Ever know a tough-looking guy who crumpled at the first sign of resistance? Well, most of the current crop of rugged-looking sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are a lot like that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Of seven 2001 models tested, only one, Ford's small Escape SUV, earned an acceptable rating for crashworthiness, according to the IIHS. The other vehicles, the Institute said, sustained "excessive" damage requiring repairs averaging $1,065 to $2006 over the four separate crash tests at 5 mph. The Escape's average repair bill was $485, lowest among the SUVs tested. Pickups tested and their average repair costs included the Chevrolet Silverado ($1,065), Ford F-150 ($1,290), Toyota Tundra ($1,761) and Dodge Ram ($2,006). Aside from the Escape, the SUVs were Hyundai's Santa Fe ($1,285 in average repairs) and the Toyota RAV4 ($2,003). The second-best-performing vehicle was the Chevrolet Silverado, Chevy's most popular model. Still, the truck sustained nearly $766 in damage to its bumper system after the flat-barrier tests, in which vehicles should not be damaged at all. The total cost of damage to the truck after all four tests was $4,261. "The performance of the four large pickups ranged from poor to awful," said Adrian Lund, the institute's chief operating officer. "None of these vehicles sustained less than $4,000 total damage in the four tests, and the Dodge Ram sustained more than $8,000 damage. There's no excuse for such poor performance." Dodge advertises its Ram pickup truck as the "mother of all trucks," but the front-into-flat-barrier test caused damage not only to the bumper but to the grille, hood, air-conditioner condenser and radiator support, according to the institute. In response, a DaimlerChrysler statement said: "It is important to note that the results of this test reflect insurance claim costs, not vehicle safety. Bumpers on all Chrysler Group vehicles meet or exceed all federal safety standards." The Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150 could not be driven after the front-bumper into angled-barrier test, which caused the bumpers to lodge against tires. The cost for repair -- combining all the tests -- was $7,044 for the Toyota and $5,159 for the Ford. Ford defended both the Escape and F-150 in an official statement, saying both vehicles "meet or exceed government standards, the company's more stringent internal requirements and the expectations of our customers." Ford said the tests are a way to measure costs for insurance companies and are not related to safety. The statement criticized the simulations, saying the tests did not simulate what happens in real-world situations. Of the small SUVs tested, the institute said Toyota's RAV4 earned the worst marks. "The RAV4's bumpers collapsed in impacts at only 5 mph and allowed huge damage. In fact, the damage to the 2001 RAV4 exceeded the total damage to the predecessor version of this SUV, a 1998 model," Lund said. "The RAV4, like a number of other SUVs, has the spare tire mounted on the tailgate. This design, which is predominantly for styling reasons, guarantees excessive damage in a whole range of rear collisions," said Brian O'Neill, president of the IIHS. In its testing, the institute said, it found the RAV4 has a bumper made only of exterior molding with no energy-absorbing material and no reinforcement bars. Toyota said the way the tests are conducted is not representative of actual crashes. "The cumulative damage estimate has nothing to do with a real-world crash," said Toyota Public Affairs Director John McCandless. But, he said, "We're going to take a look at the test results to see why the numbers came up high." While pleased its Santa Fe fared better in the tests than four other models, Hyundai said "there is always room for further improvement" in the company's first SUV in the U.S. market. "While we may not be in complete agreement with the (institute's) testing methodology, we understand and share their desire to reduce costs for car owners who may have vehicle damage from an accident," Hyundai said, pledging to continue to pare such costs. Lund, however, believes the automakers have some explaining to do. "Manufacturers tell potential buyers they can drive these pickups and SUVs anywhere adventure leads them. But consumers can expect big repair bills if they're unlucky enough to bump their so-called rugged vehicles into something at slow speeds," he said.