Cars and Drivers

IIHS Awards 38 Cars Top Awards, With Headlights as Drawback

Thinkstock
Douglas A. McIntyre
Published:
Last Updated:

Good headlights are a bit hard to come by, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Only 38 of the car models measured for its 2017 awards received its Top Safety Pick+. The modest problem that hurt many cars was headlights. Another 44 earned the mediocre Top Safety Pick.

The organization said of its new benchmarks:

IIHS toughened the criteria for TOP SAFETY PICK+ to reflect new headlight evaluations launched in 2016. The recognition program is meant to encourage manufacturers to offer state-of-the-art protection for people in crashes, along with features that help drivers avoid crashes in the first place. In addition to good or acceptable headlights, the latter includes automatic braking technology, which has been part of the criteria since 2015.

The basis for the decision:

In the Institute’s evaluations, engineers measure how far light is projected from a vehicle’s low beams and high beams as the vehicle travels straight and on curves. Glare from low beams for oncoming drivers also is measured. Vehicles equipped with high-beam assist, which automatically switches between high beams and low beams depending on the presence of other vehicles, can get extra credit.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC), General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) had 2017 models that made the cut:

Among 2017 models, only seven are available with good-rated headlights. They are the Chevrolet Volt small car, Honda Ridgeline pickup, Hyundai Elantra small car, Hyundai Santa Fe midsize SUV, Subaru Legacy midsize car, Toyota Prius v midsize car and Volvo XC60 midsize luxury SUV.

All 2017 models that made the cut for Top Safety Pick+ based on the total of all safety measures (which include headlights):

Small Cars

Midsize Cars

Midsize Luxury Cars

Large Luxury Cars

Small SUVs

Midsize SUVs

Midsize Luxury SUVs

Minivan

Large Pickup

Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)

Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.

However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.

There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!
Read more: Cars and Drivers, Research

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.

Latest from 24/7

Why Will GM Fire 1,000 People?

Could the US Government Buy 100,000 Tesla EVs?

Can You Guess the Best-Selling Cars of All Time?

Rivian and VW Try to Save Each Other