Buying a cheap car that is also safe

Needing to downsize into an older, cheaper vehicle can be a fact of life in these turbulent times. However, you should never compromise your own or your family's safety on the road.

Plenty of vehicles that cost well below $10,000 have achieved the highest possible scores when tested for occupant protection and others get very close. Many also meet high standards of primary safety in the way they handle, brake and respond in an emergency.

The best form of crash protection is to avoid one in the first place, but if that isn't possible, what defines a safe car and what models from the sub-$10,000 price range deliver high-level protection?

The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) has since the 1990s been crash testing and evaluating the way new cars deliver differing levels of occupant protection. A system of 'star' ratings ANCAP publishes reflects each vehicle's performance in various tests, with five stars denoting a vehicle that delivers the highest levels of overall protection and a single Star indicating the worst performers.

Three-point seatbelts for all outboard seating positions have been mandatory in new cars since that late 1970s. A centre/rear sash belt rather than a simple lap restraint is seen as essential in vehicles that will be used for family transport but some manufacturers until very recently have persisted with the lap-only belt. Child seat mounting points are mandatory as well but some are quite inaccessible.

Usually the pyro-technic type these days, seatbelt pre-tensioners are important, activating within milliseconds of an impact being detected and prior to deployment of the airbags. Tensioners tighten the seatbelts' lap and sash straps to minimise occupant movement so the head avoids contact with vehicle surfaces.

Also known as ‘supplementary restraint systems’, airbags have been the subject of much controversy and cars with them must be certified as safe. The minimum requirement is an airbag for each front seat occupant, with head and side bags improving protection and the vehicle's ANCAP score. Even better, but unlikely to be common in cars at a price point below $10,000 is an airbag below the dash to protect the driver’s knee and lower extremities.

Pioneered by Mercedes-Benz for passenger-vehicle use and mandatory even on the cheapest of new cars since the early years of the 21st Century, ABS electronically limits the pressure applied to each brake to prevent wheel locking. It considerably reduces stopping distance on wet roads and allows the vehicle to be steered around obstacles while being braked.

Another pioneering effort from Mercedes-Benz and Bosch, Electronic Stability Control was marketed by the two companies as ESP – Electronic Stability Program. The system relies on ABS technology and lateral g-force sensors to reduce braking effort on individual wheels in order to iron out loss of adhesion and unwanted handling traits. ESC, as it is generically known, was mandated for passenger cars by the Victorian state government in 2011 and has been made mandatory across the nation for passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles alike since 2017.

Not just a comfort or convenience feature, air conditioning has a part to play in your safety. Manual and automatic air conditioning systems (the latter also known as climate control) have become pretty much a given in late-model cars and are easy to find in those built since 2005. Older readers will remember the struggle to keep glass clear on stormy days and the distractions of being too hot or cold while driving. That A/C button without doubt ranks as a safety feature.

Also often referred to as ‘active safety’, primary safety can be summarised as the way a vehicle responds and remains under control in an emergency. Models with stiffer springs that minimise body roll also minimise the risk of roll-overs, but most 4WDs which serve as family transport have long spring travel and can be tipped over in a minor collision. Responsive steering also helps a driver control a slide and all-disc brakes with ABS will help a vehicle stop faster and in a straight line.

During the past 20 years safety has become of increasing importance to new-car buyers. Purchasers of fleet vehicles have been especially influential, and their needs have prompted design changes to numerous mainstream models.

Small and medium-sized SUVs, hatchbacks and larger sedans have been among the most significant improvers, and major sellers have for more than a decade been achieving five-star (ANCAP) results in tests of their occupant protection.

Improvement to the market's most popular dual-cabs and people movers have taken longer, however the major manufacturers are now focussed on the safety of their commercial models and the passenger-carrying people movers.

Toyota led the way when in 2011 it engineered its Hilux to meet ANCAP’s five-star criteria. In that year, Mazda's BT-50 achieved the same standard but Nissan took until 2015 for its new NP300 Navara to achieve the optimal result.

Class-leading passenger vans also struggled for some time to comply and even the sophisticated Honda Odyssey was a four-star prospect until its new version arrived in 2009.

Older utilities, vans and off-roading 4WDs have traditionally been owned by senior drivers and younger ones as well. Relatively high levels of fatality in crashes involving these drivers is almost certainly influenced by the design of vehicles they typically own.

Star rankings reflect the model's ANCAP score at the time they were tested. More recent (and more costly) versions of the same model may have a different classification due to design changes and upgraded evaluation procedures.

Scanning the cars being offered through carsales.com.au reveals a selection of vehicle types and sizes that offer strong safety credentials yet can currently be bought in excellent condition for less than $10,000. Here are some selections in a variety of popular vehicle classifications.

Light Cars (all five stars)
Volkswagen Polo Comfortline 2011-13
MINI Cooper 1.6 2007-09
Fiat 500 Pop 2009-13

Small Cars (all five stars)
Toyota Prius 2009-12
Volkswagen Golf Comfortline 2008-10
Mazda SP25 2009-11

Medium Cars (all five stars)
Subaru Liberty Premium 2006-09
Mazda 6 Classic 2008-10
Skoda Superb 2009-11

Large Cars (all five stars)
Ford FG Falcon G6 2008-11
Holden VE Calais V 2008-10
Toyota Aurion 2009-11

Medium SUV
Volkswagen Tiguan 2008-11 (five stars)
Nissan Dualis 2009-12 (five stars)
Toyota RAV4 CV 2008-11 (four stars)

Large SUV
Toyota Kluger KX-R 2008-10 (five stars)
Ford Territory SYII 2009-10 (five stars)
Holden Captiva 2009-13 (four stars)

Medium AWD (all five stars)
Subaru Outback 2006-09
Mazda CX7 2008-10
Mitsubishi Outlander 2008-11

Passenger Van
Honda Odyssey 2005-08 (four stars)
Toyota Tarago 2007-09 (four stars)
Kia Carnival 2006-10 (four stars)

Large 4WD
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2005-08 (four stars)
Land-Rover Discovery 3 2005-08 (four stars)
Mitsubishi Pajero 2004-07 (four stars)