U.S.

SUVs Not As Tough As They Look

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

July 31, 2001 / 3:56 PM EDT / CBS

Six of seven midsize sport utility vehicles suffered significant damage to their bumpers in low-speed crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Tuesday.

The 5 mph tests conducted by the institute are designed to imitate the kind of impact that often occurs in commuter traffic and parking lots.

Six of the 2001 and 2002 SUVs tested in four crashes earned marginal or poor marks. The Acura MDX got the highest mark of any midsize SUV the institute has tested.

The institute ranks vehicles by damage incurred. The Acura had a $448 average for the tests, while damage to the other SUVs ranged from $747 to $1,451.

"The Acura MDX has the best bumper systems," said IIHS Chief Operating Officer Adrian Lund. "In fact, it has the best bumpers of any midsize SUV the institute has ever tested."

The federal government requires cars to pass a 2.5 mph bumper test without damage, but there is no such requirement for SUVs.

"The manufacturers have decided this isn't important," said Brian O'Neill, president of the institute. "I think sometimes styling considerations override the need for good bumpers."

O'Neill also said automakers often are the sole supplier of replacement parts, so expensive repairs can be a benefit for them.

The 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 was the worst performer in the institute's tests, sustaining more than $2,000 damage in one test and a total of $5,802 in the four. When the rear of the vehicle was run into a pole at 5 mph, there was major damage to the tailgate and the rear window shattered.

"A terrible showing, the worst of a generally bad lot," says Lund.

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous also had more than $5,000 in damages. The 2001 Pontiac Aztek sustained $3,424 in damages, and the 2002 Isuzu Axiom suffered about $4,500 in damages.

The 2001 Toyota Highlander performed well in rear tests, but the front bumper got a poor rating. The 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer sustained an average of $810 damage in each of the two frontal crash tests. The rear tests did not assess bumper performance because the trailer hitch, sold as standard equipment, absorbed all the crash energy.

"But this result is more an artifact of the institute's tests than an indication of good bumper design," said Lund. "It's clear that the TrailBlazer's rear bumper design isn't a good one."

Toyota and Isuzu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the results. General Motors Corp. said the TrailBlazer, Aztek and Rendezvous met the government's 2.5 mph standard.

"While we disagree that the results of the bumper tests conducted by the IIHS represent a safety issue, we do believe that they provide an assessment of damage protection to the vehicle in common, low-speed collisions," GM spokesman Bill Kemp said in a statement.

Suzuki President Rick Suzuki said in a written statement obtained by CBS Affiliate WUSA-TV that the company does its own testing performance, durability and repairability testig before putting a vehicle on the road.

"Suzuki is always willing to take into consideration any new information that could lead to meaningful, real world improvements that provide our customers with greater value," he said. "We will study the IIHS test results with these objectives in mind.