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I own a Nissan Maxima Ti 2003 and a Toyota Corolla GX 2011. The Maxima has driver and passenger front airbags. The Corolla has front, side, curtain and driver's knee airbags. However, the Maxima has a 3 star safety rating and the Corolla has only a 2 star rating. Is this just because the Maxima is a larger vehicle? I would imagine it would be better to be in the Corolla in the event of a side impact.

Hi there,
Unfortunately the smaller cars seem to attract a lower UCSR driver protection rating than larger ones. But you are right, we would always recommend the newest and safest car your budget allows and a 2011 car should have more advanced safety features and vehicle construction than what was available in 2003.