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SUV Car Crash Tests
By Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
SUVs are advertised as rugged, but few have bumpers designed
to withstand a minor bump in a low-speed collision. Eight of nine
new midsize sport utility vehicles (SUVs) earned poor or marginal
ratings for bumper performance in 5 mph crash tests conducted by
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In this group, only
the 2003 Honda Pilot is equipped with bumpers that resisted major
damage. The Pilot earned an acceptable rating. The 2004 Mitsubishi
Endeavor, 2003 Nissan Murano, and 2004 Lexus RX 330 are rated marginal.
The 2003 Toyota 4Runner, 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, 2003 Infiniti FX35,
2004 Cadillac SRX, and 2003 Kia Sorento are rated poor.
The Highway Institute's series of four bumper tests includes front- and rear-into-flat-barrier plus front-into-angle-barrier and rear-into-pole impacts. The tests assess how well bumpers can prevent damage in
5 mph impacts simulating the fender-bender collisions that are
common in commuter traffic and parking lots. A good bumper system should
absorb the energy of these minor impacts and protect expensive
body panels, headlamp systems, and other components from damage.
| 5
MPH CRASH TEST RESULTS, MIDSIZE SUVs |
| Vehicle
tested |
Front
into
flat
barrier |
Rear
into
flat
barrier |
Front
into
angle
barrier |
Rear
into
pole |
Total
damage
4 tests |
Average
damage
per test |
Bumper
rating
|
| 2003 Honda Pilot |
$325 |
$404 |
$449 |
$438 |
$1,616 |
$404 |
ACCEPTABLE |
| 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor |
$307 |
$940 |
$1,012 |
$898 |
$3,157 |
$789 |
MARGINAL |
| 2003 Nissan Murano |
$630 |
$467 |
$1,216 |
$1,245 |
$3,558 |
$890 |
MARGINAL |
| 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
$1,026 |
$565 |
$1,650 |
$712 |
$3,953 |
$988 |
MARGINAL |
| 2003 Toyota 4Runner |
$1,538 |
$952 |
$1,177 |
$1,317 |
$4,984 |
$1,246 |
POOR |
| 2004 Chrysler Pacifica |
$1,293 |
$643 |
$509 |
$2,814 |
$5,259 |
$1,315 |
POOR |
| 2003 Infiniti FX35 |
$1,387 |
$821 |
$2,042 |
$1,492 |
$5,742 |
$1,436 |
POOR |
| 2004 Cadillac SRX |
$388 |
$985 |
$2,390 |
$2,814 |
$6,577 |
$1,644 |
POOR |
| 2003 Kia Sorento |
$1,125 |
$1,325 |
$1,860 |
$2,273 |
$6,583 |
$1,646 |
POOR |
| All repair costs reflect September 2003 parts and labor prices. |
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"The manufacturers of these SUVs try to create a rough-and-tough
image for them, but their bumpers are flimsy," says Adrian Lund, the Institute's chief operating officer. "Vehicles shouldn't sustain major
damage in a minor collision at a fast walking speed."
Average damage per test ranged from about $400 for the Pilot to more than $1,600 for the Sorento and SRX. Of the 33 current midsize SUV
designs the Institute has tested for bumper performance, 23 are rated poor, 6 are
rated marginal, and 4 are acceptable. None is rated good.
>Rear bumpers fail to protect tailgates: Three of the poor performers had
the largest damage costs in the rear-into-pole test. The rear bumpers
on the Chrysler Pacifica, Cadillac SRX, and Kia Sorento weren't robust enough
to keep damage away from the vehicles' body parts and sheet metal. Damage totals
for these vehicles were five to six times more than the Pilot in the same test. "Repair costs in the pole test were about $2,200 for the Sorento and more
than $2,800 each for the Pacifica and the SRX because
the bumpers didn't protect the expensive-to-repair tailgates," Lund says. "In each case, the tailgate was crushed
and had to be replaced. Those are big repair bills for a minor bump."
Sorento and SRX are worst performers overall: Damage to these two vehicles
totaled more than $6,500 in all four tests."
In the front-angle test, the SRX's bumper couldn't prevent
major crushing of the right fender. After the same test, the Sorento's frame had to be straightened. In the front and rear flat-barrier tests, which are
the least demanding because the crash energy is
spread across the whole bumper, the Kia had repair bills of more $1,000 in each test," Lund points out.
Honda Pilot has acceptable bumpers: In this group of midsize SUVs, only
the Pilot is equipped with bumpers that did a reasonable job of preventing damage to the vehicle."
It's not difficult or expensive to build a decent bumper," Lund
says. "The Honda bumper system isn't
great, but it's the best of a sorry lot.
It shows that manufacturers can build SUVs with bumper systems that prevent
costly damage in a minor collision."
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