Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Excoriates Minicars for Bumper Quality

Of the seven, only one — the Smart Fortwo — received an "Acceptable" rating, one — the Chevrolet Aveo — was called "Marginal" and the other five received "Poor" designations.

They were the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris.

The IIHS tested the little cars in four tests at 3 mph and 6 mph. It said the tests "mimic the typical full-width and corner impacts that often occur in commuter traffic." The organization noted that the Kia Rio's $3,701 bill for damage in the 6-mph frontal impact test would be 30 percent of the car's total price. The group noted that the Smart Fortwo's rating of "Acceptable" came because of its prepainted plastic body panels, which are cheaper to replace than the other cars' bumpers.

Inside Line says: Not terribly surprising, but disappointing for the economy minded. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent