Ken Thomas (Forbes.com) Recent crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicate that even a minor accident in a minicar can require thousands of dollars to repair. On June 10 the institute reported that repairing damage to microcars in crashes of speeds as low as three to six miles per hour could cost from $474 to $3,701. The crash tests were conducted on the front and back bumpers and the front and rear corners of seven 2009 model year minicars. These cars have become more popular as a result of rising fuel costs in recent years. The Kia Rio sustained the most damage among the minicars, requiring $3,701 to repair the full front bumper. In the four tests the cost of repairing the Rio averaged $2,705. Of the seven vehicles, the Smart fortwo had the lowest average repair cost of $899.
The Insurance Expert
By Cristofer P. Pereyra
