For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Sedan/Hatchback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Cruze doesn't offer height-adjustable seat belts.
Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Cruze's airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Collision Mitigation Braking System in the Civic as “Superior.” The Cruze scores only 1 point and is rated only “Basic.”
Both the Civic and the Cruze have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic is safer than the Chevrolet Cruze:
|
Civic |
Cruze |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
20% |
31% |
Neck Stress |
176 lbs. |
259 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
265 |
308 |
Neck Injury Risk |
34% |
35% |
Neck Stress |
131 lbs. |
145 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Civic is safer than the Chevrolet Cruze:
|
Civic |
Cruze |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
204 |
245 |
Chest Movement |
1 inches |
1.2 inches |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
404 |
497 |
Hip Force |
356 lbs. |
937 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
13 inches |
HIC |
260 |
331 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight's “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Civic the rating of “Top Pick” for 2020, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cruze does not qualify as a “Top Pick.”