Small-overlap front crash tests and inadequate headlights tripped up half of the six large sedans recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Lincoln Continental, the Mercedes-Benz E-class, and the Toyota Avalon were given the group’s highest rating of Top Safety Pick+, while the Chevrolet Impala, the Ford Taurus, and the Tesla Model S failed to achieve either that top rating or the next-tier Top Safety Pick status.
The latter three cars earned Acceptable ratings in the small-overlap front crash test, and their headlights were all rated Poor. The small-overlap test is meant to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle hits a rigid object such as a tree or a utility pole at 40 miles per hour. The cars scored Good ratings in all other crash tests.
Some of the issues with each:
Chevrolet Impala
Although it was last tested when it was redesigned in 2014, the Chevrolet Impala had not yet been put through the IIHS small-overlap test, which began in 2012. The Impala was given only an Acceptable rating in the test because the crash-test dummy’s head slid off to the left side, leaving it partly unprotected. However, IIHS said measurements taken from the dummy showed a low risk of any significant injuries. The Impala’s optional front crash-prevention system was deemed Superior, helping the car to avoid a 12-mph crash and reducing its speed by an average of 10 mph in a 25-mph crash test.
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus, too, had its first run-in with the small-overlap crash test. IIHS said the Taurus-driving dummy’s movement was “well controlled” in the crash, but measurements showed possible injuries to its lower left leg. The Taurus received a Basic rating for front crash prevention because, while its forward-collision-warning system meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) criteria, it lacks automated emergency braking.
Tesla Model S
Tesla said it had fixed an issue with a seatbelt in cars built after January 2017 that had previously prevented the Model S from getting a Good rating in the small-overlap test. But after testing, IIHS said the problem remained; a crash-test dummy’s torso moved too far forward, allowing its head to hit the steering wheel “hard through the airbag.” The Model S was not rated for front crash prevention because its automated emergency braking system, which comes standard, only recently had its software activated, IIHS said. “The software updates for the [automated emergency braking] system were implemented in stages after we conducted the second small-overlap test of the Model S,” an IIHS spokesman said, adding that the group plans to test the updated AEB system later.
Headlights, part of a relatively new test for IIHS, are far from flawless even on the Top Safety Pick+ awardees. Here’s how those three cars fared:
Lincoln Continental
The LED projector headlights tested by IIHS on the all-new Continental’s Reserve trim were given a Good rating, because they gave ample light on straightaways and around “most kinds of curves,” IIHS said. The car also comes with high-intensity-discharge lights that got a Poor rating. The Continental’s front crash-prevention system was rated Superior.
Mercedes-Benz E-class
There are two headlight systems available on the E-class. The headlights on the E300 with the Premium 2 or Premium 3 packages were not only Good but got the highest score of any headlights IIHS has rated, the group said. Its other headlight system was just Acceptable. The E-class’s two available crash-prevention systems were both given Superior ratings.
Toyota Avalon
The Avalon had previously fallen just short of the Top Safety Pick+ rating due to its headlights, which were rated Marginal and Poor. After improving the headlights’ aim on Avalons built after March, the Limited and Hybrid Limited cars now have Acceptable headlights. Other trims’ headlights are rated Marginal.
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