Top 10 Deadliest Cars on the Road
It might not come as a surprise, but sub-compact cars and sports cars are more dangerous than other vehicle categories. How dangerous? According to a new study by automotive research firm iSeeCars.com, their fatal crash rate is almost double that of the average vehicle.
To arrive at this conclusion, the website analyzed fatality data of model year 2013-2017 cars in the U.S. and more than 25 million used cars from the same model years to determine the vehicles that are most often involved in deadly accidents.
Here’s a list no automaker wants to be part of…
10. Dodge Challenger
When you have a muscle car that can do all sorts of crazy shenanigans, it’s no wonder drivers want to push the limits, even though it may come at a cost. We still have a hard time wrapping our heads around the 2018 Demon (up to 840 hp) and 2019 Hellcat Redeye (797 hp).
9. Kia Rio
The Rio was completely redesigned for 2018, just after the timeframe studied by iSeeCars.com. Kia did make significant upgrades on the safety front, so you should definitely opt for a newer model instead of the old generation.
The Micra's “big” sister is one of the largest sub-compact cars on the market, but not large—and safe—enough to prevent many customers from switching to the hip new Kicks crossover. In fact, the Versa Note won’t return for 2020.
7. Nissan 370Z
Launched in 2009, the 370Z is by far one of the oldest cars available in Canada. Nissan obviously made some updates over the years, but the lack of advanced safety features continues to be a problem.
6. Subaru BRZ
This sports coupe is the only Subaru to discard the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, which may explain why some drivers end up losing control and crashing.
The Spark is currently the most affordable car in Canada with a base MSRP of $9,995. It does feature 10 standard airbags… and the now-mandatory rearview camera.
4. Kia Forte
The model identified in this study is the previous-generation Forte, not the new one that’s available with lane keep assist, forward-collision avoidance assist, smart cruise control and blind spot detection, among other safety tech.
3. Honda Fit
The sporty Fit might be one of the most spacious and versatile small cars on the market, but it also has one of the highest fatality rates based on the number of accidents per billion vehicle kilometres.
Luxury sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette do not undergo crash safety tests and are not assigned safety ratings. Led by the 755-horsepower ZR1, the latest generation is the fastest and most powerful Corvette of all time.
The Japanese sub-compact car is not only one of the cheapest cars in Canada at $10,998, but also the least powerful (78 hp). This shortcoming, combined with a lack of advanced safety features, makes it more accident-prone. The Mirage also got a “Poor” rating in the IIHS’ small overlap front crash test.