Automakers Focus on Safety

If you think automakers build unsafe cars, think again: most new vehicles now offer a wide array of safety equipment, both as standard and optional. And while there are still new vehicles that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) pose significant risk to their occupants, most new models are safer than ever. In fact, it's no longer acceptable for vehicles to have front airbags and antilock brakes: the trend in the industry is to offer advanced front airbags with dual stage deployment sensors, side airbags as standard, all-wheel drive and advanced traction control. Even lower-priced models now offer side airbags, at a minimum as optional equipment. The structural integrity of new cars has also improved; consider the 2004 Ford F-150. Though it does not have side airbags, the F-150 scored at the top grade in testing done by the IIHS, and was rated five stars on some of the tests performed by NHTSA. So how does all this new safety technology translate on the dealer lots? As with all aspects of shopping for a new car, it's important to balance price, features and do research from independent sources. Most of all, it's critical to test drive a vehicle and get a feel for how it responds on the road. After all, a driver who feels unsafe at the wheel is, generally, an unsafe driver. It's also important to note that no matter how safe a vehicle is, the best way to avoid accidents is to drive safely and obey traffic laws. Below is a list of five top safety picks, determined by price, features and test results from the IIHS and NHTSA. While many other vehicles within each category showed a strong safety benefits, these five offer the highest safety ratings with significant equipment at a competitive price.

Page 2: Honda Pilot

Top Safety Pick for Moderately Priced SUVs: Honda Pilot Priced at an MSRP of between $27,100 and $32, 870, the Honda Pilot is notable as a safe sport utility vehicle for its solid safety ratings from NHTSA, the IIHS and a list of standard equipment that includes side air bags and passenger air bag cut off capability.IIHS Rating Good, Best Pick - acceptable rating for structure/safety cage intrusion. NHTSA Rating Driver Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Passenger Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Front Impact Rating: Five Stars Rear Impact Rating: Five Stars Rollover Rating: Not Rated Air bags: Driver & Passenger Safety Features ABS Brakes Standard Driver Air Bag Standard Passenger Air Bag Standard Side Air Bag Standard Child Safety Features Passenger Air Bag Cutoff Capability Standard Child Safety Locks Standard

Page 3: Volvo XC90

Top Safety Pick for luxury suvs: Volvo XC90 The Volvo XC90 continues Volvo's reputation as one of the safest vehicle brands on the road. Of special note is the rollover protection system, which is designed to deploy side curtain airbags in the event of a rollover. Priced between $34,790 to $40,965 MSRP, the Volvo XC90 has an Estimated Market PriceTM between $34, 411 and $40,917. IIHS Rating Good, Best Pick NHTSA Rating Driver Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Passenger Side Impact Rating: Four Stars Front Impact Rating: Five Stars Rear Impact Rating: Five Stars Rollover Rating: Not Rated Air bags: Driver & Passenger Safety Features ABS Brakes: Standard Driver Air Bag: Standard Passenger Air Bag: Standard Side Air Bag: Standard Daytime Running Lights: Standard Child Safety Features Child Safety Locks: Standard

Page 4: Ford F-150

Top Safety Pick for Full-size Trucks: Ford F-150 Priced between $19,530 to $30,840 MSRP, the all-new 2004 Ford F-150 scored significantly higher in crash test ratings than its 2003 predecessor. Despite the absence of side airbags, the new F-150 received a "Good" rating on all categories of crash tests by the IIHS, and registered five stars from NHTSA in its frontal crash test. Ford F-150 highlights include dual stage front airbags that measure seat belt use, driver seat position and passenger weight. Passenger airbag will deactivate if the seat is empty, or if a child is seated. IIHS Rating Good, Best Pick NHTSA Rating Side Impact Rating: Not Rated Front Impact Rating: driver and passenger: Five stars Rear Impact Rating: Not Rated Rollover Rating: Not Rated Air bags: Driver & Passenger Safety Features ABS Brakes: Standard Driver Air Bag: Standard Passenger Air Bag: Standard Child Safety Features Passenger Air Bag Cutoff Capability: Standard

Page 5: Honda Accord

Top Safety Pick for Moderately Priced passenger cars: Honda Accord Priced at between $15,900 to $28,500 MSRP, the Accord is one of the most popular sedans on the road. A recent upgrade to the model included a bevy of standard and optional safety equipment, as well as good crash test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA. One drawback is that not all Accords are available with side curtain airbags. Features include front airbags that deploy at various stages, depending on how severe the crash and whether passengers are buckled in. IIHS Rating Good, Best Pick NHTSA Rating Front Side Impact Rating: Four Stars Rear Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Front Impact Rating: Five Stars Rollover Rating: Four Stars Safety Features ABS Brakes: Standard Driver Air Bag: Standard Passenger Air Bag: Standard Side Air Bag: Standard on some models Child Safety Features Passenger Air Bag Cutoff Capability: Standard Child Safety Locks: Standard

Page 6: Toyota Sienna

Top Safety Pick for Minivans: Toyota Sienna Priced at between $22,955 to $36,930 MSRP, the new 2004 Toyota Sienna rates five stars across the board from NHTSA, and a "Best Pick" from the IIHS. Though side airbags are not offered as standard equipment, the Sienna was the only minivan tested to receive top marks from both crash test outfits. Close on the heels of the Sienna is the Honda Odyssey, though it did not rate as highly as the Sienna at the IIHS. The Odyssey, however, does offer side airbags as standard equipment but the base model price of the Honda is approximately $1,500 higher than the base version of the Sienna. The Sienna also offers all-wheel drive on some of the higher priced models, and has an Estimated Market PriceTM between $22,674 and $36,468. IIHS Rating Good, Best Pick NHTSA Rating Driver Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Passenger Side Impact Rating: Five Stars Front Impact Rating: Five Stars Rear Impact Rating: Five Stars Rollover Rating: Not Rated Safety Features ABS Brakes: Standard Driver Air Bag: Standard Passenger Air Bag: Standard Side Air Bag: Available on the XLE Limited Daytime Running Lights: Standard Child Safety Features Passenger Air Bag Cutoff Capability: N/A Child Safety Locks: STD