As if you needed any more reason to buy one of our favorite cars at Jalopnik,the Subaru WRX or its wilder brother the WRX STI, the IIHS just named it a Top Saftey Pick for 2014. Great news for the owners of the WRX, who will inevitably put their cars in a ditch.
Relax! I'm only joking of course, as I'm sure there are many responsible WRX owners who drive their cars like responsible adults. Those responsible adults can rest easy knowing that their car is as safe as safety stalwarts like the Volvo XC90, and that they are responsible adults who don't crash their cars into ditches.
The IIHS' complete list for 2014 can be found here, and its interesting to note that the 'Rex was the only car with genuine sporting pretensions that received any accolade, though, the IIHS doesn't test many low-volume sporty cars. Still though, this definitely is great for the WRX's practical everyday sports sedan image.
So if your significant other says you can't have a WRX because sporty cars aren't safe, just point her to this. You're welcome, friend.
As per the IIHS' website, to qualify for a Top Safety Pick cars must:
"...earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap front test."
These tests are pretty rough as we've seen before with the Mazda CX-9, making the WRX's award all the more impressive. To earn a Top Saftey Pick+ the car must do all of the above plus have some sort of active frontal crash prevention system.
So you can indeed have your cake and eat it, folks! Buy the WRX/WRX STI and enjoy both your speed and your safety.
Photo: Subaru