"When it was first tested in 2012 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the Prius C “Top Safety Pick” status. Now, with the addition of one new IIHS test shoppers are expected to believe that the car is somehow less safe. The 2014 Prius C recently was tested and did poorly on the new crash test called small frontal overlap. This new test is very aggressive and the National Highway Safety Administration does not even conduct it. Of eleven cars its size that were tested, none were given a “good” rating. Four out of ten scored marginal. Six scored poor like the Prius C. Shoppers should make up their own mind about the importance of the test to them, but some background might give the decision some perspective. For years IIHS rated cars based on a set of crash tests. Over time all of the cars tested started to ace them, and the term “Top Safety Pick” started to become very common. Car designers had taken note, made modifications to their cars’ structures during redesign cycles, and for the most part all cars did quite well. So why do we need the IIHS?" See more at: Should you be concerned the Prius C failed this new test? - Torque News
Bigger doesn't mean safer. A post from another board. "The least safe vehicle a while back was the (2004?) F150. It was worse than the Mini. The 'A' pillar bent and collapsed and it could not protect the driver. Lower weight means less stress on the structure and less kinetic energy"
