With All Of The Platform Sharing These Days, Why Aren't Mass Market Cars Making the Top Safety Picks?

It's because industry pawn groups like the IIHS keep designing idiotic "tests" so that their owners--the insurance companies--can justify higher rates.

Considering Subaru is at the top of their rankings, this isn't really about money. You can name any car company foreign or domestic and they can outspend Subaru many times over. It is a about being smart when you design the structure of a vehicle. Pre-collision systems are just software and cameras these days. Clearly not rocket science nor are billions required to do well in these tests.

So you're saying that Mercedes has suddenly given up on safety based on IIHS rankings?

@MD On the contrary. It is about focus. If Subie can do it, anyone can. Less focus on mood lighting choices and large LCD screens and more work on the firewall/A-Pillar design.

Subarus are garbage so something's up.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record but this is another example of there being a shortage of engineers in the industry and what there is being spread thinly across an growing range of models at manufacturers. Japanese trained engineers stay closer to home and Subaru has a much narrower product range than most.

I have been reading that the front overlap test has been the biggest challenge since it was introduced as well as were the more stringent requirements for headlights, all costing current cars their top safety picks... That was the case for MINI for a few years, the headlights kept them from top safety pick until the recent upgrade.

Again, this is what the IIHS does to create the perfect storm necessary to raise rates for the insurance industry that owns the IIHS.

A big bank with an insurance arm can pay out $3.8B in auto claims in a given year. Of that only $800m in car repairs, the other $3B is health care relation and litigation. If cars are made safer so you don't get hurt, it saves the insurance firms a ton of money. That is where the motivation comes from for these tests (profits) and the raising of the bar.

Well at least that's what socialists think.

The only trouble with that rosy BS is that with cars getting safer, insurance rates have only gone UP.

Because safer cars are safer they cost a lot more to repair, so rates keep going up as well. NOT DOWN.

You'll probably argue illogically: "Well are you OK with people dying?" Which would be a patently asinine tactic because that's how unintelligent people would respond.

It's nice to offer platitudes, but facts are a cold hard Hillary.

Just own the fact that safer cars cost more to buy and cost more to fix and that his driven insurance rates up.

PS And before you pontificate again, remember that I own body shops, so I see the bottom line in all the financials.

You're also leaving out the desperate need for Tort Reform, our legal system leaves those being sued at a disadvantage. Remember the lawyers ALWAYS get paid...

Indeed and until such time, I have my own version of Saul Goodman who can make miracles happen.

@MD - No, it's what someone who circulates at the VP, SVP and EVP of the big banks knows as fact. The increased costs of fixing a car have zero to do with safety (steel is cheap) and has everything to do with bigger and more expensive high powered light fixtures, digital dash boards etc, massaging seats etc. IE Fluff. Safer doesn't need to be more expensive which is why it is so very glaring and galling that Subie is on top in this ranking.

@CC So you disagree with me by agreeing with me. #counterintuitive

@MD Just so you know where I am coming from my next door neighbor is a VP of Finance at a CDN insurance co. You see the repair costs from your end at the body shop, he sees the costs from his end at the bank.

Wow Felicia you're really triggered and needing to be right, so put on your plastic tiara and live the life.