Only five cars have passed the new, tougher crash tests that have been designed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which does its own crash testing separate from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test program required for new vehicles, reports USA Today.

The article says: "Two [Honda] Civics — both the two-door and four-door models — and three other larger vehicles earned [the] top rating. … The other top scorers were the redesigned 2014 Mazda 6 midsize mainstream sedan, the Lincoln MKZ midsize luxury sedan and the Volvo XC60 midsize luxury SUV."

The designation of Top Safety Pick "Plus" (TSP+) "means the cars were able to score a top ‘good’ score on the new, tough ‘small overlap frontal crash test’ — hitting a barrier at 40 mph with just the outside 25% of the car’s front end — in addition to the regular tests," the piece reports.

"Larger vehicles generally hold up better than smaller cars in crashes, which is why it’s significant that the Honda Civic was able to ace the new, added test with a ‘good.’ "