Bummers. The Honda Fit (GD3) scored a 'poor' rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's low-speed bumper crash tests. Here's a quote from the Motorweek segment:

"The Honda Fit subcompact's low rear bumper completely underrode the test barrier requiring $3600 to repair. Front and rear damage totaled $7,000, earning a "poor" rating."

Pretty much all the other compact cars tested did just as bad or worse. Here's the link: MotorWeek: Inside Track: Motor News

I knew I should've got the optional Force-Field from the dealer.

 

If the rear bumper "underrode" the test barrier it means the tests were rigged to emphasize larger cars as safer. Doesn't mean shit, in my opinion.

 

it only means that if you ever find yourself in said predicament, you'll now know ahead of time what you have to pay.

i love my fit too, but i'm not oblivous to what would happen to it if i were to enter into an automotive altercation.

 

I'm on Fit #2 after my first was rear ended by a Ford Econoline that totally missed my rear bumper and took out the hatch area of the body. Fortunately if you have insurance and you get rear ended like that it doesn't matter how much damage it does because you're not gonna be paying for it. It just matters that it keeps the cabin intact, which it did a great job at.

 

Just some vids for comparison (all are less than 1 min):


YouTube - Bumper Crash Test: 2007 Chrysler Sebring - Full rear test (This is the test that caused the $3600 worth of damaged to the Fit. The Sebring didn't do much better )

YouTube - Bumper Crash Test: '07 Volkswagen Passat - Full Frontal

YouTube - Bumper Crash Test: 2007 Volkswagen Jetta - Rear Offset

YouTube - Bumper Crash Test: 2007 Mazda Mazda6 - Front offset


These are the same test that the Fit went thought. And you have to remember that the barriers that they use are designed to simulate a large midsize car or compact SUV. And compared to these midsized cars in the vids, the Fit did very good considering how small it is.

 

So they are giving the Fit a poor rating because their test equipment is ment for testing a larger car? That's retarded. If they're going to test the bumper they should have it set up to hit the bumper and not the hatch. No shit it'll cost more if they cram that into a steel beam instead of the bumper.

 

Collisions are supposed to occur at a specific height. I believe that occurred but because the Fit is smaller the bumper pushed downward and thus under the oncoming automated bumper.
Big squashes little. Wonder how much they were paid to prove what everybody knows already. if it worries you put cattle bars on your Fit.
And i'd like to see that estimate and photos of damage better than the link.

 

And they don't even tell you how FAST their *low speed collision* is. Judging by the pic of that smart car getting creamed, these tests were not truly *low speed* either.

 

when i backed into some guys car parallel parking and bumped him with my bumper my fit came out unscathed. No damage to either vehicle, good thing for that piece of steel behind the rear bumper