Buying An All-New Small SUV? IF You Care About Safety You Will Want To See What The IIHS Has To Say About Them…

Easily one of the most popular and still growing segments for today’s automobiles is the small sport-utility vehicle class. Buyers are running towards these options for a variety of reasons, some of which include: 1) Higher ride height, 2) greater utility and 3) more space. 

So, while the vehicles have been gaining significant customer adoption, there has been some rather interesting news thanks to our friends at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It recently conducted some tests and the organization concluded that many all-new small SUVs are lacking in the lighting department. 

To be more specific, a lot of small SUVs lighting just are not meeting their benchmarks. 

Of the 21 vehicles tested, over two-thirds of them rated poor. This includes the 47 different headlight combinations available.

While you may be saying “So, what?” right now, this is big news. That’s because for 2017 vehicles will need a good or acceptable rating in order to get the coveted Top Safety PIck+ designation. 

The best performers are: 

- 2017 Ford Escape

- Honda CR-V

- Hyundai Tucson

- Mazda CX-3

**See the organization’s blog for more details by clicking "Read Article," below!

MDarringer - 7/13/2016 8:15:22 AM

0 Boost

Once again the insurance-industry-owned IIHS is finding something wrong with vehicles so its owners can jack up rates and stick it to consumers. Lighting is bad on American-market cars BECAUSE of motor vehicle laws and NOT because of manufacturers doing bad designs. They couldn't do better designs if they wanted to because the law is in the way.

TomM - 7/13/2016 5:26:11 PM

+2 Boost

I agree - AS far as I know - the Headlights of American sold vehicles have to meet standards set. The idea that they must be superior to that standard is something you might expect at the top end - but not at the entry level. Obviously - the leather interior in the Top tier vehicle is going to be superior to the (lack of) leather in an entry level vehicle as well. If all cars must perform at TOP TIER standards - eventually only millionaires will be able to buy new cars. The law is not the only thing in the way - vehicle makers do not have the ability to put every new development into every new car - the MONEY is in the way too.

MrEE - 7/13/2016 8:12:06 PM

+1 Boost

I find it useful to highlight poor lighting especially as headlight design has gone design over function and since improvements does not necessarily cost more. Results so far show many premium brands do not perform well either.