Corolla bumps off competitors

Toyota's Corolla has emerged as the clear segment leader in a low-speed impact test conducted by the NRMA.

In a test program that showed widely varying repair costs across a group of nine popular new small and medium cars, the Corolla beat the rest hands-down with an average repair cost of $1019, well ahead of the worst performer, Honda's Civic, which incurred an average cost of $7386 repairing damage from an identical accident.

The Toyota was also significantly cheaper to repair than the second place getter, Ford's Focus, with a $2358 average.

Expressed in terms of the percentage of the car's purchase price, Suzuki's Swift recorded the poorest figure with an average repair cost of $5547, representing 34.7 per cent of purchase price. This compared to purchase price percentages of 4.4 per cent for the Corolla and 31.0 per cent for the Honda Civic.

The NRMA tests demonstrated that bumper design contributed more than anything else to the repair costs.

NRMA Insurance Head of Research Robert McDonald said a poorly designed bumper can slide under other bumpers on impact, causing more damage to both vehicles.

Mr. McDonald also said that "pedestrian-friendly" bumpers need not be more expensive to repair.

"Both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic scored similar leg protection results in the Euro NCAP pedestrian safety program, yet the repair costs of these vehicles differ dramatically," he said.

The tests, which were designed in conjunction with research centres in six other countries and are based on a new international standard bumper test established by the Research Council for Automobile Repairs, use a roller-coaster device that can accurately replicate the forces of a 10 km/h collision.

"The first round of testing has initially looked at some of the best selling small cars in Australia. We will be working with car manufacturers over the next 12 months to expand the program," Mr McDonald said.

"We encourage motorists to consider the cost of repairing a vehicle before they make their purchase, as a bargain in the showroom may not be such a good deal when taking the cost of insurance and repairs into account," he added.

Most prospective buyers wouldn't factor the cost of repairs from a low-speed accident into the purchasing decision, but reducing repair costs for the insurance industry should ultimately lead to lower premiums for the consumer.

NRMA's 10km/h tests simulated the most common type of accident on Australian roads.

In ascending order of cost and by category, the results from the study were:

Small cars
Hyundai Getz $3363 - 22.4 per cent of purchase price
Toyota Yaris $4016 - 22.1 per cent of purchase price
Suzuki Swift $5547 - 34.7 per cent of purchase price

Small/medium cars
Toyota Corolla $1019 - 4.4 per cent of purchase price
Ford Focus $2358 - 10.7 per cent of purchase price
Holden Astra $2627 - 10.9 per cent of purchase price
Mazda3 $2886 - 12.6 per cent of purchase price
Mitsubishi Lancer $5467 - 23.5 per cent of purchase price
Honda Civic $7386 - 31.0 per cent of purchase price

All vehicles tested were five-door hatchbacks, other than the Focus, Lancer and Civic, which were all sedans.