Safety test have gotten more and more involved. The most recent being the Minivan side crash test (new this year). Whats amazing is how much those side airbags can protect the occupants. All of the the minivans not equipped with side protection did not do well at all. In fact if you look at the IIHS testing there is not a vehicle on the road that does not have issues with side crash test without side air bags (another reason why they are so important!)

Equipped vehicles, the Sienna and the Odyssey recieved top ratings with Ford not falling far behind with an Acceptable rating (second best you can have).

But the testing doesn't stop there, the testing has gone even into head restraints (see below) in which the same two companies that did very well in the side crash performed poorly. This just goes to show, you have to build the car safely all around.

Head restraints

Kudos to Ford for once again building one of the safest if not the safest family vehicles again.

The Freestyle, Montego/500, and Freestar have all done very well. Don't forget the F-150 either, the only Full-sized pickup to be picked by both the IIHS and the NHTSA as the safest! All of these things together gave Ford the honor of being designated the "Highest Rated in Safety" in the world by NADA

This is great stuff. It forces companies to compete to be safer.

Good job Ford

 

It should be pointed out that Sienna and the Odyssey have the side air-bags by default, while its only an option on FreeStar. Ford should make it standard, as I'm willing to bet, not many are ordered with it.

 

Yep, It will probably become standard in the next year.

On the other hand however Ford put standard side airbags on the Explorer which are not standard on Honda, Toyota comparitive models. From what I hear side air bags will be standard on all cars within the next 5 years.

Actually I see more Freestars with side airbags than without on my end. I know all of our units on our lot that we ordered for retail have airbags.

I also learned something neat yesterday at my Ride & Drive. The Explorer is the only SUV with a roll stability control system that actually using a gyroscopic sensor to reduce rollover. All of the other companies use a version of traction assist that has no impact on reducing roll. Pretty neat.

I would really like to see the government mandate that all vehicles have side air bags. Just a pet peeve of mine.

 

Then again here's NHTSA where Ford did just as well as the Sienna overall. Always good to have more than one source

NHTSA

 

The Volvo XC90 has it as well. In fact it had it first.

 

I stand corrected Ford Motor Company is the only company with it then. It will be liscensced out soon though. Its really cool seeing Ford up top on the majority of the safety test.

I never thought I would see them rated as the safest company in the world, even beyond Audi and VW who were always powerhouses in safety. I'm really proud of the leaps and bounds they've made.