A number of minivans may not save passengers' necks in a crash. (By "necks" we mean their actual necks, not their metaphoric ones.) The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave a number of minivans poor marks for preventing injuries during rear-end accidents. Vans that received the "poor" ratings, including Dodge Caravan/ Chrysler Town and Country, Toyota Sienna and nearly all of GM's newest minivans like the Buick Terraza (pictured), were those not equipped with optional adjustable lumbar and head restraints. When fitted with such restraints, some of the vans were bumped up to "acceptable." Ford got a much-needed chance to gloat, though its victory was bittersweet, as its doomed 2004-2006 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey received the highest rating (i.e., "good") from the Institute.

Several Minivans Fare Poorly in Tests [Forbes Auto]

Related:
More on The Great Landwind Crash-Test Fiasco of 2005 [internal]

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