TOP 5 SAFETY FACTS FROM THE TOYOTA IQ

Bristling with advances in space efficiency (more of which you can read about here), the Toyota iQ will be on roads out there sometime in January and will eventually make it to North America as a Scion. The iQ is the shortest 4-seater car in the world and has not skimped on safety. What you'll read below are the Top 5 Facts relative to the iQ's safety content and technology. That way, when you're tempted to save serious coin on fuel, insurance, and parking, your fear of 18-wheelers will be somewhat diminished. In the United Kingdom, the Toyota iQ will start out about where the Aygo finishes off, just above the base price of a Yaris. Click here for information on the safety content in every smart fortwo, the iQ's most notable competitor.

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#5- WHEEL PLACEMENT: Imagine yourself as a 3-year old again trying to knock over your gigantic uncle whilst he stands upright trying to touch his fingers to his toes. Not actually that difficult, eh? Now try knocking over the previously-tipsy uncle while he's on all fours in your living room. Impossible, right? Toyota, like Mini with the Cooper, has all four wheels at the corners. This helps handling and interior space, but it also aids safety. The iQ is squatting down on four limbs that are as far as possible from the cockpit, thus aiding stability and at the same time, protecting passengers as the four wheels become the outermost barrier.

#4- 360-DEGREE PROTECTION: Nine airbags in a car of this size will surround any and all passengers in the case of an accident. Surround.

#3- ENGINE POSITIONING: Because of the rearward placement of the front-engined iQ's powerplant, Toyota's safety gurus were able to integrate more energy-absorbing 'structure' where it belongs. Also, the iQ's engine itself can act as a barrier; protecting the driver and occupants.

#2- STABILITY CONTROL IS STANDARD: Before the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety will recommend any car, no matter how well the vehicle performed in crash tests, stability control (read about it) must be a part of the vehicle's safety repertoire. Were stability control programs not to be soon mandated in the United States, this #2 safety fact would be #1. But because the next feature doesn't appear to be soon-mandated, GoodCarBadCar.net applauds Toyota for making it automatic anyway.

#1- ABS IS STANDARD: Anti-lock braking should be an essential before you purchase a car. Being able to trust your brakes, regardless of their strength, is (or at least should be) vital for your occupants to trust you as a driver. We non-F1 folk won't know when we're on the verge of lock-up - ABS takes away the need to know.