IIHS makes a statement larger than the general media.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Mar 1, 2010
Corolla XRS – Fuel efficient and very safe.
The Toyota Corolla and Scion xB brings to seven the number of small cars consumers have to choose from that earn the Institute's highest safety designation. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, rollover, and rear impact tests and be equipped with electronic stability control.
The Corolla and xB and are the first Toyota models to earn Top Safety Pick since the Institute tightened the criteria to win by adding the new rollover test for 2010.
To earn a good rollover rating, a roof has to support the equivalent of 4 times the vehicle's weight compared with the current federal standard of 1.5. In the Institute's test, the xB's roof withstood a force equal to 6.8 times the car's weight. The Corolla's roof supported 5.1 times the car's weight.
The Corolla and xB also earned the 2009 Top Safety Pick award.
"Top Safety Pick recognizes the vehicles that afford buyers the best overall protection in common crashes," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "With more top performers, there's no reason to buy a small car with less than stellar crash test ratings."
2009/2010 Toyota Corolla IIHS Frontal and Side Impact Ratings
Rollover/Roof Crush Strength
Small cars - To measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle's roof at a constant speed. The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5 inches of crush is compared to the vehicle's weight to find the strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural protection in rollover crashes.
Each model is rated based on our measured curb weight of a vehicle with typical engine, transmission, and equipment options. However, when the same model is available in a configuration over 10% heavier than the typically equipped vehicle, a separate rating is assigned.
2010 Toyota Corolla – IIHS Roof Strength Ratings
| Model | Overall rating | Curb weight (lb) | Peak force (lb) | Strength-to-weight ratio |
| 2009-10 Toyota Corolla | Good | 2,749 | 14,006 | 5.09 |
Linear Mode
