Published: September 25, 2008 10:47 am            

Small cars can cause big crash headaches

Here’s a good news/ bad news story that will rattle your bank account.

With the cost of gasoline in the mid-$3 range, small cars are back in fashion because they generally get good gas mileage. Just don’t get that small car in a small traffic crash. Watch your checkbook because these repair costs result from “fender bender” crash tests at either three or six miles-per-hour.

Vehicle repair costs (source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)



Front full Front corner Rear full Rear corner Total damage

Ford Focus $588 $1,329 $529 $585 $3,031

Scion xB $789 $1,028 $868 $1,012 $3,697

Scion xD $1,135 $594 $1,499 $907 $4,135

Nissan Sentra $1,451 $1,684 $1,043 $730 $4,908

Dodge Caliber $1,408 $1,285 $1,966 $663 $5,322

Subaru Impreza $2,023 $1,705 $893 $1,072 $5,693

Toyota Corolla $3,444 $1,203 $863 $1,295 $6,805

Honda Civic $4,328 $917 $883 $751 $6,879

Chevrolet HHR $2,259 $1,491 $2,227 $1,440 $7,417

Kia Spectra $3,430 $979 $2,505 $675 $7,589

Chrysler PT $3,642 $1,627 $2,138 $854 $8,261

Hyundai Elantra $4,954 $2,090 $1,304 $628 $8,976

Toyota Prius $2,876 $1,208 $3,964 $1,022 $9,070

Rabbit $4,078 $1,841 $2,775 $817 $9,511



Small car bumpers are not functional as much as they are aesthetic. Pretty to look at but very little in the way of absorbing even a low-speed shock. It’s also bad news for the vehicle owners on two fronts.

First, notice the cost of repair for the Elantra, Prius and Rabbit. Insurance costs are likely to rise for the collision component of these vehicles unless automakers make changes.

Second, many of us who purchase auto insurance are raising our deductibles in order to save on the overall cost of the policy year to year. If my deductible is $1,000 or $2,000, I get a significant break on the policy cost, but a low speed crash with just one component of the four listed above and I’m out of luck if the trash is my fault or if I don’t carry uninsured motorist coverage.

A reporter friend of mine recently had just such an accident in a parking lot. A driver backed into his parked small car causing costly damage. Why? The young man was talking on his iPhone.



David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him by phone at (770) 565-3806 or by e-mail at dcolmans@giis.org

        

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