Good info.

As for Jasonny's question -- I wonder what he thinks of people who drive and use their cell phone.

luckily for us new cars get better safety . So i am pretty sure Prius is made to get 5's all around.

Honda on the other hand was never as big in safety, looking over at our European EuroNCAP scores.

The one overriding issue in using the NHTSA ratings for any decision is that the agency has realized that their own testing methodology is flawed!!!! As a result the tests are being reworked to be more predictive. There is a full discussion of this on the NHTSA website.

The NHTSA tests and ratings show NOTHING. Seriously. At best they are a 'Pass/Fail' criterium. 4 and 5 Stars are Pass while 2 and 1 stars are Fail. While the data coming from these tests is voluminous the NHTSA did a self-analysis of its testing procedures and found that there was little or no predictability from its rating system; i.e. there's 4 stars is not worse than 5 stars. The NHTSA found that given similar crash characteristics occupants are injured equally in 4 star vehicles as they are in 5 star vehicles.

A HUGE HUGE flaw in the testing protocols is the side impact tests. These tests are all but worthless.

And finally the NHTSA doesn't test all the most critical parameters of vehicle safety. Why? The US Federal Govt is a political body. Every agency is subject to political pressures. Making the testing too difficult steps on some seriously connected toes. So in fact the testing has not been modified since its initial inception in the late 1970s except for the addition of the worthless side impact test.

I've done a little research on this issue. For a much more relevant comparison check out the IIHS ratings. IIHS-HLDI: Crash Testing & Highway Safety

Well I'm 59 and my wife is 70 so we're halfway to the grave already. <rim-shot>

Actually, I saw the 2010 Prius up front and personal. The body has significant structural redesign and strengthened features. Compared to the 2009, the 2010 is the car I would choose to crash, if I had to crash.

I don't fault others who choose to wait, especially the young. After all, they are much further from the grave than our family so we can afford to 'run the risk.' (now where is that Corvette catalog ...)

Bob Wilson

I don't expect anybody to take comfort in this, but it's another data point. An aquaintance of mine was recently "T-boned" in his 2008 Prius by a GMC Yukon (large SUV) going in excess (according to the police reports) of 60 mph at collision (on a two lane road). The two vehicles were at 90 degrees to one another at impact. The father of 2 in the Prius died, but initially survived the impact and died later in the day at the hospital. His 14 year old son was a passenger in the front seat, and survived with only a broken bone in his arm. I've seen the police report, and graffic pictures taken by the EMT's at the accident. The Yukon hit the Prius almost squarely in the middle of the driver's front door. As expected, the Prius was a mangled mess.

The only reason why I mention this accident at all is to say that while collision tests are important, they really don't give all the indicators of how the car would do in a real world accident. I suspect had this 2008 Prius been hit by a slightly smaller truck/car, or one that was travelling at a slower speed, or had the collision been more offset from the center of the door...he might have survived. But at least his son did with only minimal injuries from such a horrific accident.

Doesn't matter what vehicle you're in when you're t-boned by a 5,000 lb+ SUV going 60 mph+ (the Yukon has a curb weight of 5300 lbs, then add cargo - the monster nearly weighs twice as much as a Prius). You only have about 6-8" of "cushion" between that bumper and your shoulder and there is a LOT of inertia to dissipate.

The only way to improve safety in this sort of crash is to make cars dramatically wider while keeping passengers toward the center of the vehicle and to get heavier cars off the road.

There should be a sliding scale curb-weight tax on new/used vehicle sales. The more it weighs, the more you pay in taxes. Those taxes should be used to research automobile safety and weight saving technology.

Bear in mind that these 3 vehicles are in 3 different weight classes - but their ratings are based on a comparison with other vehicles within their own class. The Insight is compared with other compacts in the 2500-3000lb range, Prius with cars in the 3000-3500lb range, and the Fusion with cars in the 3500-4000lb range. In a mismatched collision, the heavier car has a weaker decelleration and takes less injury, while the lighter car takes a worse hit.