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Safest for passengers: GMC Sierra
Photo credit: GMC
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If you're looking for a safe vehicle for your family, you need
to know only one thing: Go big.
Even though small cars can score decently in crash tests, sheer
size ultimately will protect your passengers from injuries.
"If safety is a priority, you should avoid the smallest cars,"
advises Russ Rader, spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (IIHS).
Best vehicles for protecting passengers from
injuries
- GMC Sierra 1500 (SLE, SLT and Work Truck)
- Porsche Cayenne
- GMC Yukon (Denali and SLT)
- GMC Sierra 2500 SLE
- GMC Terrain SLE1
Italian design proves to be no match for American brawn
when it comes to passenger safety. Five models of the Fiat
500 fill the "worst" spot.
Worst vehicles for protecting passengers from
injuries
- Fiat 500 (Lounge, CLounge, Sport, Pop and CPop)
- Kia Rio 5 (LX and SX)
- Toyota Corolla L
- Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- Mercedes-Benz CL600
Source: Insure.com
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"The laws of physics are always in play in crashes," explains
Rader. "Weight counts. Smaller, lighter cars are safer than
they used to be, but all things being equal, people riding in
bigger, heavier vehicles get more protection in crashes."
In a head-on crash, the vehicle that is heavier will drive the
lighter one backward, increasing crash forces for the people in the
lighter car and reducing forces for those in the heavier one, says
Rader. "Smaller cars also have less crush space in front to
manage the energy of a crash and help 'cushion' the occupants as
the vehicle comes to a stop."
Higher insurance claims for injuries will be reflected in auto
insurance rates.
To provide a window into the best and worst cars for bodily
injury, Insure.com analyzed insurance rates for Personal Injury
Protection (PIP) and Medical Payments (MedPay) - coverage that pays
for injuries to your passengers in a crash. Using insurance rates
for more than 750 vehicles in our annual
car insurance comparison study
, we identified the vehicles with the lowest and highest costs for
PIP and MedPay coverage.
The verdict: Purchasing a vehicle like a big GMC pickup or SUV
will buy you safety. Or spring for a Porsche Cayenne.