5th Most Dangerous Vehicle according to Forbes

[Rain]

The consensus among several safety experts we asked is that the best way to predict how dangerous or safe a new vehicle will be comes from looking at the way it's configured, particularly with respect to several important factors--side-impact protection, stability control and rollover risk--that together span a wide range in real-world safety.

That's what we did. Topping the list of the least safe: the Buick Rendezvous, the Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series, the Nissan Frontier, the Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner and the Toyota Yaris.

The article can be found here:
http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2007/07/26/cars-dangerous-twenty-forbeslife-cx_bh_0726cars.html


ConsumerReports' accident avoidance: Worse than average

Even though the Yaris has impressive fuel efficiency, a nicely designed interior, high expected reliability, and a number of other positive attributes, Consumer Reports' John Linkov says that the Yaris can't be recommended, "because its emergency handling is quite tail-happy and the driver could get out of control very quickly." And to make an especially dangerous combination, the Yaris four-door performs badly in both major side-crash tests, with three stars from NHTSA and a "Poor" rating from the IIHS.
Yaris placing 5th:
http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/26/cars-dangerous-twenty-forbeslife-cx_bh_0726cars_slide_6.html?thisSpeed=20000

:iono:

[ECHOKnight2000]

This just translates that you're a bad ass who lives in the face of danger!:laugh::laugh::laugh:


I think a new set of tires could help. ALso if you have the money maybe a few suspension up grades, nothing extensive. Of course the typical buyer probably wouldn't do that. I think its referring to the sedan only right? I remember reading the Consumer Reports article on the yaris and it seemed they knocked on the sedan more than the hatch but I don't know.

What gets me is the Yaris is certainly improved obviously, but the ECHO has some of the worst handling (stock). At least the U.S. version. It is very sloppy at higher speeds (not illegal) but highway. Yes its nibble cause the short wheelbase but the back end tails easily! I can attest to this. Even if its not windy I have to kind of "work" at keeping it on the highway, on the city streets its a jewel but I guess that's its primary function. Yes it can still hold its own on the highway but not confidently. Also its floaty on the highway sometimes, especially with wind, and I'm guessing its worst than the Yaris. Also body roll is horried! I know its not a sports car but sheesh!! When I drove the Corolla as a rental that was nice! I guess Toyota had to fit the ECHO with the cheapest crappiest suspension. Yes I can up grade it but I don't have the money or not in the position to do that now.
But I still like my car. Anyway the point is they recomend the ECHO but not the Yaris?? There must be a troll at CR who is against the Yaris...I swear its not me!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I love the Yaris!:wub::wub::wub::wub::bow::laugh::thumbsup:

[jdium]

Why doesn't Toyota make every airbag standard? And why would anyone buy this car without every possible airbag added? I don't understand...it's only 2200lbs...

[KSIbucky]

if you lower your car there is a lesser chance of it tiping our suspention is really loose (like your mom)

[staticorex]

I don't care what they say. How many accidents have been posted on here so far? And how many of those members had even a scratch? I realize a small cheap car is not a tank, but it seems as though they hold up nicely.

[punch]

I don't care what they say. How many accidents have been posted on here so far? And how many of those members had even a scratch? I realize a small cheap car is not a tank, but it seems as though they hold up nicely.

maybe they didn't live to talk about it !

[staticorex]

Ha. Then how'd I read about them? ;)

[41magmag41]

If you want a real world prediction of a car in an accident start visiting some junk yards and see how the real world accidents stack up against the car your looking at. Having been a former state trooper I can tell you that even the biggest GM or Ford Suv's will behave differently in each type of accident and people get hurt and killed in them. I have a yaris sedan and it drives fine by me and I tend to hurtle along in her. What the tests don't show is that smaller cars are smaller targets and tend not to be invovled in as many accidents as larger cars. I worry more about the secondary impacts than the intial one because the car is so light and will tend to bounce off the first item then into something else. Just my opinion on the subject. If the yaris wasn't reasonably safe I wouldn't have bought her.

[Rain]

I don't care what they say. How many accidents have been posted on here so far? And how many of those members had even a scratch? I realize a small cheap car is not a tank, but it seems as though they hold up nicely.

sad to say, there had been quite a few Yarii getting damaged here and there in this forum.. look around and you'll see the pics.

[xed]

"because its emergency handling is quite tail-happy and the driver could get out of control very quickly."

So what is the handy-dandy step 1,2,3 process to correcting this issue? Lowering springs? Struts? Shocks? All 3?

[trini_per4mance]

Screw Forbes! Why don't they try making an automobile of their own that's up to their standards and see if it would sell in today's competitive market.

[Pars]

The Yaris has available stability control and side airbag and with these options, will return the best safety rating in it's class. For some unknown reason, consumer report decided to base their test result on the non-airbag, non-abs equipped Yaris.

Unfortunately, In North American, The Yaris hatchback (unlike the Sedan) doesn't have side airbags as an option, but the ABS with EBD is an option and a most have.

