Acura RL Earns 5-Star Rating From Agency

WASHINGTON December 13, 2004; The AP reported that Honda Motor Co.'s 2005 Acura RL was the only one of 18 vehicles tested to earn the government's highest rating, five stars, for front and side-impact crash tests and rollover prevention, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.

Vehicles generally performed well, and none earned fewer than three stars on any test. NHTSA is testing 2005 models as they come on the market.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x2, Ford Explorer 4x2, Mercury Mountaineer 4x2, Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 and GMC Yukon 4x4 were the worst performers in the rollover test, earning three stars. That rating means the chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash is 20 to 30 percent.

The Ford Mustang had the lowest chance of rollover, at 8.7 percent. The best-performing sport utility vehicles in the rollover test were the Lincoln Navigator and the Toyota Highlander, which earned four stars and had a 17 percent chance of rolling over.

The Nissan Altima, Pontiac G6, Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix were the worst performers in the driver's side-impact test, earning three stars. That means there is an 11 to 20 percent chance of serious injury in a similar, 38.5 mph crash.

No vehicle got fewer than four stars in the frontal crash test, which is a 35 mph test.