DETROIT - The 2009 Nissan Murano was the best performer in new crash tests of midsize sport utility vehicles, while the Hummer H3 had one of the poorest showings, according to results released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The institute, which is funded by the insurance industry, said the redesigned Murano was the only vehicle among the nine tested to get the highest rating in front, side, and rear crash tests. It praised Nissan Motor Co. for making electronic stability control standard on the Murano. The system, which helps prevent swerving, was an option on previous models.
"You . . . want a vehicle that affords the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes," Joe Nolan, the institute's senior vice president, said.
General Motors Corp.'s H3 was the only vehicle in the group that didn't get the top rating for frontal crash protection. Instead, it got the second-highest rating of "acceptable" because the test indicated high likelihood of injury to the driver's right leg. The H3 also got an "acceptable" rating in the side crash test and the worst rating of "poor" in the rear crash test.
"The Hummer H3 meets or exceeds all federal crash safety standards. The Insurance Institute tests represent one measurement of crash performance," a GM spokesman said. He also said GM designs head rests to meet a variety of driver sizes, rather than the average-sized man used in the institute's tests.
The institute said it downgraded side crash results for the H3, Kia Motors Corp.'s Kia Sorento, and Chrysler LLC's Jeep Liberty/Dodge Nitro because they lacked air bags that protected the torso. All three had curtain air bags that protected the head, but the tests indicated a likelihood of injuries to the driver's ribs.
The Jeep Wrangler also got a low rating for side protection because its side air bags are optional and the institute tests vehicles without optional equipment. The Wrangler was the only vehicle without standard side air bags.
In addition to the H3, the worst performers in the rear crash test were the Mitsubishi Endeavor and the Jeep Liberty/Dodge Nitro. The Jeep Wrangler, Suzuki XL7, Mazda CX-7, and Mazda CX-9 all got the second-lowest rating of "marginal" on the rear test.
The rear crash test measures the risk of injury from whiplash. The institute's frontal crash test simulates a 40-mile-per-hour crash and its effect on the driver, while the rear test simulates a 20-mile-per-hour crash.
