OUCH! Audi, Lexus, and Mercedes All Flunk New IIHS Crash Test!

carE10 submitted on 8/14/2012 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 8:16:07 AM

20 user comments | Views : 11,398 | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: blogs.cars.com

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The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and two Lexus sedans — the IS 250/350 and the outgoing ES 350 — failed the latest round of IIHS frontal tests.



As we reported Monday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new offset frontal-barrier test simulates a 40-mph collision with a rigid barrier that overlaps just 25% of the car. The test simulates a front-corner collision with a tree, a pole or another vehicle, a scenario that is responsible for almost 25% of front crashes that seriously injure or kill someone in front, IIHS says. The new test will augment the agency's existing frontal test, which crashes a car at 40 mph against a deformable barrier that overlaps 40% of the front.



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OUCH! Audi, Lexus, and Mercedes All Flunk New IIHS Crash Test!

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carE10

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Agent009

The Acura TL and Volvo S60 got the top score of ‘Good’

The Infiniti G was deemed ‘Acceptable’

The 2012 BMW 3-Series, 2012 Acura TSX, 2012 Volkswagen CC and the 2012 Lincoln MKZ earned the score of ‘Marginal’

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Audi A4 the Lexus ES and IS got the lowest rating of ‘Poor’.

— Agent009 (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 9:26:32 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

LexSucks

"The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Audi A4 the Lexus ES and IS got the lowest rating of ‘Poor’."

- What about Lexus "Quality"? Lexus has the best Quality, so therefore it’s impossible for another car to outperform any Lexus in a crash test.

Do the cars that perform better than the Lexus have better "quality" than the Lexus? Or does the Lexus still have the best "quality" regardless of it doing poorly in a crash test.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 4:20:52 PM | | Votes: 0   

knowitall1985

ES is redesigned for 2013. Like mercedes says test is BS....

— knowitall1985 (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 10:17:08 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

vdiv

Why is it BS? Because it wasn't done at 65 mph instead of 40?

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 11:22:49 AM | | Votes: 4   

AlleVier

Bring on the next round of automotive weight gains.

— AlleVier (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 10:40:51 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

vdiv

People who have survived accidents thanks to the previous round may have just a slightly different perspective on this.

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 11:26:36 AM | | Votes: 5   

AlleVier

What was my perspective? Safety's bad? I'm just curious as to what dictates the pace of changing crash-worthiness requirements and where it ends. We're quite certain right now that a full roll cage, helmet and Hans device will provide good results, but we know we have to balance it with consumer desires and economic practicality.

Still, how many types of accidents and at what speeds do we want to provide full protection from? Did we just learn last year that people are dying from the types of accidents this test simulates or did we just decide this is the year they deserve to survive? Do we just want to build bubble-tanks that will harm no-one and protect everyone or do we set limits and shift focus more toward accident avoidance?

— AlleVier (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 1:19:45 PM | | Votes: 2   

vdiv

Thank you for clarifying your perspective. As technology and our value for human life improve so should the standards that keep us safe. There is no time that is too soon.

— vdiv (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 3:13:31 PM | | Votes: 2   

Designer1

These are great tests, I'm surprised by the auto manufacturers don't do them.

Trimming weight is very visible on new cars, I mean popup the hood on a new car and notice what now covers the tires, no metal for sure, it's just a thin plastic layer!

This is why the fender in this test can't handle the impact.

— Designer1 (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 2:28:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

LexSucks

There is no way in hell that any Lexus would fail a crash test. Lexus has the best "Quality".

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 4:16:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Car4Life

For Mercedes Drivers...If the Pre-Safe system, Distronic Plus System, Blind Spot Assist System, Lane Departure Assist System, Attention Assist System, ESP System, ABC System...(catching breath) did not warn you, you must be trying to crash the car!

— Car4Life (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 5:50:20 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

lexworld

...Wow LexSucks, your name fits you very well. Oh and of course you would find Agent009 right at the top of this adverstisement. Will this new knowledge cause Lexus to lose a lot of buyers, I doubt it. In fact if anything it will cause awareness on Lexus to, once again, up their game. Gotta do better than this care 10 and the infamous 009. Next!

— lexworld (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 6:56:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

dodgedart

Stick a set of 22"s on there and redo the tests. Offset frontal crashes are never very photogenic. There's plenty of other tests to brag about, and apparently much cheaper to build for.
Marketing has engineered the cars again...

— dodgedart (View Profile)

Posted on 8/14/2012 11:22:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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