1997 Ford Taurus And Volvo 850
Safer Than A Speeding Minivan

By Jean Swenson

While minivans and sport utility vehicles have become all the rage with families of the 1990s, they all do not meet the same safety and fuel economy standards of the time-honored passenger car. Many minivans and sport utes (sport utility vehicles) are classified as trucks when it comes to government requirements.

As a rule trucks are not as maneuverable, comfortable or as quiet as a passenger car. The largest segment of the market is still the four-door passenger sedan and most of us enjoy the nimble performance and low center of gravity that they offer.

The space and versatility of wagons create a valuable package. The station wagon marries the best qualities of personal transportation. Two of the safest station wagons are Ford's Taurus and Volvo's 850.

Both are built with unibody construction and have great rigidity throughout the structure. In a 1995 oblique crash test done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Taurus/Sable was the second best all-around crash protection winner and the 850 was third. The oblique test, an idea from Australia, was new for 1995 and added to the eight other testing measures from the bumper to the restraint performance. The oblique crash is an important measure because accidents occur at many angles. The newest crash-worthiness tests for 1996 show the Taurus/Sable as number one over 14 other popular sedans. The Volvo 850 at number four comes in surprisingly behind the Chevrolet Lumina and the 1995 Taurus/Sable. Crashworthiness refers to how well a car protects the occupants in a crash. The one area where Volvo shines over the Taurus is in head restraint design.

Because these cars are some of the safest on the roads, does that mean they are sluggish performers? No way. Both the Ford and Volvo offer spirited performance. Both are front-engine, front-wheel drive offering the best traction and most predictable handling short of the all-wheel drive station wagons from Audi and Subaru.