September 2, 2015
The RACQ has released a list of what it says are the 50 safest secondhand cars on the market.
Each has five stars for driver protection.
RACQ spokesman Steve Spalding said it was excellent to see there was a five-star rated car in all categories.
“It really does mean there are good options on the market for every type of motorist and their families when it comes to driver protection,” Mr Spalding said.
“Encouragingly, over 20 vehicles scored a ‘safe-pick’ rating this year; these are the cars with both high levels of protection for the driver and are also those likely to cause less injury to other road users in a crash.”
Mr Spalding said safety needed to be the highest priority when purchasing a used car.
“It may be tempting to put a young driver into an older and cheaper car whilst they’re gaining driving experience but always remember their vehicle is the last line of defence,” he said.
“Safety need not be compromised by price. Many of the top rating used vehicles can be bought for less than $10,000.”
More than 210 second hand cars were scrutinised by Monash University using data from more than seven million real-world crashes across Australia and New Zealand to determine the list of the safest used cars.
The Vehicle Safety Research Group which commissioned the research is comprised of the major motoring clubs and state motoring authorities in Australia and New Zealand.
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2015 Used Cars – Safest Picks in Class
Small Cars
Holden Cruze JG/JH (2009-2013) S
Honda Civic (2006-2011)
Peugeot 307 (2001-2009)
Subaru Impreza (2007-2011)
Toyota Prius II (2003-2009)
Light Cars
Ford Fiesta WS/WT/WZ (2009-2013)
Medium Cars
Audi A4 (2001-2008)
Volkswagen Passat (1998-2006)
Large Cars
Ford Falcon FG (2008-2013)
Holden Statesman/Caprice WK/WL (2003-2006)
Mercedes Benz E-Class W210 (1996-2002)
Toyota Aurion (2006-2012)
BMW 5 Series E39 (1996-2003)
Compact SUVs
Mitsubishi/ Peugeot Outlander/4007 (2006-2012)
Medium SUVs
Holden Captiva CG (2006-2013)
Mazda CX-7 (2006-2012)
Nissan Pathfinder R51 (2005-2013)
Large SUVs
Ford Territory SX/SY (2004-2010)
Mercedes Benz M-Class W163 (1998-2005)
Toyota Kluger/Highlander (2007-2013)
