NOT SO TOUGH AFTER ALL? Eight of 9 new mid-size SUVs sustain big damage in 5 MPH bumper tests Vehicle tested / Average damage per test / Bumper rating 2003 Honda Pilot $404 ACCEPTABLE 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor $789 MARGINAL 2003 Nissan Murano $890 MARGINAL 2004 Lexus RX 330 $988 MARGINAL 2003 Toyota 4Runner $1,246 POOR 2004 Chrysler Pacifica $1,315 POOR 2003 Infiniti FX35 $1,436 POOR 2004 Cadillac SRX $1,644 POOR 2003 Kia Sorento $1,646 POOR * All repair costs reflect September 2003 parts and labor prices. Source: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The U.S. insurance institute's chief operating officer, Adrian Lund, said the makers of the SUVs tried to create a rough-and-tough image, but the vehicles' bumpers proved to be flimsy in four tests of how well the bumpers absorbed low-speed impacts. "Vehicles shouldn't sustain major damage in a minor collision at a fast walking speed," Lund said.
Rear bumpers fail to protect tailgates: Three of the poor performers had the largest damage costs in the rear-into-pole test. The rear bumpers on the Chrysler Pacifica, Cadillac SRX, and Kia Sorento weren't robust enough to keep damage away from the vehicles' body parts and sheet metal. Damage totals for these vehicles were five to six times more than the Pilot in the same test.
"Repair costs in the pole test were about $2,200 for the Sorento and more than $2,800 each for the Pacifica and the SRX because the bumpers didn't protect the expensive-to-repair tailgates," Lund says. "In each case, the tailgate was crushed and had to be replaced. Those are big repair bills for a minor bump."