The Continental, E-Class, and Avalon are Show Stoppers. Model S, Impala, and Taurus are Also Rans

xcel · Jul 15, 2017

Latest large car crash tests separate the men from the boys.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – July 6, 2017

Just over a month ago, Tesla after earning a 5-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) went on a PR blitz with the following highlighting the announcement.

“In fact, of all the cars NHTSA has ever tested, Model X’s overall probability of injury was second only to Model S.”
Click to expand...

Excellent scores across the board for the Tesla X and the Model S on the NHTSA crash test regimen are something to promote but when it comes to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Models S has a problem.

In the Institutes latest round of crash test comparisons of six large cars, the Lincoln Continental, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Toyota Avalon come out at the top by earning TOP SAFETY PICK+ ratings.

The Tesla Model S, Chevrolet Impala, and the Ford Taurus fell short of either the Top Safety Pick+ or even a Top Safety Pick award because they each achieved an acceptable rating in the key small overlap frontal crash test.

To earn the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ moniker, the car, CUV/SUV, or truck must achieve Good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints crash tests, offer front crash prevention system that earns a superior or advanced rating, and new for the TSP+ rating, achieve good or acceptable ratings from their headlights.

2017 Lincoln Continental

The 2017 Lincoln Continental when equipped with the optional front crash prevention system earned a superior rating. The car avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph. The system also has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) criteria.

The Continental's LED projector headlights, an option on the top trim line, earned a good rating, providing ample lighting on a straightaway and most kinds of curves. The system can be packed with Auto High Beams. The optional HIDs earned a poor rating however.

2017 Mercedes E-Class

The all-new 2017 Mercedes E-Class includes two different front crash prevention systems, one standard and the other optional. Both earn superior ratings, avoiding collisions in the track tests at both speeds and earning credit for forward collision warning that meets NHTSA criteria.

The E-Class is available also with two different headlight systems. One earns a good rating, while the other is acceptable. The good-rated headlights, which come on the E-300 trim when equipped with the Premium II or Premium III package, earn the highest score of any headlights the IIHS has rated. The low beams provide enough light on the straightaway and all curves, though they create a bit of glare for oncoming drivers. The high beams provide fair visibility on the left side of the straightaway but good visibility everywhere else. The good-rated headlights also come with high-beam assist.

2017 Toyota Avalon

The Toyota Avalon also earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award thanks to a reworked headlight design from the previous year’s marginal and poor rated units. The IIHS said Toyota improved the aim of the headlights built after March. As a result, the Limited and Hybrid Limited trim lines now come with acceptable-rated headlights. Other trims have marginal headlights, but none are poor anymore.

2017 Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S initially had previously earned just an acceptable rating in the small overlap test. The main problem with the performance of the Model S was that the safety belt let the dummy's torso move too far forward, allowing the dummy's head to strike the steering wheel hard through the airbag.

Tesla made changes to the safety belt in vehicles built after January with the intent of reducing the dummy's forward movement. However, when IIHS tested the modified Model S, the same problem occurred, and the rating didn't change.

Although the two tested vehicles had identical structure, the second test resulted in greater intrusion into the driver's space because the left front wheel movement wasn't consistent. Maximum intrusion increased from less than 2 inches to 11 inches in the lower part and to 5 inches at the instrument panel in the second test. The first test resulted in a good rating for structural integrity, while the second test resulted in an acceptable structural rating. The two tests' structural ratings were combined, resulting in acceptable structure and an acceptable rating overall for the Model S.

The greater deformation in the second test also resulted in damage to the left front corner of the battery case. The deformation was limited to an area that didn't contain battery cells in the tested vehicle, so this damage didn't affect the rating. Higher-performance variants of the Model S could have battery cells in this area, but, according to Tesla, they also have different structure. They haven't been tested separately and aren't covered by this rating.

The Model S is only available with headlights that earn a poor rating and hasn't been rated yet for front crash prevention. While automatic braking comes standard, the software for the feature was only recently activated.

2017 Chevrolet Impala

Before this round of testing, the Chevrolet Impala hadn't been put through all the Institute's evaluations since it was redesigned in 2014, and it has never been rated for small overlap protection. The 2017 model earns an acceptable rating for small overlap protection and good ratings in the other crashworthiness tests.

In the small overlap crash, the Impala's structure held up well, with maximum intrusion of 4 inches at the lower door-hinge pillar. The dummy's head hit the front airbag, but then slid off the left side, leaving the head partially unprotected. Measures taken from the dummy indicated a low risk of any significant injuries.

The Impala's optional front crash prevention system earns a superior rating. It avoided a crash in the 12-mph test, while its impact speed was reduced by an average of 10 mph in the 25-mph test. The system meets the NHTSA criteria for forward collision warning.

All the available headlights on the Impala earned a poor rating.

2017 Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is another vehicle that hadn't been tested previously for small overlap protection. Maximum intrusion reached 5 inches at the lower door-hinge pillar. In contrast to the Impala's test, the dummy's movement in the Taurus was well-controlled. However, measures from the dummy indicate that injuries to the left lower leg would be possible in a crash of this severity. The Taurus earns good ratings in the other crashworthiness tests.

For front crash prevention, the Taurus has a basic rating. It has forward collision warning that meets NHTSA criteria but lacks automatic braking.

All the available headlights for the Taurus are rated poor.

Interesting tests and even more interesting results from the latest go-around by the IIHS and their ever-tougher crash test ratings making the vehicles we drive today and tomorrow safer than ever before,