Filed under: Etc., Safety, Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Volvo
IIHS reports luxury cars have expensive fender benders
This is kind of a long-known fact, but there's some new data to back it up. Just because you pony up those extra tens of thousands of dollars for a luxury car doesn't mean you will get bumpers that protect you from damage any better. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just released a new report on the amount of monetary damages suffered by some luxury and near-luxury vehicles in low-speed impacts - parking lot mishaps and fender benders at 3 to 6 miles per hour. They found that in this group of cars, repair bills could be as high as $14,000! While that doesn't mean the passengers are inherently unsafe in these vehicles, the high repair costs can get people, well, a little upset.
While we don't necessarily agree with IIHS VP Joe Nolan when he says "There shouldn't be much or any damage in collisions at these speeds," we were a little shocked by the numbers. While testing 11 different 2007 luxury vehicles, for instance, the IIHS found the Infiniti G35 had the highest repair bill. It totaled a whopping $14,000, which is quite a bit when the whole car retails for just $31,450. But in all fairness, this is a series of four different tests and labor and paint work often add a lot to repairs. Working down the list, the Acura TL and Mercedes C Class required more than $11,000 in repairs, the Lexus ES was just under $11,000, and the Lexus IS was about $9,500. Repair totals for some others were $8,224 for the Volvo S60, $7,554 for the Acura TSX and $6,681 for the BMW 3 Series. The best three vehicles in the tests were the Saab 9-3, Audi A4 and Lincoln MKZ, all with less than $6,000 in damages.
We join the automakers in noting that these tests are strictly about repair costs and have nothing to do with vehicle safety, but maybe it's time to get back to the rubber stripped, chrome bumpers of yore to keep those parking lot mishaps more manageable. Or, you know, not.
Thanks, FRM!
[Source: MSNBC]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jon 2:18PM (8/02/2007)
OK, so what was the point of this post? To tell us that a more expensive car will have a more expensive repair bill? Wow.
On a different note, looking at that picture makes me wonder how much damage a 60s or 70s car would have had at 3mph. Cars are just plain flimsy these days.
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Ben H. 2:25PM (8/02/2007)
Yeah, you could say that. Though cars are now made to break apart upon impact, even the slightest touch. If you know anything about Newton's laws of physics, there is energy transference and this translates to a safer car for the driver and passengers - in that they don't feel the collision as bad at the expense of the car.
zach 2:41PM (8/02/2007)
Jon - You're not serious are you? Have you ever even heard of crumple zones or bothered to learn about the physics principles behind their use? I think you should consider educating yourself about energy dissipation.
Perhaps you'd prefer to be in an accident in a car from the 60's or 70's, but i seriously doubt anyone else would agree with you. Sorry this is so long; I'm just astounded you would try to make such an uninformed statement.
geo.stewart 3:31PM (8/02/2007)
In fact, the bumpers of the 70's were mandated to cut the costs of repairs on low-speed collisions. the cushion is still there but are now covered with the car body, in the interests of aesthetics and higher repair bills....
I'll take the 60's car that protects the whole car and I can drive to the mechanic or body shop to fix, as opposed to the new one that leaves nothing for the compactor to do when it is totalled after a combined 5mph hit.
I guarantee you will be better off in that 60's car than that brand new Camry after the semi hits you.
zach 4:12PM (8/02/2007)
Wow. I'm stunned.
I can't believe there are this many people on an auto "enthusiast" site who are so ignorant about safety - especially the distinction between cosmetic damage and occupant protection. Maybe you're just nostalgic for the '60's; I hope you don't actually believe what you're saying.
jg 2:26PM (8/02/2007)
I was rear ended this morning. I drive a 01 3 series and was hit square in the back by a Camaro. The impact was at 5 MHP tops. No damage to either of us. I guess when he panic stopped the nose went so low it went under my bumper, gave me a little push forward but didn't break or crumple anything. If it had been a land barge that hit me it probably would have broke my bumper, dented the rear end and exploded my back window.
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ckm 2:27PM (8/02/2007)
A friend of mine is looking for a car with those rubber bumpers and sides as he is sick of dings in his car.
On another note, I have two cars, an XJR and a Focus, both of which have had bumper damage in the last six months. The Jag was $2k to fix and the Focus is going to be around $1500, but those prices are highly dependent on the shop you chose. Quality tends to be expensive, but people (or their insurance companies) often wind up paying more than they should.
Chris.
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Alex 2:33PM (8/02/2007)
An explorer backed into my 04 Camry and it was $3,000 for a new bumper cover and paint. Dealing with the other guys insurance company was a huge PITA
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duresky 3:20PM (8/02/2007)
Duh! I have an 05 G35 Coupe that was crunched similar to the picture above. After the repair was finished, the total bill came to about 13,500. I must say that the car protected me completely and I have never felt any pain associated with the accident. Too bad the Tahoe didn't stop in time :(
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iQuack 3:28PM (8/02/2007)
Bumpers are too flimsy and many don't stick out far enough from the body sheet metal to offer much protection. And painted bumpers are ridiculous, too.
Now, add the tendency among car makers to drop any side protection for the sake of smooth styling.
Cars operate in a hostile environment (roads!) and should be designed with better protection in mind IMO.
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Andrew 3:29PM (8/02/2007)
All the more reason to drive around in a giant SUV that crushes anything in its path and takes very little damage ;-)
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Schlomo 3:33PM (8/02/2007)
I slid my 99 Avalon into a metal barrier and the crumple zones on the doors worked very well. Both driver's-side doors were trashed, but I had 3 other passengers and none of us even had a scratch/bruise or soreness. The repair bill came out to about 2/3rds of what I paid for the car in the first place, but quality repair work isn't cheap for ANY car these days. You may get a smaller dent and/or tear in a body panel and some large scratches during a collision in a 70s car versus a new car, but in the end they'll still have to be replaced the same and it's harder to find nice parts for old cars than to buy new OEM parts, so if you use the time=money theory, it's really no different to own a 67 Stingray and wreck it than it is to own a G37 and wreck it.
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aman 3:40PM (8/02/2007)
So that's why people buy SUVs. I thought it was why people buy any other car. to look cool.
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omar 3:49PM (8/02/2007)
high five to Volvo even when Ford is turning them back and forth
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Fred D. 4:11PM (8/02/2007)
Manufacturers *could* make bumpers that can absorb small impacts without damage, but they choose not to. Why? Because of the lucrative profits from sale of repair parts.
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simianspeedster 6:12PM (8/02/2007)
Do you have any basis for spewing this "insight," or are you just one of those people who believes everything is a conspiracy? Do you think THE MAN is out to get you on this one?
Lest you forget, companies produce what people are willing to buy. By and large, people chooose stylish endcaps over self-protecting bumpers. If car buyers demanded better low speed damage prevention (as they demand CD/MP3 players, nav systems and fancy wheels), it would happen.
-SimianSpeedster
Barney 9:35PM (8/02/2007)
It's only recently that automakers lobbied to have the five mph bumpers dropped as requirement. They sited expense and weight were reason enough. Obviously they won their argument.
John B 4:45PM (8/02/2007)
My wife was recently rear ended in her Mazda3 by someone driving Chevy Cavalier. The impact was hard enough to give her whiplash - the front of the Cavalier was pushed in, its radiator leaking and both airbags deployed. The Mazda3's rear bumper was cracked and pushed in a bit. Only the bumper was replaced for just over $1,000. Overall, I was pretty impressed by the Mazda's performance.
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Brandon 5:08PM (8/02/2007)
A woman in one of those big monster Lexus SUVs (GS###?) hit my sister's Camaro last year, and the Camaro was hardly damaged (it only scratched the paint, which buffed out) while the entire rear bumper ripped off the Lexus.
I guess when you buy a luxury car, you get a luxury repair bill!
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dan 7:24PM (8/02/2007)
Unfortunately, even if you don't buy a luxury car you (or your insurance) still get a luxury repair bill when you nudge one.
Low speed collision liability should be cut off at a reasonable level, like $2500 under 5mph. Fender benders happen, and if you choose to drive a gold plated eggshell that costs $14,000 to replace a bumper on then you should pay the consequences even if someone else did the nudging.