The Ford Crown Victoria recorded the highest scores in overall crash and rollover tests released by the government on Feb. 13, while sports utility vehicles, including the popular Ford Explorer, posted predictably lower numbers. In the latest crash and rollover ratings, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new data on more than 50 vehicles. Ford's four-door Crown Victoria received five stars, the top score, for frontal crash ratings. It received four stars for side crash ratings and a five-star rollover rating. Also scoring high was the Volvo S80, which received five stars in the crash categories. It was not rated for rollovers. The four-door Volkswagen Jetta posted five stars for front crash ratings, four stars for side crashes and a four-star rollover rating. SUVs again posted some of the lowest scores for rollovers in the latest batch of NHTSA ratings. The Infiniti QX4 rated two stars as did the Ford Explorer and the Mercury Mountaineer. All are four-door, front-wheel drive vehicles. Rollovers have a higher fatality rate than other kinds of crashes, according to NHTSA. SUVs posted mixed or incomplete results in front and side crash tests. Japanese minivans did well, with the Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna achieving high ratings across the board. NHTSA's rollover ratings are based on a mathematical formula that measures the vehicle's center of gravity and width. SUVs and pickup trucks are more top-heavy and thus more likely to get lower marks than cars or vans. Automakers, skeptical of NHTSA's rollover rating system because it isn't based on a driving test and the ratings may not be readily accessible to consumers who don't have Internet access, are urging the agency to replace the current system with one based on an actual driving test.
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