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Mixed Crash Test Results for Midsize Crossovers

Only three of seven midsize crossover vehicles scored well in the latest round of front offset crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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Only three of seven midsize crossover vehicles scored well in the latest round of front offset crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

IIHS's best rating, "good," went to the Nissan Murano and Jeep Wrangler. The Ford Flex earned a second-best "acceptable" rating.

Three entries the Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe and Jeep Cherokee rated only "marginal." The Dodge Journey anchored the bottom of the batch with a "poor" score after its side airbag failed to inflate and the foot-operated parking brake damaged the crash dummy's left leg.

The IIHS test involves clipping the edge of a barrier at 40 mph such that only 25% of the front crash structure absorbs the entire energy of impact. The test is considerably more severe than the flat head-on test required by U.S. safety regulations.

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