Top Safety Pick

2009 BMW X3

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2004-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 BMW X3 3.0si 4-door 4wd

The BMW X3 was introduced in the 2004 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head brushed across the side curtain airbag during rebound.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0722
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	8
Left (cm)	6
Center (cm)	5
Right (cm)	5
Brake pedal (cm)	3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	7
Rearward (cm)	-1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0722
Head
HIC-15	539
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	18
Maximum Nij	0.31
Chest maximum compression (mm)	42
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.7
Femur force - right (kN)	1.4
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	0
Maximum tibia index - left	0.45
Maximum tibia index - right	0.32
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.0
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	1.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	63
Right	51

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 BMW X3 3.0si 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front door-mounted torso airbags

The BMW X3 was introduced in the 2004 model year. Beginning with 2008 models, changes were made to the front torso airbags and the front and rear door trim panels to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side curtain airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	CES0739
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-11.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0739
Head HIC-15	148
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Compression (kN)	0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	36
Lateral force (kN)	1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	41
Average deflection (mm)	34
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.63
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.75
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	2.9
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.8
Combined force (kN)	4.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	1.3
L-M moment (Nm)	157
A-P moment (Nm)	26

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0739
Head HIC-15	103
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.1
Compression (kN)	0.8
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	27
Lateral force (kN)	1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	22
Average deflection (mm)	18
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.75
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.24
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	1.0
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.4
Combined force (kN)	3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.4
L-M moment (Nm)	46
A-P moment (Nm)	-21

About the original side crash test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Standard seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Standard seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm)	37
Distance below top of head (mm)	44
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	13.0
Head contact time (ms)	60
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	1
Max neck tension (N)	482

Seat type: Comfort seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Comfort seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm)	4
Distance below top of head (mm)	18
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	10.0
Head contact time (ms)	36
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	64
Max neck tension (N)	453

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.