Mini & microcars: bumper tests

Urban drivers often pick mini and microcars because they’re affordable, fuel efficient, and easy to park on city streets. Fender-benders are hazards of urban driving, and just one of them can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs because car bumpers don’t adequately protect vehicles from damage. None of the bumpers on 7 mini and microcars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested earn the top rating of good, and just 1, the Smart Fortwo, is acceptable. Five out of the 7 earn poor ratings and 1 earns a marginal. The Institute evaluated results according to a new ratings protocol for low-speed tests that better represents the damage insurance claims centers assess daily.<br /> <br /> The worst performer is the Kia Rio, which sustained $9,380 total damage in the 4 tests — 2 full-width impacts and 2 corner — to earn a poor rating. The Rio’s repair bill is worse than those of most other small and midsize cars and minivans the Institute has tested. This minicar racked up about $3,700 damage, or 30 p

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