The redesigned 2009 Acura TSX has been named an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety "Top Safety Pick," an honor not bestowed on the 2008 model it replaces. In a press release announcing the award, IIHS cited "huge improvements in protection for people in rear crashes" for the change, and noted, "This is the third Acura and the eighth model from Honda to earn our top award."
Motor Trend explains, "To qualify for the award, a vehicle must earn the IIHS' highest score for front, side and rear impact tests, as well as be equipped with standard electronic stability control (ESC). Though the majority of new cars hold up well in frontal collisions, according to Institute president Adrian Lund 'there are still significant differences' in side and rear-impact performance."
Kicking Tires notes, "With the TSX’s recent redesign, it went from Acceptable to Good in side impacts. Thanks to new head restraints, it also went from Poor to Good in rear impacts."
Autoblog sees the high number of new cars passing the tests as an opportunity. "We think it is time to revise all crash test standards (IIHS and NHTSA)," they write. "Each time the results are released, we can't help but think that the automakers have learned how to ace the tests over the years. Let's bump up the speed in the barrier and sled tests (maybe throw a random angle in there to make things challenging?), and focus more on dynamic safety."
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