Oh Snap.. BMW sedan performs worst in crash test

[Maluco]

Even a Kia beat it...?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_bi_ge/crash_tests_sedans;_ylt=AsuSmdI8AQ.YxawSLXxP5dis0NUE

[Jean]

Volvo still makes bricks!

[Jscotty]

Regardless of what they say, if I had to choose which car I'd rather be in during an accident, it would be the BMW over the KIA any day.

[JGood]

Regardless of what they say, if I had to choose which car I'd rather be in during an accident, it would be the BMW over the KIA any day.

I agree. But only for the fact that I could die with dignity in a BMW, rather then die with shame in a fucking Kia.


I also find it hard to believe that BMW would knowingly release a vehicle that was considered sub par in this common type of crash testing. And I find it impossible for them to unknowingly release a vehicle that would rate that way. BMW is a big company with a great history, especially with the 5 series safety (e34), why would they let an "unsafe" car roll off the assembly line?

That test was at 31mph. What if the speed was 51 mph? Would the Kia fully collapse causing a casualty, and the BMW still only create an slight injury like in the 31mph impact? I can't stand news reports of this shit. This is why I don't watch/read news.

[Maluco]

"The 2008 BMW 5 Series was the worst performer in new side-impact crash tests of luxury sedans by the insurance industry."

I'm sure they are just trying to find a way to rack up the premium on BMW owners, knowing that these owners tend to have the money and therefore would pay it. I bet an independent test would yield different results.

[kellie]

I agree. But only for the fact that I could die with dignity in a BMW, rather then die with shame in a fucking Kia.

Because the car you drive defines the kind of person you are and determines how you should feel about yourself. Right. I had a Kia rental for a week when my car was being repaired from an accident, and I actually enjoyed it. The following week, I had a Chevy Malibu, and I missed the Kia like hell.

I can't stand news reports of this shit. This is why I don't watch/read news.

It's hard to live in your little fantasy world where everything goes exactly how you want it to when the news is trying to tell you otherwise, eh?

[FredK]

kellie, I can't hear you. I have a tinfoil hat on right now to reflect the mind control rays being emitted by my TV.

[Jon325i]

Here's something from the article that stood out for me...

BMW spokesman Thomas Plucinsky said the institute's test indicated the 5 Series has a strong body structure but the dummy was injured when it was hit by the arm rest. Plucinsky said BMW does up to 12 crash tests on all its cars as well as computer simulations of crashes.

"The issue is that depending on the location of seat, the location of dummy, the location of the sled, the results could change," he said. "This was one test on one day on one car."

In other words, its not a one-size-fits-all test. A short driver would be in a different position than a tall driver - and I'm sure the sustained injuries from identical crash tests would yield different results. Like much of the news I read these days, I kept my salt shaker handy when reading this. The only reason why this story made headlines is because a known brand which touts safety and performance scored poorly in one test under one particular set of circumstances.

Jon

[kellie]

kellie, I can't hear you. I have a tinfoil hat on right now to reflect the mind control rays being emitted by my TV.

"Shiny" is a nice color on you. It compliments your eyes.

[FredK]

:rofl:

You wouldn't be able to see my eyes most of the time. I am wearing blu blockers because electric light is also another form of government mind control, coming at you at 60 cycles a second!

[Jscotty]

I figure that these tests are only tests. The only true data can come from real world crashes.

[ivo316]

A lighter car will move sideways easier than a heavier car, therefore the heavier car will sustain a tougher impact than the lighter car due to inertia.

Now, as I understand this BMW was hit from the side at 30 MPH !STOPPED!, I would like to see a real world crash, in which BOTH vehicles are moving, unde those circumnstances, the Kia would wrap around itself (sorry, bad wording, it's not would, it's DOES, believe me I've seen them) Also, I don't think any owner would park his car in an intersection and wait to be hit, also, the car that hits the other should be braking (at least it should) thus lowering the impact point.

I really don't think that test in particular is accurate, specially because the "hit vehicle" does not change shape on impact, and even volvos dent when they crash.

[dj2xrated]

well.. the way i see it is, planning to crash the car is on the to do list of a bmw owner (its the cool thing to do) :/ . or anyone who buyys a car for 30 plus thousand. if they were that fucking worried they should just go bubble wrap there hondas and drive around.

[Sean]

Thats true, in a real life situation, the vehicle T-boning another vehicle would crush too, meaning both vehicles would share in the absorption of the impact. I never thought of that.

I heard this on the radio this morning, and was awe-struck! I was like, BMW WORST?! huh?!

What about the head-on collision? How did the 5 do then?

[Jscotty]

News organizations are in the business to sell their story. And for all we know the Insurance Institute may very well be neutral in all of this and the people breaking the story discovered that a BMW was the lowest scoring car and ran with it.

Its hard to sell a story if you say that the crash test dummy was injured in a Daewoo and it rated worst of all cars. But if you can say that about one of the finest automobiles in the world, then you have yourself a story.