Safety in modern cars is an ever-present and highly-regulated design aspect, though not all vehicles are created equal. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) attempts to rank new vehicles, and the latest to get the top marks from the industry watchdog are the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins.
Each earned the 2012 Top Safety Pick, making them stand out as the only sport coupes priced at under $30,000 to do so. The tests involved a frontal, side, and rear crash test as well as a rollover simulation that tests the strength of the roof. In all, the cars earned top marks.
That the two rear-wheel drive sports cars are so safe should be some comfort to the parents of teenagers or slightly older kids who buy one of these relatively affordable coupes. Their playful and drift-ready nature has already resulted in a number of crashes, including this documented one, believed to be the first. The awards mean that the FR-S joins Scion's xB, xD, and tC models in sharing the award, while all of Subaru's current cars tested by the IIHS also have Top Safety Picks.
At the same time, the 2013 Ford Escape and 2013 Acura ILX also earned a Top Safety Pick.
