Many luxury cars flunk new type of crash test

When a car’s front corner hits something, what happens? The driver often gets seriously injured, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new crash test finds.

By Jerry Hirsch Chicago Tribune reporter

Results of a new crash test that focused on luxury cars are raising worries that most vehicles may not be able to provide protection from serious injuries in a common accident.

Such fancy nameplates as BMW, Mercedes and Lexus all earned “poor” ratings in a test that simulated what happens when the front corner of a sedan hits another vehicle or an object such as a tree or pole, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Many luxury cars flunk new type of crash test