Luxury Cars Fare Poorly in New IIHS Crash Test

Only three of 11 midsize luxury and near-luxury sedans scored well on a new offset frontal barrier crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In the severe test, which is not required by federal safety standards, a vehicle crashes into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. Only 25% of the front end on the driver's side is involved in the impact.

The test is intended to replicate the forces involved when the front corner of a vehicle hits a pole, tree or another vehicle. According to the institute, such offset impacts account for a major source of some 10,000 fatalities per year that result from frontal crashes.

IIHS says the Acura TL and Volvo S60 earned "good" ratings in the test, and the Infiniti G earned an "acceptable" score. Vehicles rated "marginal" were the Acura TSX, BMW 3 Series, Lincoln MKZ and Volkswagen CC. Cars earning "poor" ratings included the Audi A4, Lexus ES 350 and IS 250/350 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The influential institute says it hopes its new test will coax carmakers into widening the front crush zone and strengthening passenger safety cage structures in its vehicles. Analysts note such modifications will probably add vehicle weight and thus reduce fuel economy.