1964 Ford Thunderbird - White W/blue Interior on 2040-cars

Auto blog

IIHS updates overlap test: 2 SUVs get good marks, 9 fare poorly

Vehicles in crashes keep occupants safe by deforming around the cabin in a way that maintains cabin integrity. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's moderate overlap test, introduced in 1995, has been a huge contributor to improved safety for front-row passengers in a crash. IIHS President David Harkey said, "Thanks to automakers’ improvements, drivers in most vehicles are nearly 50% less likely to be killed in a frontal crash today than they were 25 years ago." In the 'unintentional side effects' column, crash safety has gotten worse for passengers in the back seats. When carmakers reengineered the front crash structure to protect the driver, more crash forces got distributed throughout the rear. IIHS research claims rear passengers have a 46% greater risk of fatal injury than front-row passengers, but back-seaters haven't benefited from the same upgrades in safety as the front row. The IIHS updated its moderate overlap test to address the issue, putting 15 vehicles through the new regime. Two earned good ratings — the 2023 Ford Escape and the 2021-2023 Volvo XC40 — one was acceptable, three were marginal and nine were rated poor. Every one of the crossovers sampled got good marks for all passengers in the original test. That test sees 40% of vehicle's width on the driver's side impacting an aluminum honeycomb barrier at 40 miles per hour. The updated test puts a crash dummy representing small woman or 12-year-old child in the seat behind the driver, the dummy's sensors and grease paint measuring the effectiveness of the restraints and the forces a human body would need to endure. To achieve a good rating, the "measurements must not exceed limits indicating excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh." An institute engineer said, "In real-world crashes, chest injuries are the most common serious rear-seat injuries for adults." The sensors and video evidence showed back seat dummies in the Escape and XC40 endured minimal risk of injuries from excessive crash forces, from submarining under the seat belt, or from unwanted interaction with the side curtain airbag.   The Toyota RAV4 scored acceptable. The second-row dummy also endured minimal risk of injury to the chest and lower extremities. However, the lap belt slipped upward in a way that could increase abdominal injuries, and after the dummy's head dipped during crash impact, the head came back up between the rear curtain airbag and rear window.

Autoblog Podcast #418

Episode #418 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the big news from the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, as well as the rumors that Apple is building its own car, codenamed Project Titan. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #418 Topics 2015 Chicago Auto Show Apple working on Project Titan electric car In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo 2015 Ford Expedition 2015 Nissan Juke Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:23:23 Rundown Intro and Garage – 00:00 Chicago show – 30:08 Apple car – 51:42 Q&A – 59:16 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

The most efficient gas or hybrid cars of 2024: Not the greenest, but still very green

Not a single electric vehicle appears on the “greener choices” list assembled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) in its annual compilation of the most environmentally friendly cars in the United States. But for potential car buyers seeking an efficient, fairly affordable gasoline or hybrid vehicle this year, the list of 12 cars, trucks and SUVs can help with decision making. Topping this yearÂ’s list was the gas/hybrid Honda Accord, priced at $33,990 with an estimated annual fuel cost of $982. Rank Make & Model Powertrain Vehicle Class Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Honda Accord Gas Hybrid Large Car 62 $33,990 $982 2 Kia Niro FE Gas Hybrid Compact SUV 61 $28,315 $885 3 Mitsubishi Mirage Gas Compact Car 59 $17,955 $1,189 4 Lexus ES 300h Gas Hybrid Midsize Car 59 $44,590 $1,073 5 Lexus NX 350h Gas Hybrid Midsize SUV 57 $43,465 $1,207 6 Ford Maverick Gas Hybrid Compact Pickup 55 $24,900 $1,297 7 Toyota Sienna Gas Hybrid Minivan 55 $39,080 $1,304 8 Mini Cooper Convertible Gas Subcompact Car 54 $35,700 $1,412 9 Toyota Highlander Gas Hybrid Large SUV 54 $40,720 $1,348 10 Kia Soul Gas Small Wagon 53 $21,565 $1,467 11 BMW Z4 sDrive30i Gas Two-Seater 50 $53,600 $1,626 12 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 Gas Hybrid Large Van 49 $43,000 $1,596 13 Volvo V90CC B6 Gas Hybrid Midsize Wagon 45 $59,800 $1,843 14 Ford Ranger Gas Standard Pickup 43 $32,670 $1,968 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles In making its evaluations, the ACEEE examines each 2024 model based on its cost to human health from air pollution associated with vehicle manufacturing and disposal, the production and distribution of fuel or electricity, and vehicle tailpipe emissions. The group also takes into account air pollution associated with EV battery manufacturing. The organization also ranks what it calls the “greenest” cars — it selected the Toyota Prius Prime SE plug-in hybrid is the greenest model of 2024. As well as the “Meanest.Â’Â’ or least efficient vehicle. At the top of that list this year was Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. The group says that the greener choices are those that are available nationwide “with among the lowest environmental impacts in each vehicle class but that didnÂ’t make the Greenest List.