in their standard versions—without side airbags—for side-impact protection. “A major change is that side airbags are standard in every one of the seven midsize cars we tested this time around,” says David Zuby of IIHS. “Automakers have been moving quickly to make side airbags standard, even on lower-priced models.”
IIHS designs its side-impact tests to simulate a T-bone collision with an SUV or pickup at 31 mph. For complete results and ratings, visit www.iihs.org.
