Higher safety ratings for compact cars

Increased demand for small, safe and affordable vehicles has driven manufacturers to develop compact cars that are safer than in years passed.

Smaller cars getting safer

Data from the 2012 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety top safety picks show that mini and small cars are increasingly showing up on the list for high crash ratings in terms of frontal-offset crash, side-impact test that mimics a collision with an SUV or pickup, a rollover roof-strength test and a rear-impact evaluation test. The testing measures vehicles on a rating from good to poor. Top picks on the list earned "good" in all categories. Because manufacturers realize that people are largely gravitating toward smaller cars for their lower price tags and fuel efficiency, they are putting the effort into designs that boost safety.

Larger cars still win on safety.

Although much has been done to improve small cars' safety, the fact remains that they often can't compete head to head with a large car. A car's weight and resistance to roll over are key factors in the safety of a vehicle. Small cars do not roll over often, but they do have a less substantial curb weight. Therefore, physics will prevail. If a small car comes in contact with a large one, chances are the smaller car will be subjected to more damage.

IIHS findings on average say that the type of car with the least amount of driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles is a very large car. The next safest car is a midsize SUV. Small cars come in with a high number of deaths. Small pickup trucks have the highest rate of fatalities thanks to their high propensity for rollover.

Despite higher test crash ratings, smaller cars cannot compete with larger cars receiving similar ratings. However, they can still offer adequate safety for good drivers. For those in the market for a new vehicle. Here the IIHS top picks for 2012 in a variety of categories.

Mini

Fiat 500

Ford Fiesta

Honda Fit

Toyota Yaris hatchback 4-door

Small cars

Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Sonic

Chevrolet Volt

Ford Focus 4-door

Honda Civic 4-door

Honda CR-Z

Honda Insight

Hyundai Elantra

Kia Forte sedan

Kia Soul

Lexus CT 200h

Mazda 3

Mini Cooper Countryman

Mitsubishi Lancer

Nissan Cube

Nissan Juke

Nissan Leaf

Scion tC

Scion xB

Scion xD

Subaru Impreza

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Prius

Volkswagen Golf 4-door

Volkswagen GTI 4-door

Midsize cars

Audi A3

Buick Verano

Chevrolet Malibu

Chrysler 200 4-door

Dodge Avenger

Ford Fusion

Honda Accord 4-door

Hyundai Sonata

Kia Optima

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Toyota Camry

Toyota Prius v

Volkswagen Jetta sedan

Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen

Volkswagen Passat

Volvo C30