IIHS Results For Minivans Mixed

IIHS Results For Minivans Mixed

For a minivan, one of the most important factors is safety. The main function of a minivan is to transport several people at the same time, so arriving at the destination safely is of paramount importance. In cases of collision, a minivan is expected to perform better than most vehicles, so some of the results of the latest IIHS testing were encouraging wile some were less so. Our partners at Fix Auto Gresham see a lot of damaged vehicles around the Portland area in OR. They have stressed the importance of paying attention to IIHS ratings and test results, so here are a few from the latest round.

Three minivans were involved in the first test, the small-overlap test on the driver's and passenger's side simulating an impact with a stationary object. These were the 2018 Honda Odyssey, the 2019 Toyota Sienna, and the Chrysler Pacifica. Wit the driver's side test, the Odyssey and Pacifica both earned "good" ratings while the Sienna scored "acceptable." The passenger's side tests were a bit different. The Odyssey still scored a "good," but the the Pacifica dropped to "acceptable" and the Sienna dropped to "marginal." The IIHS noted that while Toyota had made improvements to its driver's side structural integrity back in 2015, it had made none at all to the passenger's side. 

The second round of tests involved the LATCH safety system, which is used to attach children's car seats to the vehicle. It is absolutely crucial in the cases of collision that the LATCH system be trustworthy due to the risk of tragedy in cases of failure. Five minivans were involved in this test: The Odyssey, Pacifica, Sienna from the previous tests were joined by the Dodge Grand Caravan and Kia Sedona. 

The results from this test were shocking. Only the Odyssey obtained a rating of "good." The Grand Caravan, Sedona, and Sienna earned "acceptable." The Pacifica scored a "marginal." Being such a crucial safety measure, we were shocked at these results. How could any manufacturer overlook something so important? Obviously one didn't. The Honda Odyssey obviously won the day here, and with such a focus on safety we wouldn't be surprised if sales figures reflected these amazing scores!

Written By: Todd Hendrickson
Source: IIHS, thecarconnection.com