Side Impact Crash, Test results? Options

[tommiez]

Does a marginal test result on the new (2009/2010) Elentra 4 dr sedans mean that these cars are unsafe to drive?

[schmitty]

Its wont be as safe as some cars but it will be safe. The main reason is got a marginal rating was because on the side test there is no side airbag to protect the drivers body. There is just a curtain airbag. The lack of that airbag means more likely of a chance to get broken ribs and pelvis. If it had this airbag it would be considered a Top Safety Pick. The touring also gets a better rear crash rating than the sedan. So there may be things Hyundai can improve on, it by no means is a death box. Its is a safe car that has areas it can improve on.

[tommiez]

Thanks for the info Schmitty. Do you know if the 2010 Elentra 4 dr sedan has the same airbag setup as the 2009?

[schmitty]

No I don't know. Best bet may be to ask the dealer. Hyundai website still has only 09s for some reason.

[imarek3]

Why do you think that the Elantra has a marginal side impact rating. If you look at the NHTSA test results, you see that the '07-'10 Elantras have 5 star rating on frontal crash tests and 4 star on side impact tests for both driver and passenger sides.

A 5 star rating is excellent, a 4 star is good, 3 star is acceptable, 2 star is marginal and 1 is poor.

One of the things that made the Elantra attractive to me was the good safety ratings. Please don't think that the crash test results are marginal because they are not.

Regards,
Imarek3

'08 Elantra GLS
'03 Santa Fe GLS

[MiamiLX]

2009 Hyundai Elantra Safety
The current Elantra bodystyle has received generally good safety ratings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) giving it a five-star rating for frontal-impact protection and four-star ratings for both side- and rear-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the latest Elantra a Good (highest) rating for frontal-offset impact protection, a Marginal (second lowest) rating for side-impact protection and an Acceptable (second highest) rating for rear-impact protection. Helping maximize the safety of the 2009 Elantra, Hyundai equipped the sedan with a host of standard safety features including six passenger airbags, active front head restraints, electronic stability control, traction control and four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS).
http://www.autotropolis.com/buying-guides/...ai-elantra.html