Why is the BMW 3 Series, an old car being made to take the IIHS small overlap test? Because, a couple of years ago, it forgot to study and flunked it.
Below the first video, which shows the 2017 3 Series, you will find the second one from November 2015 where a 2016 model year was subjected to the same small overall crash procedure. It looks the same, right down to the color and the shape of the 10-spoke wheels, but the rating has been upgraded from marginal to good.
When the IIHS introduced the small overlap front test, where only 25% of the front end hits a barrier at 40 mph, it became really problematic. But BMW knew about the requirements in advance, so we were shocked with the rating.
The 2016 model suffered a lot of intrusion into the passenger cabin, with the knees of the driver taking the brunt of the damage from the 3 Series dash.
“The dummy’s right foot was trapped between the brake pedal and toe pan, and the pedal had to be cut off to free the foot,” according to a statement made at the time by the IIHS.
However, the 2017 model aced all the test, getting a Good rating for side, moderate overlap, roof strength and head restraints. It also scored "Acceptable" for the headlight strength and Marginal for child seat latch ease of use. Still, the 2017 3 Series sedan is good enough for a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.
Beginning with 2017 model sedans built after November 2016, BMW made changes to the suspension and adjacent structure. That resulted in more controlled wheel movement in the small overlap test. The structure held up better, with maximum intrusion of 6 inches at the footrest compared to over 12 last time.
The best-available headlights on the 3 series are curve-adaptive LEDs with high-beam assist, which are part of an optional lighting package and earn an acceptable rating. The 2 Series has its own lighting package, which includes good-rated curve-adaptive high-intensity discharge lights and helped the coupe get the IIHS top score. Both vehicles earn poor headlight ratings without the light kits.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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