Subaru Scores Best in Small-SUV Crash Tests

Only one of 10 small sport-utility vehicles that underwent crash tests received an overall rating of “good,” an insurance industry group said. The 1999 Subaru Forester outperformed the other models in the frontal offset tests conducted at 40 mph. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that at the other end of the spectrum, 1998-99 models of the Isuzu Amigo were graded “poor.” The tests are particularly demanding because only the driver’s side of a vehicle strikes a barrier, forcing a relatively small portion of the vehicle to absorb the crash energy. “The driver space in the Forester was maintained reasonably well, with limited intrusion, while in the Amigo there was major collapse of the occupant compartment,” said Brian O’Neill, institute president. Other models tested, which ranged in overall performance from “acceptable” to “marginal,” were the Jeep Wrangler, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Suzuki Vitara, Chevrolet Tracker, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Jeep Cherokee and Toyota RAV4.