Why do cheap cars beat big luxury cars in crash tests now?

Walk into any dealership, and the salesperson will guide you toward the most expensive model with a confident promise: "This car has five stars. Your family"s safety is worth the investment." The implication is clear. More money buys more safety. Luxury brands charge luxury prices, and luxury prices must include superior engineering, better materials, and more advanced protection. This assumption seems logical. It is also dangerously incomplete. Price and safety do not always correlate, and in some cases, affordable cars outperform their premium counterparts in critical crash tests.