Shawn S

They did 5-MPH tests of the bumper in simulated front and rear 5-MPH “bumps”.

They tested:
HYUNDAI ELANTRA small car
FORD FOCUS small car
HONDA CIVIC small car
DODGE STRATUS/CHRYSLER CIRRUS midsize inexpensive car
LEXUS LS large luxury car
DODGE GRAND CARAVAN passenger van

The best performer was the HYUNDAI ELANTRA, which had $839 dollars in damage, and the worst was the MERCEDES C 320 which had $4,448 dollars in damage.

The Honda Civic was kind of in the middle at $1,481.

No, the CL wasn’t tested.

The full report is on the The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety………HERE

Shawn S


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>>> 400+ posts on h/a.net <<< >>> 550+ posts “freak” on the “old” acura-cl.com <<<

2001 CL Type S - NAV - San Marino RED / Parchment - Spoiler - 35% Tint - Roof Visor - PIAA Lamps
GOLD Emblems & Grill - V1 w/remote - KICKER ZR-360 w/(2) 10" Alumapro Subs - Shine by ZAINO
For Pictures see: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 V1 & SUBS

nootch

$4400 for a 5mph crash. JEEZ

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Please have a crane drop on my car so I have to buy a new CL-S. But wait till I'm not in the car. Thanks

[DWI]

hold on I'll go test the CL 5 mph into a brick wall right?

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2001 Acura CL Type S "Claire" non-navi No spoiler. Bone stock, for now.

[DWI]

Okay here is the damage.
1 destroyed front bumper
2 destroyed driving lamps
2 crack lenes for regular lights
minor fame damage
2 shatterd high beam bulb
2 shatter fog bulbs
2 shatter xenon bulbs
1 ruptured radatior
all air bags deployed

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2001 Acura CL Type S "Claire" non-navi No spoiler. Bone stock, for now.

TakeFlight

I hope the last one isn't true. Air bags aren't supposed to deploy on low speed crashes.

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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
San Marino Red / Parchment
non-nav - wheel locks - splash guards
#26519

[This message has been edited by TakeFlight (edited 01-30-2001).]

astro

^^^^^LOL

so that's prolly in the neiborhood of $5000 or so, eh?



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Astroboy out...
2001 Acura CL Type S: Comptech: Headers, filter, sways, springs, koni shocks, goodridge braided brake lines, full kicker system
1996 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo: H&R Springs and sways, Bilstein shocks

KavexTrax

The figures do make sense.

If you think about purchasing a C320 vs. an Elantra, its $34,365 vs. $11,504 [invoice] respectively thats about 3 times the value so you're paying for parts that are 3+ times more expensive.

"you get what you pay for..." is true here.

So the moral of the story is...high priced isn't always synonymous with high durability
But i also think the C-class is an exception because its a budget Benz. It could be a different story with the other models like the E320 or CLK

The point that [DWI] is trying to make is understandable...why would Acura mangle a *precious* CL and be slighted by Elantra figures..Because its obvious that Elantra is going to top all estimates as it is the cheapest car out of the field tested.
{sounds like a 2500-3500 estimate for [DWI]'s pretend-demo by the way}

Now the only shocker to me is why aren't expensive parts more durable than cheaper to produce parts? Part of this answer may lie in the fact that the C320 is a budget benz..
If you really want something durable, get a hummer. That should even the durability vs. cost ratio


Acura's marketing dept isn't stupid to play this game. Most of you were probably a bit
nervous when you saw the figures and it is deceptive initially. But then again, as consumers we should have a right to know about things as important as safety.

my .02


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- Kvit -
2001 CL-P Blue Sub 6
Polarg BlHybrid M-6 Road lamps
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...725&a=10358832

[This message has been edited by KavexTrax (edited 01-31-2001).]

bc01cls

DWI....................LMAO.

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CL-S PDG, TR Typhoon Wheels, Solaris 9005, guards, nose mask, V-1 & remote.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...493&p=31386570

NOVAwhiteTypeS

Wat ha heck 4'gs for 5mph. probably 1800 for xeonon lamps. Wow but still that's alot of money. Wonder how much it'll be if it was like a 25mph.

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CL-S
White/Ebony/Navi/Spoiler/Visor/Full Bra/Mud Guards/Cargo Net/Acura Car Cover/Tint 20%,35%,5% on Sun Roof, Rockford 250a2 Amp w/JL10w6 / K&N Drop in Filter. Comptech Springs. Polarg m-6.
Comptech Headers, Comptech Sways, Eurolite Xenon Crystal high beams.
AEM CAI once they decide to make the dame thing.

gtech 0-60 6.03 w/ 438 pound load. preheader.

Shawn S

One comment they made on the show last night was that it’s not only that the parts from the Hyundai were cheaper then the Mercedes but that there were FEWER of them that needed to be replaced.

Mercedes wrote a letter back to DATELINE saying that the passengers are more important then the body and that if they increased the strength of the bumper it would reduce safety for the occupants.

One of the cars, I don’t remember which, actually had the trunk fly open during the test and it wouldn’t remain closed.
That’s just a piss poor design.

Shawn S


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>>> 400+ posts on h/a.net <<< >>> 550+ posts “freak” on the “old” acura-cl.com <<<

2001 CL Type S - NAV - San Marino RED / Parchment - Spoiler - 35% Tint - Roof Visor - PIAA Lamps
GOLD Emblems & Grill - V1 w/remote - KICKER ZR-360 w/(2) 10" Alumapro Subs - Shine by ZAINO
For Pictures see: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 V1 & SUBS

soopa

You cant say the figures make sense because the value of the car makes it cost more to repair...

