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Saab, Volvo Convertibles Ace Safety Test

Pontiac, Ford, BMW, Audi Don't Do As Well

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 31, 2007

Both convertibles are considered to be a top safety pick by the IIHS because they provide “superior crash protection.” The two cars are among of a group of 10 midsize convertible models, the first convertibles the IIHS has ever tested.

The Saab and Volvo earned the top rating of "good" for protection in front, side, and rear crashes, and both models include standard electronic stability control (ESC), which the IIHS said can help drivers avoid crashes.

The lowest rated convertible model overall is the Pontiac G6. The G6 was found to be “acceptable for frontal crash protection but only marginal for protection in side and rear impacts,” according to the IIHS

The Audi A4 and BMW 3 series earned good ratings in frontal offset tests, both are rated marginal for side impact protection and poor for protection in rear crashes.

The IIHS top safety pick designation is intended to make it easier for consumers to find top-rated vehicles without sorting through reams of crash test results.

To earn the award, a vehicle must have good ratings in all 3 Institute crash tests. The vehicle also must have ESC.

For convertibles, the IIHS requires the vehicle to be equipped with a rollbar designed to preserve occupants' headroom if a convertible rolls over. Both the 9-3 and C70 are equipped with standard pop-up rollbars behind the rear head restraints that deploy if sensors detect a serious crash.

"The performances of the 9-3 and C70 are impressive," said Institute president Adrian Lund.

"The Saab and Volvo not only provide good protection in high-speed front and side crashes but also have good seat and head restraint designs for protecting against whiplash in rear crashes," he said.

"We wanted to test convertibles because sales are increasing," Lund says. "We also wanted to evaluate a group of vehicles that automakers wouldn't expect us to test to see if crashworthiness improvements in mainstream cars also are being built into convertibles. For the most part we found that this is happening."

The top two convertibles are relatively expensive but two of the least expensive models among the 10 the IIHS tested are the Chrysler Sebring and Mitsubishi Eclipse, both of which recently were redesigned and earned good ratings in front and side crash tests.

Pontiac, Ford, BMW, Audi

A loose driver’s seat drove the Pontiac G6 scores down. The G6's occupant compartment held up well during the frontal test driver seat came loose on one of its tracks and moved forward 4 inches on the left side. The dummy's head slid around the left side of the airbag and hit the instrument panel.

"We've rarely seen a dummy's head hit the instrument panel in our frontal test," Lund said. Overall the G6 is rated acceptable for frontal protection.

"Seats shouldn't come loose in crashes, so we can't rate the G6 good," Lund said.

The Institute conducted 2 frontal tests of the Mustang. In the first test, the driver door partially opened late in the crash.

Ford engineers found that the window glass in the down position pushed on the door latch during the crash. Structure was added in the door to prevent the glass from contacting the latch mechanism, and then the engineers asked the Institute to test the Mustang again.

In the second test with the change, the Mustang door remained closed.

The Mustang is rated acceptable instead of good overall because the structure isn't good and the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag. The resulting head acceleration was high and the head was struck by the windshield pillar.

The IIHS side test represents what happens when the striking vehicle is a pickup or SUV. The BMW 3 series and Audi A4 equipped with standard side airbags and the G6 with side airbags as optional equipment earned the second lowest rating for side impact protection.

"The 3 series and Pontiac G6 are especially disappointing because they're new models," Lund said. "Other auto manufacturers have figured out how to provide good side impact protection for occupants of convertibles."

The G6 is equipped with optional side airbags designed to protect the torsos but not the heads of front-seat occupants. In the side test, the driver dummy's head struck the windowsill. "This caused a high head acceleration," according to the IIHS.

"In a real-world crash of similar severity, a serious skull fracture and brain injuries would be possible. A taller person's head also might be struck by the hood of an oncoming SUV or pickup," the IIHS concluded

The BMW 3 series is equipped with standard side airbags designed to protect front-seat occupants' heads as well as their torsos. "However, injury measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate the possibility of rib fractures and internal organ injuries in real-world crashes of similar severity," the IIHS report stated.

"None of the 10 convertibles provides side airbag protection for people riding in back seats. We didn't record high injury forces on any of the dummies in the back seats, but in a crash at a different speed or configuration the heads of back-seat passengers would be at risk without side airbags," Lund noted.

Significant differences also were apparent among the convertibles in the protection they afford in rear crashes.

Only the Volvo and Saab are equipped with seat/head restraint designs that provide good protection against whiplash injury. The other 8 models were rated marginal or poor for rear crash protection.

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