Top Safety Pick

2012 BMW X3

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
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 2011-17 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 BMW X3 xDrive35i dr 4wd

The BMW X3 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by BMW.

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

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1024
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	2
Left (cm)	4
Center (cm)	4
Right (cm)	3
Brake pedal (cm)	4
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	1
Rearward (cm)	-3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1024
Head
HIC-15	194
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm)	7
Maximum Nij	0.17
Chest maximum compression (mm)	30
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.8
Femur force - right (kN)	1.9
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	2
Maximum tibia index - left	0.41
Maximum tibia index - right	0.43
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.2
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	52
Right	46

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-17 models built after March 2011

Tested vehicle: 2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front door-mounted torso airbags

The BMW X3 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. Beginning with 2011 models built after March 2011, the computer algorithm that calculates when to deploy the side airbags was optimized to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.) Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by BMW after the changes were made.

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

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS1114
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-16.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1114
Head HIC-15	75
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Compression (kN)	0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	37
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	36
Average deflection (mm)	32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	5.60
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.75
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	2.3
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.8
Combined force (kN)	4.1
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.4
L-M moment (Nm)	36
A-P moment (Nm)	13

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1114
Head HIC-15	254
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.3
Compression (kN)	1.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	22
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	28
Average deflection (mm)	17
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.71
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.33
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.4
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.5
Combined force (kN)	2.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.3
L-M moment (Nm)	23
A-P moment (Nm)	34

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2012-17 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i 4-door 4wd

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	4,135 lbs
Peak force	19,389 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	4.69

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seats (AHR)

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Power leather seats (AHR)
Geometry
Backset (mm)	40
Distance below top of head (mm)	34
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	16.2
Head contact time (ms)	42
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	0
Max neck tension (N)	333

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