2008 Buick LaCrosse

large car / 4-door sedan

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 2005-09 models

Tested vehicle: 2005 Buick LaCrosse CX 4-door

The Buick LaCrosse was introduced in the 2005 model year as a replacement for the Buick Century and Regal. (A limited number of Buick Century models were produced for the 2005 model year.) The Pontiac Grand Prix was redesigned for the 2004 model year and was was discontinued after the 2008 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 well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy’s head hit the roof and head restraint during rebound. Head accelerations from these hits were low.

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	CEF0511
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	6
Left (cm)	11
Center (cm)	11
Right (cm)	6
Brake pedal (cm)	6
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	0
Rearward (cm)	-2
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0511
Head
HIC-15	328
Peak gs at hard contact	8
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.9
Extension bending moment (Nm)	19
Maximum Nij	0.33
Chest maximum compression (mm)	38
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	2.8
Femur force - right (kN)	5.0
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	2
Maximum tibia index - left	0.33
Maximum tibia index - right	0.71
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.3
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	3.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	58
Right	62

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-09 models

Tested vehicle: 2006 Buick LaCrosse CX 4-door with optional front and rear side curtain airbags

The Buick LaCrosse was introduced in the 2005 model year as a replacement for both the Buick Century and Regal. Beginning with 2008 models, side curtain airbags were made standard for retail and fleet buyers (they had been optional in all 2005 models and in 2006-07 models originally sold to fleets).

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 airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

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

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	CES0605
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-6.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0605
Head HIC-15	398
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.5
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	57
Lateral force (kN)
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	60
Average deflection (mm)	47
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	8.77
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	1.93
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	3.3
Acetabulum force (kN)	3.1
Combined force (kN)	6.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.4
L-M moment (Nm)	73
A-P moment (Nm)	34

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0605
Head HIC-15	605
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.4
Compression (kN)	2.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	37
Lateral force (kN)	1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	37
Average deflection (mm)	26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.20
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.63
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.5
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.9
Combined force (kN)	2.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	1.2
L-M moment (Nm)	172
A-P moment (Nm)	-42

About the original side crash test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Leather seats with adjustable lumbar

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Leather seats with adjustable lumbar
Geometry
Backset (mm)	98
Distance below top of head (mm)	65
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g)	0.0
Head contact time (ms)
Force rating	0
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)
Max neck tension (N)

Seat type: Cloth seats without adjustable lumbar

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Cloth seats without adjustable lumbar
Geometry
Backset (mm)	82
Distance below top of head (mm)	62
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g)	10.8
Head contact time (ms)	102
Force rating	3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	309
Max neck tension (N)	685

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