If you watched the show... when the elantra backed into the pole at 5mph... the bumper absorbed the impact and bounced back... just like its supposed to.

When the Benz hit that same poll... the bumper cracked... the sheetmetal on the trunk bent... and trunks locking mechanism broke... and the car had some underbody damage.

The Honda Civic was a very interesting test... because from the video alone... the Civic did the best... no visible damage at all from any of the tests... HOWEVER... apparently all the jolts from hitting shit broke an engine mount. So that made the repair costs sky rocket...

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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
San Marino Red (Navigation)
PIAA 19173 Ion Yellow Fog Lights
Aftermarket Black Wood Trim Kit

tw1112

Actually, I saw a report on the news last night. I think the same thing, but the Ford Focus did the poorest. It really had a dent after 5mph.

Oh, and let me tell you that the CL can handle it.. Friend backed into me in the parking lot..idiot! But there was no damage at all....even though he kinda gunned it. Actually I think the thing that saved my bumper, and his license(he didnt have it yet, so his mom would have killed him if I told) Was the front license plate. Really took the hit..

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Tw1112
CL 3.0 '98 - Cleared bumper, hiper/piaa bulbs all around, PIAA 1700x fogs, and AEM CAI.

• My CL
• LA Autoshow
• SoCal Meet

avengerjr

That just plain sucks...and like you said piss poor design, scary thought.


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avengerjr
2001 CL-S Satin Silver / Ebony Interior / Non-Navi[*] spoiler , wheel locks , 35% tint[*] fenderwell trim , mud guards[*] winter floor mats , full nose mask[*] Xephyr CAI - on the way

girlfriend
1999 3.8L V6 Mustang Coupe Black / Black Cloth Interior[*] spoiler , 35% tint[*] MAC CAI - soon to order

NOVAwhiteTypeS

http://www.msnbc.com/news/522137.asp
for all those who missed it on tv.

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CL-S
White/Ebony/Navi/Spoiler/Visor/Full Bra/Mud Guards/Cargo Net/Acura Car Cover/Tint 20%,35%,5% on Sun Roof, Rockford 250a2 Amp w/JL10w6 / K&N Drop in Filter. Comptech Springs. Polarg m-6.
Comptech Headers, Comptech Sways, Eurolite Xenon Crystal high beams.
AEM CAI once they decide to make the dame thing.

gtech 0-60 6.03 w/ 438 pound load. preheader.

MikeS 18

DWI,

Sorry to hear about your car. We do appreciate the things you do for the good of the BBS.

I'm not sure how the CLS would do, but my '79 Mercedes 450SEL (Das Boat) would cream anything at 5mph. It might have gouged the black rubber molding on the bumper. 'Course it gets about 6 mpg hauling all that weight around!

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CL-S #22,299 Black/Parchment/Nav, spoiler, door & fender guards, wood trim, PIAA 19169 & 9005, V1 w/remote, trunk & winter mats, no headers, no sway bars, no springs, no money!

DtEW

As much as it sounds like conspiracy theory, I have to agree with one of the letters that a manufacturer wrote back to the IIHS, questioning their overall motives in the testing.

Had IIHS insisted that these bumper test results be consider with overall crash protection results, there would be few things to talk about. Sure, that'll illustrate that some cars are just plain rotten, but I'm sure even more will show the correlation that deformable ends goes hand-in-hand with crash protection. Obviously, they deduced (correctly) that this would not be nearly as scandalizing as telling everyone during primetime network TV that expensive Mercedes' have bad bumpers.

So who is the IIHS? An insurance-industry-funded research institute whose goal is to manifest lower repair and bodily injury payoffs, maximizing insurance industry profitability. But what do they actually do? Insurance companies already know which cars cost the least to repair and results in less bodily injury, so it obviously doesn't do anything in that respect. The fact is, the IIHS is a PR and political arm of the auto-insurance-industry-at-large, whose entire goal is to "educate" the general public about the "facts" as it suits their goals, a Hearst-like approach at placing pressure on automakers and government.

Sure, one can build a car with both good bumper strength and crash protection. But a stronger bumper means reduced crush zones and higher loads on the passenger cell, necessitating an even more reinforced passenger cell, which is more-or-less a recipe for a 2-ton midsize sedans. Do the insurance companies care if the only cars left on market were tanks that guzzle gas and move at the pace of glaciers? No. But why should they be, when they're raking in the dough?

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051/LP/SR/LD/HH

soopa

That was the Benz

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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
San Marino Red (Navigation)
PIAA 19173 Ion Yellow Fog Lights
Aftermarket Black Wood Trim Kit

amir was here

I watched those videos, and i can honestly do much better 5mph bumber tests then they can.

And why the hell are they comparing the prices of the elantra and a C class???

the c-lass was hit in a more expensive part of the car!! the elantra was hit in the back!

The elantra only would need a new rear bumber, and that price is like the same as a lot of rear bumbers.

My moms got her ML320 Front AND rear bumber replaced 2 weeks ago, it costed $2600 CANADIAN!!! So i dont know what the hell is going on.

Shawn S

Check this link:HERE

You will see that the same tests were done to all the cars of several different price ranges.

Shawn S




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>>> 400+ posts on h/a.net <<< >>> 550+ posts “freak” on the “old” acura-cl.com <<<

2001 CL Type S - NAV - San Marino RED / Parchment - Spoiler - 35% Tint - Roof Visor - PIAA Lamps
GOLD Emblems & Grill - V1 w/remote - KICKER ZR-360 w/(2) 10" Alumapro Subs - Shine by ZAINO
For Pictures see: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 V1 & SUBS