Nissan Titan Slips in Crash-Test Results
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By Kelsey Mays
In a surprising development, the 2021 Nissan Titan crew cab fared worse in a major crash test after getting recent structural changes and at least one additional safety feature for the 2020 model year. For the 2021 model year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued the full-size pickup truck a rating of acceptable in its small overlap crash test for the passenger side (out of good, acceptable, marginal or poor). That’s down from the good rating IIHS issued in the same test for most 2017-19 Titans.
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Although such downgrades are rare, it’s important to keep this in context. IIHS regularly conducts six crashworthiness tests, an evaluation of headlight effectiveness, two tests for crash-avoidance technology and an evaluation of child-seat fitment. All but the child-seat test play a role in the agency’s influential Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus awards.
Drive: The 2021 Mazda6 injected fun into tired driving routine
Steven Macoy
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The 2021 Mazda6 Signature features a 2.5-liter, turbocharged engine that produces 250 horsepower.Mazda Pressroom / Contributed photosShow MoreShow Less
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The 2021 Mazda6 Signature features a 2.5-liter, turbocharged engine that produces 250 horsepower.Mazda Pressroom / Contributed photoShow MoreShow Less
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The 2021 Mazda6 Signature features a 2.5-liter, turbocharged engine that produces 250 horsepower.Mazda PressroomShow MoreShow Less
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For people who want a midsize sedan that gets from point A to point B and back, the list of alternatives is long. While the real action is in the crossover and sport-utility segments, automakers persist in luring a declining number of Americans to the traditional 5-passenger midsize sedan that melds people-moving prowess, cargo room, safety and economy.
Say Goodbye To Headlight Glare From Oncoming Traffic – Here’s Who Finally Solved The Problem
Automakers are dropping headlights with excessive glare. Here’s how the carrot approached worked.
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Because IIHS is now only awarding the top score to vehicles that do not blind oncoming traffic, automakers have finally stopped making headlights they know do so.
The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) is a privately-funded auto safety testing organization most experts agree is the best in the business. If the term “Top Safety Pick” is familiar to you, it is because of the automakers who covet this award and try hard to manufacture safer vehicles that can earn it. Safety sells, and the Top Safety Pick and newer Top Safety Pick Plus awards give automakers a tangible way to claim their vehicles are safe. They proudly use the award in their press kits and vehicle promotions.
The IIHS made more stringent requirements for cars to get the top ratings beginning with 2020 models. Vehicles have only been able to qualify for the higher IIHS awards if they come equipped with good or acceptable headlights across all trims.
Subaru improved the headlights on three models that had earned Top Safety Pick+ awards for their 2020 models; the Subaru Forester, Subaru Outback, and Subaru Legacy. Previously, these vehicles were available with different headlights that earned both good and acceptable ratings. By 2021, good-rated headlights are now standard on all trims.
The IIHS says around half of all fatal crashes in the U.S. occur in the dark, and more than a quarter occur on unlit roads. Because Subaru did not offer the best headlights on all trims, the IIHS rated the base and Premium Subaru models lower. They did not qualify for the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating.
Pressure From Safety Group IIHS Means You Will Get Better Headlights On Your Next Vehicle
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) won t award cars, crossovers, and trucks with lousy headlights. So Automakers are responding.
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is the safety group who conducts the most rigorous safety testing of vehicles in America. You have likely heard the expression, Top Safety Pick Plus. That s the group s award to those vehicles with the best safety ratings. Thanks to the testing this group does, some automakers are dropping the lousy base-model headlight that shoppers of all but the top trims have had to endure.