Car Throttle

Cadillac and Infiniti have been increasingly aiming for their German competition as of late. The CTS and M, as mid-size models, are both crucial to each of their respective manufacturers in achieving that goal. Safety is a highly important aspect for customers when purchasing a new vehicle, and all luxury manufacturers aim to score well (and usually do). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has announced that the Cadillac CTS and Infiniti M are Top Picks for 2010. This in particular is a pretty impressive new entry for Infiniti, showing the brand has really advanced in the area of safety. The CTS has been picked for this award before, showing continued excellence. The Top Pick status comes after passing new, more stringent roof testing standards. The CTS

Well, while we're on the subject of crash tests - there have also been some new Top Safety Picks announced, one of which includes the 2010 Lincoln MKT. We've been covering the MKT with our CarThrottle review, and now it has one more thing to add to the list of things in it's favor - an IIHS Top Safety Pick. Unfortunately there is no IIHS images or video of the MKT test though. To get a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS, a vehicle must receive a rating of "good" in offset frontal-, side- and rear-impact evaluations as well as offering offer electronic stability control. The MKT has received the rating even after the IIHS's more stringent crash testing standards were implemented, which are supposed

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

If you're averse to car crash test carnage, look away. Interesting findings and information has come out courtesy of International Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). They've detailed a more "real" view on the safety of small cars in comparison to larger ones. Let's see how they fare.... The IIHS took  the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the Smart cars, all vehicles that achieved the IIHS's rating of "Good" in the traditional 40-mph barrier test. In these tests though, each one drops from "Good" to "Poor. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a small, lower weight vehicle will be at a disadvantage in an accident with a larger, heavier one. So in that respect I think the IIHS testing is important, because it simply informs people better that there is more to the story then just a