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Cars most likely to be involved in accidents

Data from Insurify shows which models have the most accident-prone drivers behind the wheel. It also shows the proportion of the drivers of said vehicles with an at-fault accident on record in the past seven years, based on Insurify’s analysis of over 4 million car insurance applications. For reference, the national average is 10.78%, and each of these vehiclesÂ’ drivers represent a statistically significant increase over that. Now, it would be easy to infer that these cars are dangerous, but such is not necessarily the case. Remember, drivers cause accidents, not cars. These just happen to be the cars that accident-prone drivers drive. YouÂ’ll notice that many are mainstream, affordable cars, often with decent crash ratings. Also keep in mind that vehicle accidents are up since the beginning of the pandemic, so no matter what you drive, please drive safely. 10. Hyundai Ioniq This affordable, electrified vehicle platform sneaks into this list with 14.45% of drivers with a recent at-fault accident on record. 9. Lexus CT Another hybrid, this Prius-powered Lexus beats the national average at 14.57%. 8. Toyota Prius V Yet another hybrid, the larger but discontinued member of the Prius family sees 14.72% of its drivers with recent accidents. 7. Mazda CX-3 The Mazda CX-3, which is discontinued for the 2022 model year, sees the accident-prone making up 14.9% of its drivers. 6. Infiniti Q60 The second and final luxury car on this list has more accident-prone drivers than average, at 14.93%. 5. Subaru Impreza The first of two Subarus on this list has 15.1% of drivers with recent accidents on record. 4. Hyundai Genesis Coupe The Genesis Coupe was only on the market for a brief span before it was discontinued and Genesis spun off into its own luxury brand. That said, it too beats the national average for accidents, at 15.29%. 3. Subaru WRX Despite its standard all-wheel drive, the boy-racer WRX has 15.44% of drivers with a prior accident in the last seven years. 2. Kia Stinger We love the Kia Stinger, and had great luck with our long-termer that graced the Autoblog garage for a year. That said, 15.75% of its drivers represent have a recent accident on record. 1. Scion FR-S This fun two-seater attracts the most accident prone drivers, with 15.87% with recent at-fault crashes. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets 25 percent fuel economy boost

Just days after revealing full pricing and specs for each trim level of the 2016 MX-5 Miata, Mazda is spilling the beans on the roadster's fuel economy. As it turns out, the numbers show an impressive boost over the previous generation. All 2016 Miatas in the US are equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. With a six-speed manual, the EPA estimates fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon city, 34 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. Buyers choosing the six-speed automatic, which is a $1,075 option (that you should absolutely not choose), are expected to get 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. Compared to the previous-gen model with a six-speed manual, these latest numbers represent a 25-percent improvement in mileage. The boost in economy for the Miata likely comes from a variety of sources. Underneath the hood is one of Mazda's latest Skyactiv engines, and the loss of around 150 pounds from the last gen helps too. Production of the latest version of the famous roadster is already underway, and they should start arriving at dealers in the late summer. 2016 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVES DRAMATIC 25 PERCENT VERSUS OUTGOING MODEL 24/04/15 - Mazda's Flagship Roadster Highlights Improvements Displayed by SKYACTIV Technology - IRVINE, Calif., April 24, 2015 -- Lighter, quicker and more nimble than its predecessor, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata demonstrates the power innovation can have when re-engineering a roadster from the ground up. In addition to all of the aforementioned improvements the 2016 MX-5 has, fuel economy can now be added to the list, with MX-5 achieving an EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway/30 mpg combined when equipped with the standard SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway/30 mpg combined when equipped with the six-speed automatic). This performance represents a 25-percent increase in fuel economy versus the 2015 MX-5's EPA-estimated fuel economy when paired with the outgoing model's available six-speed manual transmission, highlighting the benefits of SKYACTIV Technology. "SKYACTIV Technology is more than a catchphrase for Mazda; it's a total effort to increase efficiency, improve performance, safety and technology and instill each Mazda vehicle with a directness and responsiveness that's unmatched in the segments in which our vehicles compete," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations.

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum