The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published new safety ratings for seven models this September. Among them are two compact luxury sedans that won’t be around for much longer: The BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS. Both cars are sharply styled, well built, and good to drive, but they’ve been around for a while; the third-generation Lexus IS was revealed in 2013 and has been refreshed multiple times since then, while the seventh-generation BMW 3 Series was revealed in 2018.
With so much time having passed since these sedans were originally designed, do they still meet current crash safety and crash-prevention standards? And, if you’re considering one of these cars, which one is safer? Here’s a closer look at the results.
Crashworthiness: BMW Easily Ahead
Neither car is perfect when it comes to crash safety, but in tests that have been conducted, the 3 Series achieved better results than the IS. The IIHS’ tests include the small overlap front (a collision with the vehicle’s front corner), moderate overlap front (an offset crash between two cars), and the side-impact collision. Each car then receives a score of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.
| BMW 3 Series | Lexus IS | |
| Small Overlap Front | Good | Not Tested |
| Moderate Overlap Front | Acceptable | Marginal |
| Side | Good | Acceptable |
The BMW 3 Series has held up well by 2026 safety standards. The only blemish came in the moderate overlap front test, which was made tougher since the G20 3 Series originally went on sale. In this test, the rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics received a Marginal rating, dragging down the sedan’s overall rating in this category to merely Acceptable. Without a Good rating in this test, the 3 Series failed to qualify for an IIHS safety award.
Time hasn’t been as kind to the Lexus IS, but it’s also a much older car under the skin. It wasn’t evaluated for the small overlap front test, but its other scores fell short, too. The Marginal rating for the moderate overlap front test was the lowest score, with the IIHS finding an increased risk of head, neck, and chest injuries for rear passengers in this test. As with the BMW, the Lexus failed to qualify for a safety award.
Overall, the crash safety of the BMW is superior.
Crash Prevention: The Lexus Was Almost Perfect
Jared Rosenholtz/Autoblog
In this selection of tests, the IIHS evaluates how well a car can avoid a crash between it and another car or pedestrian. This test evaluates technologies like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. The headlights of each car are also scored.
| BMW 3 Series | Lexus IS | |
| Front crash prevention (vehicle-to-vehicle) | Marginal | Good |
| Front crash prevention (pedestrian) | Good | Good |
| Headlights | Acceptable | Good or Acceptable |
The BMW 3 Series struggled in the vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test, where it failed to avoid a collision with another car at 43 mph. It performed well in the pedestrian test, but its headlights were only rated as Acceptable.
BMW
The Lexus IS successfully avoided hitting another car at all speeds, even in the 43-mph tests. Its standard headlights were also better than the BMW’s and it had no issue in the pedestrian-avoidance tests.
Despite its age, Lexus has done well to keep the IS equipped with crash-avoidance tech that measures up well in 2026 tests, and it outperformed the BMW in these tests.
Final Verdict: Age Has Caught Up With Both
BMW
Lexus
Both these luxury sedans still have the ability to protect passengers in the unfortunate event of a crash, but by 2026 safety standards, they’re no longer the best. Much cheaper but newer small cars like the Nissan Sentra, Subaru Crosstrek, and Toyota Prius have all achieved better safety ratings than the BMW and Lexus. As things stand now, the BMW is better for crash safety and the Lexus is better for crash prevention.
These luxury sedans won’t be around for much longer in their current form. BMW has already revealed the electric i3, which is a preview of what we can expect from the next gas-powered 3 Series. The 2027 Lexus IS is down to just one V6 before it presumably bows out, making way for an all-new model if Lexus decides to replace it. The next 3 Series and next (if it ever arrives) IS are expected to have the safety measures in place to earn an IIHS safety award.
About the author
Karl Furlong
Senior Editor, Autoblog