IIHS:Small Cars Damage Repair Costs in 5MPH Crash Tests

Bumpers should protect car bodies from damage in low-speed collisions, the kind that frequently occur in congested urban traffic. But many don't. The Institute conducts four 5 mph crash tests to assess bumper performance: front-into-flat-barrier, rear-into-flat-barrier, front-into-angle-barrier, and rear-into-pole. Vehicles are listed in alphabetical order by manufacturer.

NOTE: Repair costs are as of January 2002. Where two or more models are grouped together on the same line, bumper tests were conducted on the model listed first.

	Front into flat barrier	Rear into flat barrier	Front into angle barrier	Rear into pole	All four tests	Average damage per test
DODGE/PLYMOUTH NEON
2000 models	$385	$93	$444	$1,201	$2,123	$531
1997 models	$151	$104	$390	$607	$1,252	$313
FORD FOCUS
2000 models	$33	$1,229	$640	$1,030	$2,932	$733
1997 Escort models	$291	$188	$876	$774	$2,129	$532
HONDA CIVIC
2001 models	$439	$561	*$428	$322	$1,750	$438
1997 models	$66	$109	$954	$546	$1,675	$419
HYUNDAI ELANTRA
2001 models	$258	$0	$425	$187	$870	$218
1999 models	$573	$44	$1,240	$8	$1,865	$466
1997 models	$287	$405	$840	$1,784	$3,316	$829
KIA SEPHIA
1999 models	$0	$447	$742	$1,307	$2,496	$624
1997 models	$380	$447	$824	$1,421	$3,134	$784
MAZDA PROTEGE
2000 models	**$204	$367	**$1,095	$538	**$2,204	$551
1999 models	$204	$693	$1,095	$2,583	$4,575	$1,144
1997 models	$658	$162	$529	$722	$2,071	$518
MITSUBISHI LANCER
2002 models	$347	$522	$1,224	$1,011	$3,104	$776
MITSUBISHI MIRAGE
1997 models	$662	$263	$993	$1,107	$3,025	$756
NISSAN SENTRA
2000 models	$302	$327	$1,169	$327	$2,125	$531
1998 models	$484	$0	$785	$59	$1,328	$332
SATURN SL
1997 models	$126	$78	$580	$0	$784	$196
SUBARU IMPREZA
2002 models	$413	$456	$1,040	$606	$2,515	$629
TOYOTA COROLLA CHEVROLET PRIZM
1998 models	$0	$381	$289	$274	$944	$236
VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE
1998 models	$19	$0	$190	$0	$209	$52
VOLKSWAGEN JETTA
1999 models	$151	$52	$747	$188	$1,138	$285
1997 models	$169	$0	$859	$269	$1,297	$324
VOLVO S40
2002 models	$406	$435	$1,116	$1,212	$3,169	$792

*At Honda's request, the front-into-angle-barrier impact was repeated for the Civic. Results were identical ($428 damage).

**Front end of the 2000 Protege was not tested. Because no significant changes to the front bumper system were made between the 1999 and 2000 models, it was assumed that the 1999 front-into-flat-barrier and front-into-angle-barrier damage results are also applicable to the 2000 model.

• Other low-speed results
• Small cars frontal offset crash tests summary