Small cars are back in vogue because of high gasoline prices but most fail to provide the same safety protection that buyers find in bigger vehicles, according to the results of new tests simulating crashes with sport utility vehicles or pickup trucks.
All eight models of small cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety received passing scores in head-on crash tests, but only one, the Nissan Versa, received high marks in both side- and rear-crash tests. The Versa is several hundred pounds heavier than competing models and therefore was better able to withstand the test impact.
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