Car Throttle

Normally, when a new car comes out it's a given that it will achieve 5-Star safety ratings (at least for the front end collision). In fact, it has become so commonplace that NHSTA is increasing the standard for model year 2011, giving automakers an even higher mark to hit - something I think in the name of safety is a good policy to implement. That's why it comes as a disappointment that the new Chevrolet Camaro only got a 4-star rating in the front end collision. In comparison to it's rival the super-safe 5-star rated Ford Mustang it isn't a good thing to have on your specifications list in a culture that pays attention to these ratings. Of course the rating is not going to matter to

Wow, good news for Lincoln's updated  MKZ! The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently did a round of updated testing on all the latest crop of new vehicles. The Lincoln MKZ and Mercedes-Benz R-Class were particular bright points. This is surprising! The original car, based off the CD-3 platform that underpins the Fusion and Milan, was the Lincoln Zephyr. When tested by the IIHS, it performed merely acceptable overall and in the head on tests. Ford then made some changes and requested a retest as the MKZ. It fared good in those tests, but it's still surprising to see the car go from relatively unexceptional in terms of crash test ratings to an IIHS Top Safety Pick. The Lincoln MKZ and Mercedes-Benz R-Class received good ratings