New crash test data shows bigger family cars aren't always safer
Despite buyers buying into the trope, large SUVs did poorly in new IIHS safety tests
When it comes to family cars, full-size SUVs like the Ford's (F) Expedition, General Motors' (GM) Chevrolet Tahoe, and Stellantis' (STLA) Jeep Wagoneer are popular choices due to their physical outward size and the perceived sense of safety that comes with these gargantuan, boxy beasts.
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Though safety experts have previously warned about the deadly risk these vehicles can pose to pedestrians, new data shows that the people inside may not be as better off in a crash as their owners think.
One popular oversized family hauler scored worse than 90% of all new vehicles in a recent crash test.
In new safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), experts found that passenger safety in some popular vehicles in the 'large SUV' segment needs to be improved.
The IIHS subjected the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Jeep Wagoneer to two different tests meant to evaluate the safety of people inside and outside the car.
Overall, the Wagoneer scored the highest of the bunch when it comes to its crash protection and prevention, but the IIHS emphasized that all three vehicles lacked protection for the people that mattered to family buyers: those in the back seat.
“The huge mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in crashes with smaller vehicles, though that also means they present more danger to other road users,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to manage when they crash into a fixed obstacle like a tree or bridge abutment or the barrier we use in our front crash tests.” 2023 Jeep Wagoneer during the driver-side small overlap front crash test IIHS
The Wagoneer performed the best in the IIHS's small overlap front evaluation, which simulates a common type of front impact collision.
According to safety experts, the Jeep's "Good" rating was achieved on its ability to maintain the driver's and front passenger's "survival space," allowing for those occupants to easily emerge from the car after a crash.
The IIHS gave the Chevrolet Tahoe only an "Acceptable" rating, however, after it found an increased risk of lower leg injuries due to intrusion ("caving in") in the footwells after both the driver and passenger side tests.
Despite this, The Chevy was still able to maintain adequate "survival space," giving enough room for occupants to emerge from the car following a crash.
The worst rating was given to the Ford Expedition, which earned a "Marginal" rating; the second lowest before the lowest "Poor" rating.
In this test, the IIHS observed that the Ford's A-pillar separated from the rocker panel on both the driver and passenger sides, leading to excessive footwell intrusion on the driver’s side. The passenger side, however, experienced less footwell intrusion. Inside the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer during the updated moderate overlap front test IIHS
All three SUVs also received a "Good" rating on the updated side impact test. However, they struggled with an updated version of the moderate overlap front crash test, which measures the safety of the rear-seat occupants.
On the updated test, the Wagoneer and Expedition earned marginal ratings for a high risk of chest injury to second-row passengers due to excessive seat belt force.
The Chevy Tahoe came out with the worst mark a car could score, a "Poor" rating. The reason: the high risk of head or neck injuries, chest injuries as well as a potential risk for abdominal injuries caused by a sliding lap belt.
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In addition to the tests for passenger safety, the IIHS also evaluated the cars' pedestrian crash avoidance systems.
Here, the Wagoneer and Expedition performed well, while the Tahoe struggled with nighttime pedestrian scenarios due to the low level of light emitted from its headlights.
In the tests, the Tahoe’s low beams failed to properly illuminate the right side of the IIHS's arrow-straight test roadway, effectively failing to illuminate the pedestrian dummy that entered from the right.
“Effective pedestrian collision avoidance systems are important for all vehicle classes, but for large SUVs like these, they are especially important because our research shows that when they strike pedestrians, they are more likely to cause fatal injuries,” says said IIHS Vehicle Research Center vice president Raul Arbelaez.
In the end, the Wagoneer was awarded with the IIHS's Top Safety Pick, but it fell short of its highest honor — the coveted Top Safety Pick — because of its lack of rear seat passenger protection. Though the rest of the cars evaluated fared much worse, the IIHS is confident that improvements can be made.
“These discouraging results show that some popular vehicles still lag behind in meeting the most advanced safety standards,” said Arbelaez. “The good news is that the top performer in this class proves that automakers can readily address these problems.”
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