The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety annually performs extensive testing on vehicles, all makes and models, to assess the vehicle's ability to withstand a crash. Essentially, they want to evaluate how the car will protect its most valuable asset - the people inside. The IIHS conducts rates the performance, and those that earn good ratings in a variety of categories are named as a TOP SAFETY PICK. Vehicles with superior ratings are awarded with a TOP SAFETY PICK + evaluation.
Subaru has always prided itself on safety, and it bears out in the IIHS ratings. Not just one model, but in fact the 2016 Subaru Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy, Crosstrek, and WRX were all TOP SAFETY PICK + recipients.
There are five tests to assess the crashworthiness — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints — plus a basic rating for front crash prevention. There are size categories, as the size and weight of a car will influence the level of protection. Naturally, if you want to drive a tank, you'd be well protected, but it's not practical! Heavier, larger cars do offer more overall protection. Thus a small car that earns a category award will not necessarily offer more protection than a larger car that does not receive an award.
The Impreza, Crosstrek and WRX earned their honors in Small Car, the Legacy and Outback in the Mid-Size, the Forester in the Small SUV.
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- The 2016 Subaru Outback
