Most Small Cars Aren't Economical for Crash Repairs: Ford Focus Performs the Best;
Rabbit & Prius Are the Worst in Bumper Tests
Low-speed collisions happen every day in commuter traffic and parking lots.
These "fender benders" end up costing car owners a lot of money and aggravation because the bumpers on many
cars aren't designed to handle what should be a no-damage event. In a series of crash tests, the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety recently assessed how well the bumpers of 20 small car models would protect the vehicles
from damage in low-speed collisions. The worst performers are the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen
Rabbit, each sustaining about $4,000 damage or more in a single test. The Ford Focus performed the best, with about
one-third that amount of damage in its worst test. Read more...
