Ford has published a lot about the new Ford F-150 being the only pickup to earn the Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). But if you read the fine print, there’s a catch.
The rating applies only to trucks with the SuperCrew cab. Trucks with the SuperCab didn’t make the grade, and trucks with regular cabs weren’t tested. Based on the evidence, it appears that Ford tried to game the system.
The IIHS normally tests only the best-selling configuration of a particular vehicle. For the F-150, the SuperCrew was chosen, because it accounts for around 70% of sales. Its qualified as a Top Safety Pick, the only full-size pickup to do so — partly because it’s unique in having undergone the full battery of tests. (...) →
