CNN/Money One for credit card only hard offer form at $9.95 One for risk-free form at $14.95 w/ $9.95 upsell  
Personal Finance > Autos
graphic

First '05 model-year crash tests
NHTSA: Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum best passenger cars tested. Subaru Outback safest overall.
October 26, 2004: 6:11 PM EDT
By Steve Hargreaves, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Chrysler 300 sedan and its corporate cousin, the Dodge Magnum wagon, received the highest safety rating for passenger cars in the first group of 2005 models tested by the government.

The Chrysler 300 in NHTSA's most recent front-end crash test.  
The Chrysler 300 in NHTSA's most recent front-end crash test.

The 4-door Subaru Outback SUV was the only vehicle to score five stars in all four categories, driver and passenger front impact safety and driver and rear passenger side impact safety.

According to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum both received the highest possible score, five stars on a scale of one to five, in three of the four crash test categories. Both models scored four stars for the driver's position in the side impact test.

Other vehicles crash-tested included versions of the Dodge Ram pickup, the Ford Focus, Nissan's Altima, the Toyota Corolla, the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix. The Vibe and Matrix, which received identical ratings, are essentially the same vehicle.

All the vehicles tested scored four stars or higher in every category where a final score was given except the 2-door hatchback version of the Ford Focus, which received three stars for driver safety in a side impact.

A NHTSA spokesman said side crash results for the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix are still under review and that the side crash test on the Nissan Altima will be performed later this year.

NHTSA conducts its front crash test by running the vehicle at 35 mph into a flat barrier. The side impact test is done by pushing a 3,015-pound barrier hitting the vehicle at 38.5 mph. (Clickhere for more details on how to interpret NHTSA and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test scores.)

NHTSA also released rollover resistance ratings for three pickups and one van in this latest round of rollover scores. 4x2 and 4x4 versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and its corporate twin the GMC Canyon, the Dodge Ram 1500 and the Ford Freestar van each received 4-star rollover ratings.

The 4x2 Ford Ranger scored three stars in the rollover rating while the 4x4 Ranger received just two stars. The 4x4 Ranger has a 30.6 percent chance of rollover during a one-vehicle accident, according to NHTSA.

Latest NHTSA crash test ratings
These are the first 2005 model year passenger vehicle crash tests results released by NHTSA.
Vehicle Type Driver/ Front passenger/ Front Driver/ Side Rear Pass./ Side 
Chysler 300 Heavy passenger car 
Dodge Magnum Heavy passenger car 
Dodge Ram 1500 Pick-up Not tested Not tested 
Ford Focus 2-dr hatchback Compact passenger car 4* 
Nissan Altima Medium passenger car To be tested To be tested 
Pontiac Vibe Compact passenger car Under review Under review 
Subaru Outback SUV 
Toyota Corolla Compact passenger car 
Toyota Matrix Compact passenger car Under review Under review 
 * High likelihood of head injury
 Source:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

None of the vehicles tipped during NHTSA's "dynamic stability test," in which the vehicles are put through a series of turns at 35 and 50 mph. Vehicles that do not tip have approximately an extra half-star added to the rating, which is otherwise based solely on the vehicles width and the height of its center of gravity.

.  Top of page




  More on AUTOS
Muscle car madness?
Dodge: 'Guy cars' only
Concept cars worth watching
  TODAY'S TOP STORIES
7 things to know before the bell
SoftBank and Toyota want driverless cars to change the world
Aston Martin falls 5% in its London IPO




graphic graphic

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.