Hummer Guy Hummer News and Opinion from an experienced off-road instructor
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has done another round of ‘scientific testing,’ and they’ve announced their latest breakthrough: When a HUMMER H3 rear ends a Hyundai Sonata, the Sonata’s damage is five times as costly!
If the choice between a HUMMER H3 and a Hyundai Sonata wasn’t easy before, this news should make it even easier, right? Well the IIHS wants you to believe that the problem is with the H3, not the Sonata. But who would more concerned about damage to the other vehicle in a crash? The same people who funded the study, of course. Insurance companies.
The IIHS wants bumpers on small SUVs and light trucks to be at the same level as smaller sedans as to minimize damage during collisions. The institute also suggests that off-road ability won’t be compromised, and points to a Ford Explorer that fared well in the study that didn’t have to “compromise its off-road performance.” I wasn’t aware that the Ford Explorer had any off-road performance to compromise…
I asked the IIHS for some ‘after’ shots of the H3 since they had plenty of coverage in the video of the smashed Sonatas. “We don’t have any after photos for the SUVs,” said a spokesperson. So I freeze-framed the video AFTER the H3/Sonata collision – see the photo below. I also included a freeze-frame of the Sonata, also after the crash.
If your vehicle was hit at 10mph in a parking lot with no witnesses, which repair bill would you rather pay? Secondly, and probably more importantly, which vehicle would you prefer your family was riding in if you dialed up the machine to demonstrate a more serious high speed wreck? It’s your call.
Both vehicles AFTER the 10mph impact:
is there even any damage at all on the h3?
It’s very hard to tell. The release claims there was $1000 damage to the H3, but it’s not evident at all.