If you’re a mum on the lookout for a new car to ferry your
family around in, then you want to know it’s the safest option, without any
doubt. It’s a safe assumption that top of your list is economy – both with the
car itself and its running costs. A comparison site like
Moneysupermarket has car insurance quotes a-plenty and is a great tool to
help keep your car insurance costs to an absolutely minimum – something you
should always find out the cost of
before buying a new car.
So being the lovely people we are, we’ve decided to give you
a handy lowdown of which of 2011’s latest cars have been voted the safest in
town, and why. Here’s a list of the UK’s five safest cars in 2011, as voted for
by to car-safety experts, European
New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).
How does Euro NCAP
judge safety?
This year’s rigorous testing program began in 2010, and
involved crash testing 29 cars of
varying makes and models, after which Euro NCAP then awards a safety rating,
with five stars being the safest.
Of the 29 vehicles put through Euro NCAP’s rigorous safety
trials, 65 per cent were awarded the top
honour of five stars compared to 90 per cent a couple of years ago in 2009.
This is probably not a fair comparison though, because the testing regulations have actually been tightened up even more since
then in order to maintain a year-on-year improvement of car safety standards.
The cars were judged on factors like standard safety
features, child safety, adult safety and pedestrian protection, and the winners
were… #drumroll please#...
Safest Small Family
Car: Alfa Romeo Giulietta
A fast, stylish hatchback and competitively priced, it’s
mostly loved by critics and is seen as somewhat a-la-mode by mummy
drivers. Cons include small back seats,
poor rear visibility and the fact your left foot’s left with nowhere to if you
go for one with a manual gearbox. £17,570
- £25,140
The Safest Supermini:
Honda CR-Z
While this one’s quite pricey, it is, nonetheless,
enticingly stylish and an innovative hybrid sports coupe; and the critics love
it. A fun car to drive, it’s also fairly fast and economical, too. £17,640 - £22,585
The Safest 4WD: Kia
Sportage
It’s stylish and has a well-finished, premium-feel interior.
The generous seven-year warranty is also a strong selling point – perhaps a bid
by the Korean manufacturer to instil a bit of consumer confidence. £17,110 - £26,550
Safest Small MPV: Toyota
Verso
Practical, economical and reliable, the layout and use of
space is clever and allows for the car to be used as a seven-seater. However,
it’s been criticised for an impractically small boot size and its lack of flair
and finesse when it comes to the interior styling. For a small MPV though, it
perhaps can be forgiven for trying to maximise on space and compromising on
style. £17,285 - £27,239
Safest Large Family
Car: Volkswagen Passat
Journalists love this car, praising it for elements such as
comfort, build quality a highly economical engine. However, if you’re looking
for something that boasts cutting-edge styling and is fun to drive, too, then
you may want to look elsewhere, because The Passat has been outshone here by
worthier counterparts. £19,120 - £26,225
So there you have it – a quick overview of the safest cars
of 2011 that you, as a conscientious mum, might like to consider when making
your next family car purchase.
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