IIHS tests 12 small SUVs' roof strengths; some crumple in simulated rollovers

The Volkswagen Tiguan, suffered minimal damage when 15,000 pounds or force was applied to its roof, but a similar force 
crushed the roof of the Kia Sportage, above, past the driver's head restraint. (Photo courtesy IIHS)

The first tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluating cars' roof strengths showed that SUVs have mixed safety results.

Four of twelve tested compact SUVs earned the highest rating of Good, which means the roofs crushed by less than 5 inches when four times the vehicle's weight is applied to the roof.

The best-performing Volkswagen Tiguan's roof crushed under two inches, and the IIHS says the three other other Good-rated vehicles would also do a good job at protecting occupants from rollover injury. 

The five SUVs with the second-highest rating of Acceptable withstood at least 3.25 times their own weight applied to their roofs before crushing. The two that scored Marginal, the next-lowest, withstood 2.5 times their weight. The Kia Sportage and the mechanically identical Hyundai Tucson earned the lowest rating of Poor, withstanding less force than any of the others.

Four times their weight, a force withstood by four of the other SUVs, crushed the roof into the driver's head, as shown in the photo below.

If all vehicles met the roof standard of the Volkswagen Tiguan, rollover fatalities could be cut in half, the IIHS said.

Starting with the 2010 model year, vehicles must earn a Good rating in the IIHS's roof strength test to earn its Top Safety Pick designation. Currently, cars just need good performance in front, side, and rear-impact crash tests and offer electronic stability control to get the designation, a standard met by 73 vehicles.

The IIHS expects that number to decline sharply when more cars' roof strengths are tested. Just three of the ten Top Safety Pick compact SUVs earned a Good rating in the new roof test. (The Jeep Patriot, which had Good roof strength, didn't do as well in other crash tests.)

Cars.com reported previously that five other vehicles have also met the IIHS roof strength requirements: the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Tacoma, Volkswagen Jetta, and Volvo XC90.

Federal standards require only that car roofs survive 1.5 times their own weight, which the IIHS has called insufficient.

Full ratings of the twelve tested vehicles, ranked in performance order best to worst:

GOOD:
1. Volkswagen Tiguan
2. Subaru Forester
3. Honda Element
4. Jeep Patriot

ACCEPTABLE:
5. Suzuki Grand Vitara
6. Chevrolet Equinox / Pontiac Torrent
7. Toyota RAV4
8. Nissan Rogue
9. Mitsubishi Outlander

MARGINAL:
10. Honda CR-V
11. Ford Escape / Mazda Tribute / Mercury Mariner

POOR:
12. Hyundai Tucson / Kia Sportage