Nissan Rogue Vs. Honda CR-V: Compare Cars
For small families, the vehicle of choice is no longer the minivan or the SUV; it's the compact... Read More
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Sideview camera 'lets the driver view oncoming traffic when trying to enter a road from, say, an alley or garage exit'
Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front and rear side airbags, knee airbags, and curtain side airbags
Head-up display 'is easily legible'
SAFETY | 10 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
Not yet rated
NHTSA
Not yet rated
IIHS
Sideview camera 'lets the driver view oncoming traffic when trying to enter a road from, say, an alley or garage exit'
Motor Trend
Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front and rear side airbags, knee airbags, and curtain side airbags
Consumer Guide
Head-up display 'is easily legible'
Motor Trend
The 2012 BMW 7-Series hasn't been crash-tested by either of the major agencies--the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). That's because it's a very expensive, and relatively rare, model, and both agencies tend to favor the most popular models.
But the BMW 5-Series has fared quite well, and the 7-Series is at least somewhat mechanically related to its smaller sibling. Furthermore, the 7-Series' extreme helping of safety gear also earns our respect, along with the big score. Every 7-Series gets standard front, side, and side-curtain airbags; rear-seat side airbags; front-seat active head restraints; and knee airbags. Each copy also has standard anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control. And BMW also fits a rearview camera, a front-view 180-degree camera, and parking sensors to assist drivers in keeping the 7-Series clear of parking-lot trouble.
All-wheel-drive 7-Series sedans have standard hill descent control--in this case, not for amazing off-road traction, but for controlling the car on icy, messy roads.
The options offered on the luxury sedan will appeal to technophiles and safetyphobes, too. A Driver Assistance Package bundles together blind-spot detection, a lane-departure warning system (which vibrates the steering wheel when the car drifts from its lane) and automatic high-beam headlights.
Two items we'd probably opt out of are the available head-up display, as well as the night-vision system. They're both good ideas in concept, but in execution they end up cluttering the view of the road ahead.
Conclusion
Despite a lack of scores from both major safety agencies, the 2012 BMW 7-Series has a good track record for safety plus one of the best rosters of safety gear.
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