Small Cars With Top Safety Ratings
Now there's good news - the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named six small cars, including two hybrids, for the Top Safety Pick designation.
The vehicles are:
- 2012 Ford Focus
- 2012 Honda Civic
- 2011 Hyundai Elantra
- 2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid
- 2011 Nissan Juke
- 2011 Toyota Prius
Criteria to win include top ratings of Good in front, side, rear and roof-strength crash tests. The vehicle must also have electronic stability control.
Frontal crash-worthiness is based on a 40 MPH frontal-offset crash test.
Side evaluation is based on a vehicle being struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph.
Seat and head restraints are tested using a dummy that measures forces on the neck, simulating a collision in the rear at 20 mph.
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
September 2022
- Best Car Deals by Category Sep 29, 2022
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Sep 29, 2022
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Sep 29, 2022
- New Cars You Should Wait to Buy Sep 29, 2022
- Class Action Lawsuit on Lease Inspection Fees Sep 22, 2022
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Sep 22, 2022
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Sep 22, 2022
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Sep 22, 2022
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Sep 15, 2022
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Sep 15, 2022
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars Sep 15, 2022
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Sep 15, 2022
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Sep 08, 2022
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Sep 08, 2022
- Best 0% Finance Deals September 2022 Sep 08, 2022
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Sep 08, 2022
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Sep 01, 2022
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Sep 01, 2022
- Lease Deals with Loyalty & Conquest Rebates Sep 01, 2022
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Sep 01, 2022
August 2022
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Aug 25, 2022
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Aug 25, 2022
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Aug 18, 2022