[jdium]

The Yaris has available stability control and side airbag and with these options, will return the best safety rating in it's class. For some unknown reason, consumer report decided to base their test result on the non-airbag, non-abs equipped Yaris.

Unfortunately, In North American, The Yaris hatchback (unlike the Sedan) doesn't have side airbags as an option, but the ABS with EBD is an option and a most have.

Um, my Yaris hatchback has side airbags...

And there is no "stability control" available as far as I know...

ABS is only available with the max-option cars...

[Ferret_san]

Here in Oz, we have the side/curtain air bags as a AUD$750 factory option.
The extra bags are an absolute must at the listed price, especially considering thats the equivilent $$'s on how much it costs me for a yearly registration for my other car.

[stuffy]

yeah, in canada, for some bone-headed reason toyota decided to not make side airbags available for the hatch. not even as an option.
(and yeah, stability control is not an option either)

[staticorex]

sad to say, there had been quite a few Yarii getting damaged here and there in this forum.. look around and you'll see the pics.

Yeah but all the drivers were fine.

[ChinoCharles]

I could have told you this just by looking at it.

[oilman930]

The European versions of the Yaris have both stability control and traction control as options.

Not that it does any good for the North American market.

[sherryberry]

honestly.. it's not the car that's dangerous.. it's the person driving it!

[YarisTom73]

Agreed..or worse, the person running into it :mad:

[landrym28]

exactly!

[DV-002]

One of the reasons I bought the Yaris is because I heard it oversteers at the limit.

My friend: "Are you SURE you want the Yaris?"
Me: "Hell yea! I heard that thing oversteers, dude!"

With the advances in safety technology the Yaris should be safer than most cars that were available 10 years ago.

[Ferret_san]

Yeah but all the drivers were fine.

... Doesn't explain why I'm a dribbling idiot.... ?!?!?!

[blueskana]

"Understeering scares the driver,
oversteering scares the passenger."


Heh, heh, heh.

[Pars]

Um, my Yaris hatchback has side airbags...

And there is no "stability control" available as far as I know...

ABS is only available with the max-option cars...


Cool. Is your side-bag equipped Yaris from N.A?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Electronic Brake force Distribution that's standard with the ABS equipped Yaris is a form of stability control. Granted, it's not as good as the car's that also have traction control, but it still works.

[jdium]

Cool. Is your side-bag equipped Yaris from N.A?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Electronic Brake force Distribution that's standard with the ABS equipped Yaris is a form of stability control. Granted, it's not as good as the car's that also have traction control, but it still works.

If by from N.A. you mean did I buy it in North America, then yes. But I'm thinking it's from Japan :wink:

I would think that Electronic Brake Force Distribution is just a function of Antilock Brakes. Distribute the force so the wheels don't lock up, right? In my mind, Stability Control means active control of everything from the ABS to the engine power to traction control to even active suspension control when available...when the driver screws up the input, the car corrects up to the physical limits of the vehicle...

[Ferret_san]

I would think that Electronic Brake Force Distribution is just a function of Antilock Brakes. Distribute the force so the wheels don't lock up, right? In my mind, Stability Control means active control of everything from the ABS to the engine power to traction control to even active suspension control when available...when the driver screws up the input, the car corrects up to the physical limits of the vehicle...

Close enough. Think of it this way.

ABS/EBD works in the driving (longitudinal) direction, while Stability Control helps control the sideways (lateral) movements.

[JosephDoc]

SWEET!! Our cars made to Forbes maganine alredy! :bellyroll:

[Masteraal]

lol i realised the yaris oversteers on the first day i got it... i was surprised but it gave me a grin. i think it has some liftoff oversteer in it. but it needs a suspension job cos i dont trust the body roll!

also EBD works by measuring the amount of grip an individual wheel has to the road and uses the brakes to give the maximum effectiveness for that particular wheel.

so to dumb it down a bit. abs makes sure the car doesnt skid and ebd makes sure it stops as fast as it can. BA just tries to figure out if u want to make an emergency stop or not. apparently 90% of women dont slam the brakes as hard as they should to make sure they stop. so BA makes sure its slammed.

Stability control is demonstrated here... and i wish the yaris had it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-hHWSQhKuc

[flagmunkey]

what i dont understand is why my insurance agency (statefarm) says that it's number rating (which pretty much determines how much you pay) is like a 5 out of 100 or so. the lower the better. they said it was a very safe vehicle..?

my insurance is uberlow. lower than my dads (he drives a '97 ford ranger with a clean record at the age of 53).

[brickhardmeat]

what i dont understand is why my insurance agency (statefarm) says that it's number rating (which pretty much determines how much you pay) is like a 5 out of 100 or so. the lower the better. they said it was a very safe vehicle..?

my insurance is uberlow. lower than my dads (he drives a '97 ford ranger with a clean record at the age of 53).

nationwide just re-rated mine at renewal and my insurance went up quite a bit

mine is lowered and no steering problems but the insurance company doesn't want to hear about modifications and of course I have no side air bags

anyway, it is what it is