Washington Post Article-Safer cars but fewer stars in government crash tests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...prss=rss_metro

They don't have the new rating for the Fit yet, but the Versa went from 4 stars in 2010 to 2 Stars in 2011...

The 2010 Fit-(2) 5 Star, (2) 4 Star
http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle%20Sh...Detail?ID=8442


The 2010 Versa Hatch-All 4 Star...
http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle%20Sh...Detail?ID=8416

 

did the regulation change or something??

 

From the Washington Post Article...

 

thanks for the info. this is going make it tough for car manufacturers to sell "economy" cars at a discount.

 

Bye-bye lightweight Fit for the next gen model.

 

hello high insurance rates for economy cars... this makes no sense.

 

All cars have gotten safer - the old standard was a bit of a joke after 2000 or so.

The IIHS, in particular, has done a great job lighting a fire under the NHTSA's ass. Remember when they tested the 2003 F150?


Here's a Civic 10 years ago:

and just for kicks, a Neon from 10 years ago:


vs today's Civic:

and Fit:


I do find it annoying that the new standards are so ambiguous. The old standard was less than useful due to the overall increased safety levels, but was still concrete:

Chance of serious injury in frontal crash:
Less than 10% chance (5 stars)
10-19% chance (4 stars)
20-34% chance (3 stars)
35-45% chance (2 stars)
More than 45% chance (1 star)

Side impact:
Less than 6% chance (5 stars)
6-10% chance (4 stars)
11-20% chance (3 stars)
21-25% chance (2 stars)
More than 25% chance (1 star)

The new standard defines 3 stars as average, and 4 as below average, 5 far below average (chance of serious injury... low is good ;-) )

My other problem with both NHTSA and IIHS testing is that the frontal crash tests are not comparable between size class. For the side test, they always use a 3000 lbs simulated light-truck front, at 38 mph. Basically, a Ford Ranger. Because all vehicles are hit by the same weighted object, you can compare a Smart For2 to a Hummer and the test is valid.

The front test compares two vehicles of equal weight. I'd like it if, rather than a wall at 35 mph, they had a 3500* lbs barrier coming at 35 mph. Let us see crash tests comparable across the board. Still, head-on collisions are rather rare, accounting for only about 1 in 50 crashes.

* lighter than a minivan or SUV, heavier than a compact, about average for a midsize sedan

Besides, it's still possible for a well engineered car to get a good rating:
2011 Ford Fiesta | 2011 5-Star Safety Ratings | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

Maybe Nissan shouldn't have let the French design their Versa. I wonder what this will mean for the Juke...

Meanwhile, poor Toyota can't catch a break... the Camry dropped to a 3 star overall:
2011 Toyota Camry | 2011 5-Star Safety Ratings | Safercar.gov | NHTSA


EDIT:
EuroNCAP is a good place to see more comprehensive tests - a bit more like IIHS than NHTSA-NCAP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsz1mB3c4ZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7c31yzRktA

I'm surprised that the Versa did poorly. The closest Euro analogue is the Renault Modus, and 5th Gear had a great time running one into a Volvo tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emtLLvXrrFs