Two car manufacturers were recently awarded for their outstanding safety features. Consumer Reports gave Honda and Toyota the titles of most reliable cars in the United States. But sometimes a compliment can’t go without some constructive criticism. Consumer Reports also critiqued some Honda’s for lacking the electronic stability control (ESC) functioning. Through use of speed sensors, ESC detects if the car’s direction is going a different way than the driver wants. The braking system automatically kicks-in to assist the driver, which helps prevent skidding and thus, potential car accidents . However, ESC doesn’t come cheaply. “[T]he cheapest Civic with stability control has a sticker price of $22,705-significantly higher than the typical small sedan price in our Ratings of about $19,000,” Consumer Reports said. “And those sedans don’t force you to buy an expensive options package to get stability control; it’s standard on almost every small sedan for 2011.”
ESC will come standard in all passenger vehicles by 2012. Consumer Reports advises costumers to purchase affordable cars that include ESC in the meantime, such as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, and Toyota Yaris. The Ford Fiesta was also chosen as a insurance industry “Top Safety Pick.” And the Fiesta goes for $9,430 less than the lest expensive Honda Civic with ESC.
Added safety features such as ESC may be more expensive, but the time and money it saves you could be worth the extra cost for added safety. If you have a claim relating to a car accident, a North Charleston personal injury lawyer can evaluate your claim and provide the protection you need.