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Keith McCord ReportingTonight the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its findings for nine midsize SUV's, tested for high speed crashes. So how did they do?
They are advertised as rough and rugged, and can go just about anywhere! In the latest round of high speed crash tests, some of the SUV’s hold up very well when they hit a stationary barrier at 40 miles per hour.
Brian O'Neill, Pres. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: "We tested nine new or redesigned midsize SUV’s and eight of those were rated good and one acceptable. As a group they performed very well."
Of the eight rated good, seven were so good they rated as best picks. According to the institute, the Toyota 4Runner was the overall best performer of the group, earning good ratings in all areas: structure, injury data and restraint systems.
The Honda Pilot and Infiniti FX initially had a serious problem.
Brian O'Neill, Pres. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: "In both cases the airbag deployed late. Because of those late deployments we recorded relatively high forces on the dummy's head.”
Both manufacturers made changes to the airbag system; and when they were retested, the systems worked and both were rated good and best picks.
Brian O'Neill, Pres. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: "A good rating in these high speed tests meant a belted driver would walk away from a similar real world crash without serious injury."
Six other models received "acceptable" ratings; six rated "marginal", and one rated "poor".
