00:36 06-11-2025

Why modern small cars can be safer than big SUVs in crashes

Many drivers are convinced: the bigger the car, the safer it is. The logic seems obvious — mass and size should shield you in a crash. Yet independent crash tests tell a different story: compact cars increasingly earn top marks, while hefty SUVs often stumble. According to an analysis by SPEEDME.RU, in 2023 only the Jeep Wagoneer among full-size SUVs earned a good rating in IIHS’s new front crash test; popular models like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition were rated poor, with dummy leg injuries recorded and structural deformation observed.

Why small cars beat the giants

The key to safety isn’t size but engineering. Today’s small cars use ultra-high-strength steels, carefully tuned crumple zones, and as many as ten airbags. Their bodies are designed to absorb impact energy progressively, keeping the cabin intact. By contrast, many older, especially body-on-frame SUVs, take a hit more rigidly — the structure doesn’t flex, and loads transfer to occupants.

When a vehicle strikes a barrier, weight brings no real advantage because tests are standardized. The barrier simulates a collision with a vehicle of comparable mass, making structural integrity the decisive factor. In the Chevrolet Tahoe’s passenger-side impact, for example, the floor dropped, and the dummy sustained critical leg injuries. That shows even an extra ton won’t save you if the body is built to an outdated recipe.

When mass really helps

In real crashes between cars of different classes, heavy SUVs still hold an edge: in a head-on with a small car, the larger one tends to suffer less damage, as auto expert Dmitry Novikov told SPEEDME. But that benefit applies only to encounters with other vehicles. If the impact is into a fixed object — a concrete block, a tree, or a barrier — the winner is the car with the stronger, more energy-absorbent structure.

A telling example from 2019: a compact hatchback received Euro NCAP’s maximum rating, while a large SUV from the same brand managed only four stars. The reason was an older platform and weak crumple zones. Small cars are evolving faster, and almost all modern models confidently earn five stars thanks to new passive-safety technologies.

Expert view

Novikov emphasized that size matters only in a specific scenario: in a head-on with a lighter vehicle, the heavier one does come out better. He added that this does not guarantee superior protection for its own occupants; a well-engineered compact can shield them just as effectively — and sometimes even better — than bulky SUVs.

Conclusion

A car’s safety depends not on dimensions but on technology and the quality of its structure. Modern small cars with carefully designed frameworks and multiple protection systems can withstand impacts no worse than big SUVs. Meanwhile, a heavy, old-school body-on-frame model, for all its mass, can prove less resistant to damage.

Physics matters, but engineering and execution matter more. When choosing a car, look past curb weight and focus on crash-test results — they show who truly protects the driver and who merely creates the illusion of safety.