If you're currently in the market for a new car, you may know that small cars are known for their good gas mileage, but how about their safety?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released their ratings. The results from the IIHS, located just off of U.S. 29 in Ruckersville, are startling.
Of the sixteen small cars tested, the Chevy Cobalt is one of only two cars that earned the second highest rating of "acceptable" in the recent release. Sounds good, right? Well, not exactly.
The "acceptable" rating was only given because in the test, the Cobalt came equipped with the optional side airbags with head protection. Without that option, the Cobalt would have failed the test. The Toyota Corolla, also equipped with optional side impact airbags, scored an "acceptable" rating.
Among those who scored "poor" in the side-impact crash tests were the Hyundai Elantra and Mitsubishi Lancer. The worst performer was the Dodge Neon which the engineers at the institute called a "total disaster".
Other small cars in the "poor" category were the Ford Focus, Kia Spectra, Mazda Three, Nissan Sentra, Saturn Ion, Suzuki Forenza and Aerio, as well as the new Volkswagon Beetle.
