New
Bumper Crash Test Results
MAZDA6
GETS ACCEPTABLE RATING, 3 OUT OF 6
GET POOR RATING
Bumpers
on the midsize 2003 Mazda6 performed reasonably well in 5 mph crash tests conducted
recently by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but results for five other
vehicles were disappointing. The midsize 2003 Infiniti G35, the 2004 Nissan Quest
minivan, and the large luxury 2003 Mercedes E class earned poor ratings for bumper
performance. The midsize 2003 Saab 9-3 and the 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan were
marginal. None earned a good rating.
The
Quest sustained far more damage than its predecessor model, which the Institute
tested in 1999, dropping from a rating of good to poor. The 9-3 and the Sienna
also performed somewhat worse than earlier designs.
The
vehicles were tested in four 5 mph impacts — front- and rear-into-flat-barrier
plus front-into-angle-barrier and rear-into-pole. The tests assess how well bumpers
can prevent damage in low-speed impacts, which are common in commuter traffic
and parking lots. Average damage per test ranged from about $340 for the Mazda6
to $1,480 for the worst performer, the Infiniti G35.
Three
midsize cars
Among the midsize cars the Institute tested, only the Mazda6
is equipped with bumpers that do an acceptable job of protecting the vehicle from
significant damage. In the front-into-flat-barrier test, damage was limited because
the bumper is designed to absorb the energy of a minor impact and keep it away
from the car body.
"Mazda
engineers gave at least some thought to bumpers on the new 6," said Adrian
Lund, chief operating officer for the Institute. "In the front-into-flat-barrier
test, only the relatively inexpensive grille and the foam inside the bumper had
to be replaced."
In
contrast, the G35 sustained more than four times as much damage in the same four
bumper tests.
"The
G35's bumpers are a disaster," said Lund. "Infiniti engineers attached
an additional metal plate to the center of the rear bumper reinforcement bar to
improve the car's performance in the pole test, but it didn't make much difference.
There was extensive damage to body panels including a crushed trunk lid and floor
pan."
Even
in the rear-into-flat-barrier test, which isn't as demanding as the pole test,
the G35 sustained more than $1,800 damage. In this test, the bumper cover split
and both rear fenders buckled.
The
Saab 9-3 was redesigned for 2003, but its bumpers didn't fare well in the Institute
tests. One problem showed up in the front-into-angle-barrier test — fixing the
damage required removing the air conditioner condenser and the radiator just to
replace the bumper bar. On average, the 9-3's bumpers allowed about $160 more
damage per test than its 1999 predecessor.
One
large luxury car
The Institute tested the new Mercedes E class, which was
the second worst performer in this round of tests. Average damage per test was
$1,300, and damage in the simplest front-into-flat-barrier test alone totaled
almost $700.
"The
front bumper on the E class is designed more for style than substance," Lund
said. "In fact, the front bumper reinforcement bar is actually positioned
rearward of the leading edges of the headlamps. This is a terrible design considering
that headlamps are safety equipment that should be undamaged in such low-speed
crashes."
There
was almost $3,000 damage to the E class in the rear-into-pole test because the
bumper failed to protect the car's expensive-to-fix fenders and trunk lid.
Two
minivans
The Nissan Quest is an all-new design for 2004, "but Nissan
engineers are going in the wrong direction in bumper design," Lund said.
"The previous generation Quest did a good job resisting damage in a minor
fender-bender. But buyers of the new model could get hit with big repair bills
because its bumpers don't bump."
Damage
to the new Quest was more than three times higher than the previous generation
model. Repairs to the 2004 model topped $1,000 in three of the four tests.
The
Sienna fared somewhat better, but its highest damage total was in one of the flat-barrier
tests, which should allow the least damage. In the rear-into-flat-barrier impact,
the damage was $1,000 more for the new Sienna than for the 1998 model.
RELATED
LINK: More
Information from IIHS
(Source: IIHS)
