Top large family cars in safety tests

Every savvy female driver is after a cheap car insurance quote these days, and it isn't surprising what with the rising costs of motoring. Fuel duty, congestion charges and parking fees all hit us in our purses and it is rather fortunate that motor insurance is the one area that we can still make some significant savings.

However, cheap car insurance isn't the be all and end all of driving. When you are purchasing a new car, it is important to take into account the safety features of the vehicle as well as its car insurance group. This is particularly true of large family cars when the safety of children is paramount.

Most cars now come with airbags as standard and are fitted with a whole range of other features designed to protect you in an accident. Stringent tests are carried out by Euro NCAP and show any weaknesses that certain models have. If you want a detailed review of how your car performed in Euro NCAP testing, take a look at http://www.euroncap.com for more information.

We have reviewed some of the best performers in the large family car class and added in some useful information on their car insurance rating too.

	Lexus IS (2006) The Lexus IS is a car designed to offer performance and safety in equal measure. It features 8 airbags, including knee airbags which have been shown to do an excellent job in protecting front passengers' knees and femurs. However, Euro NCAP testing did reveal that the driver's lower legs could be at slight risk in an accident due to significant backward brake pedal movement. The final outcome of the Euro NCAP crash test results saw the Lexus IS being awarded five stars for adult occupant safety, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection. Researchers also noted that it provided very good protection for dummies the size of both the average 3-year-old and 1 ½ year-old. You may not be able to get an exceptionally cheap car insurance deal with this car, but the insurance group rating of 12 to 14 is reasonable for the car's class.
	Peugeot 407 (2004) The Peugeot 407 was noted as having a strong and stable passenger cage in Euro NCAP testing, which also found that there was minimal body deformation in a frontal crash. Also in head-on crash testing, it was found that the restraint systems and array of airbags were effective in preventing the driver's head or chest from colliding with the steering wheel. It was rated as having five stars for adult occupant protection, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection. The Euro NCAP crash tests revealed that the Peugeot 407 provided very good protection for child passengers, although there were slightly elevated pressure recordings on the older child dummy. With insurance group ratings of between 8 and 16, you do have the opportunity to get cheap car insurance as well with this car, as long as you don't go for the top of the range model.
	Toyota Prius (2004) Although best known for its hybrid engine, the Toyota Prius also performed very well in Euro NCAP crash tests. It was recorded as having impressive side impact protection, with curtain airbags that would also offer protection for rear passengers. Its child restraints were also very good, providing good injury-prevention for children's chests and heads throughout testing. The Toyota Prius was awarded five stars for adult occupant protection, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection. Its five star rating was awarded only after Toyota redesigned certain aspects of the knee impact area. Its excellent safety and hybrid engine combine to mean it has a low insurance group classification so that owners can usually get a cheap car insurance deal.
	Volkswagen Passat (2005) The Volkswagen Passat was rated as having an extremely strong body which suffered minimal deformation in crash testing. It has a number of safety features which limited the forward motion of occupants, including belt pre-tensioners, dual stage front airbags and belt load limiters, and all these features worked very well. It was given five stars for adult occupation protection, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection in Euro NCAP testing. However, the crash tests did prompt Volkswagen to improve further the functionality of the curtain airbag and roof lining in side impacts. Lower spec members of the Volkswagen Passat range qualify for insurance groups as low as 7, whilst higher spec ones rule out cheap car insurance altogether with insurance group rating of 16.
	Volvo S40 (2004) Volvo has a long history of promoting passenger safety and the Volvo S40 is no exception in this regard. When it underwent Euro NCAP testing, it was found to have minimal distortion around the sill and screen pillar, as well as only minor intrusion into the footwell. However, Volvo had to make a modification to the door pillar trim fittings as these were preventing the curtain airbag from fully deploying. The Volvo S40 received five stars for adult occupation protection, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection. It had very good side impact protection, and the driver's restraint system and airbag were found to work effectively. However, despite its excellent safety features, it fares much worse when it comes to finding a cheap car insurance deal; it falls into insurance groups 14 to 18.

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*A replacement car can normally be arranged under one of the following conditions: (1) Comprehensive policyholders – a replacement car may be available under the terms of your insurance policy. Please check your policy details for more information. (2) Non fault accident – where we have the name, car registration number and insurance details of the person who caused the accident, we can supply a replacement car. This is done on a credit hire basis which means the costs for this service will be passed onto the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. We may not be able to arrange a replacement car where we are unable to get an admission of liability from their insurance company, or where the driver is untraceable or uninsured. (3) Repair garage – if your car is booked in for repairs following an accident, the repair garage may be able to provide a replacement car (subject to availability).