The Least-Safe Cars 2006
Forbes.com
By Dan Lienert

The least-safe cars on the market are like the least-safe neighborhoods in a big city: affordable, but not pretty.

With an average base price of $15,323 and no prices higher than $19,555, the six least-safe cars on the market (see the following slide show) come from companies Forbes.com does not ordinarily cover, such as Hyundai, Kia and Suzuki . Some models from these brands--which are hardly for social climbers--satisfy bargain hunters but require them to take their chances with personal safety. Hyundai's Elantra, Kia's Optima and Suzuki's Forenza sedans--like the other vehicles in the slide show--achieved ratings of "poor," the lowest possible, in two of three Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests (all the cars received their failing grades on the side- and rear-impact tests).

The 2006 model year is young. Not all new cars have crash-test scores available, but many do, and the slide show features the six with the worst crashworthiness.

Go to Forbes.com to view the cars.
cars_419x98.jpg

In matters of automotive safety, we typically consult the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)--and we recommend car shoppers do too. But for a list of the least-safe cars, we felt the IIHS would be a better source, because it seems less sparing of its worst marks than NHTSA. Most cars in NHTSA's crash tests achieve ratings of three stars or higher on tests in which five stars is the top rating, but the IIHS does not hesitate to hand out ratings of "poor" when cars merit them. NHTSA gives out the occasional sub-three-star rating, but a three-star rating tends to be as low as it goes.

To be sure we were on steady ground in calling certain cars "unsafe," we fashioned our list out of cars that received multiple "poor" ratings from the IIHS. Both a list of cars with only one "poor" rating and a list of cars with one or more three-star ratings from NHTSA would have been unwieldy, with over 20 cars each.

The list of unsafe cars points to two trends. First, the least-safe cars are cheap. However, some luxury cars have subpar crash-test scores. The Jaguar X-Type sedan from Ford Motor and the Infiniti G35 and M model lines from Nissan Motor received one "poor" rating each, which was alarming but not enough to merit placement on our list.

Some 2006-model luxury cars have also had safety recalls already. For example, DaimlerChrysler's redesigned Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV has been recalled for a faulty power steering system, as has the Cadillac Escalade SUV from General Motors . However, we did not feel that a car with one safety recall was necessarily unsafe, and there is, as of now, no bank of 2006-model cars with multiple safety recalls.

The other trend is that side airbags, though frequently optional, should be mandatory. The IIHS often gives "poor" side-impact crash-test scores to vehicles tested without optional side airbags. Add side airbags in a side-impact test and a vehicle's score can go from the lowest possible to the second highest possible. But some vehicles, such as the slide show's Hyundai Elantra, manage to achieve "poor" side-impact scores despite having standard side bags.

Safety features are like luxury features in cars: the higher your budget, the more of them you will get. For a look at the least-safe cars on the market--and at the correlation between budget vehicles and unsafe vehicles--please view the link to the slide show.

 

Thanks for the info, but why the misleading thread title. Clearly stated in the text, the G35 is NOT ON THE LIST.

 

If I'm not mistaken the G and M received a poor rating for the active head restraints. They are nowhere near the 'least safe cars'.

 

hmmm I just checked IIHS website and both TSX and 3 series received POOR score on the same test.

 

Umm it was mentioned to be one of the least safe cars.

 

No. it wasn't G35 TX. It was listed as receiving one poor test rating. They also mentioned this one rating as being "not enough to merit placement on our list." (meaning least safe list).

Haven't read the article, so I don't know how many ratings made up this test.

And on a good note, we have one of the safest cars in front offset tests, one of the toughest tests for a car manufacturer to acheive good scores on:

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=335

 

I can live with that...

 

It's by far not one of the least safest cars... It clearly states that the ONE "poor" rating wasnt enough to make the list... read it again. Plus the G has the best frontal crash test rating in its class so its not an un-safe car. you should rename the thread title its misleading

 

Notice other cars with "poor" results in some tests. BMW 3 series, Audi A4/A6, Acura TSX/TL...The G is a ~4 year old model, I am willing to bet that it will not receive any "poors" after it's re-design. Remember, these test results are relative to other cars which in many cases, are newer designs.

 

Exactly. If Russ knew how to "search", read, and use the interweb he would have found out the G35 is lacking in the rear seat head restraint area. Guess what though? Acura, Lexus, and even Benz have gotten failing grades in that category too. Also, the G35 tested had the fixed head rests and not the adjustable ones that are used on the reclining rear seats.

 

Well, what are these "Active Head Restraints" that I read about G35s having?

 

Front.

 

Quote "However, some luxury cars have subpar crash-test scores. The Jaguar X-Type sedan from Ford Motor and the Infiniti G35 and M model lines from Nissan Motor received one "poor" rating each, which was alarming but not enough to merit placement on our list.


*Didn't make the list*

So where did you get worst on the list from? Especially if it didn't make the list?

 

My apolgizes. I actually didn't fully read the article. But I copy and pasted it from this link below. I assumed that is what happened and glad to see it didn't actually make the list.

PS, I never said it made the list. I just said it was mentioned to be one of the least safe cars because it got a poor rating. But didn't make the list.

Hey, we all make mistakes.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184963

 

WOW, an admission of error......a G35Driver.com first! Bless you G35_TX. Maturity reigns supreme! -T