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Midsize luxury SUVs safety ratings: Lincoln v. Infiniti
Things to remember...
- The IIHS/HDLI provides reliable safety ratings for all of the Lincoln and Infinity midsize luxury SUV models
- These safety ratings can determine how much auto insurance premiums cost
- Between Lincoln and Infiniti, Lincoln produces safer midsize luxury SUVs than Infiniti
Midsize luxury SUVs are often advertised as safe options, but it’s common for companies to emphasize safety in order to sell their vehicles.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) evaluates each vehicle in great detail in order to provide the consumer with reliable safety ratings.
Safety ratings are used by auto insurance companies in order to determine the cost of insurance premiums. As the consumer, it would be wise to research a vehicle’s safety ratings before purchasing.
Compare car insurance quotes today to find the best rate for the coverage you need no matter which vehicle you decide to go with. Enter your zip code into our free comparison tool above to get started.
IIHS/HLDI Safety Ratings
The IIHS/HDLI runs tests on each vehicle in order to evaluate the following aspects of a vehicle:
- crashworthiness
- crash avoidance and mitigation
- child seat anchors
Good, acceptable, marginal, or poor ratings will be given to each vehicle for all of these categories after the IIHS/HDLI performs all of the necessary tests in their vehicle research center.
Front crash prevention is the only subcategory that will receive basic, advanced, and superior ratings. This study focuses on all of the modern midsize luxury SUVs produced by Lincoln (MKX, MKT, and MKC) and Infiniti (QX60, QX50, and QX70).
Crashworthiness
Crashworthiness depends on how different areas of the vehicle hold up against the impact of a crash or collision.
Roof strength, sides, head restraints and seats, front small overlap, and front moderate overlap all determine how well a vehicle’s passengers will be protected during a crash or collision.
The Lincoln MKX and Infiniti QX60 both earned “good” ratings for all five of these subcategories.
The rest of the vehicles received all “good” ratings but were unavailable for one or more of these areas. The Lincoln MKT was unavailable for front small overlap testing. The Infiniti QX50 was also unavailable for testing of the front small overlap and roof strength.
The Lincoln MKC was unavailable for the same tests as the Infiniti QX50 as well as the head restraints and seat testing. The Infiniti QX70 was unavailable for testing of the front small overlap, sides, and roof strength areas.
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Crash Avoidance & Mitigation
This category focuses on how well a vehicle’s safety features assist the driver in avoiding collisions. Car insurance companies tend to charge less when a vehicle is less likely to crash.
The Lincoln MKX and Infiniti QX60 both earned “superior” ratings for front crash prevention.
The Infiniti Qx50 and QX70 both earned “advanced” ratings, while the remaining Lincoln MKT and MKC earned “basic” ratings. The IIHS/HDLI indicated that all of these vehicles earned their ratings with optional equipment.
For their headlights, the Lincoln MKX, MKT, and Infiniti QX50 earned “marginal” ratings, the Infiniti QX60 and Lincoln MKC earned “poor” ratings, and the Infiniti QX70 managed to obtain an “acceptable” rating.
Child Seat Anchors
Federal regulations require at least two seats with full Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH). This test is usually one of the main concern for parents because it determines how easy it is to install car seats or child restraints with each vehicle’s hardware.
The IIHS/HDLI checks the force, clearance angle, lower anchor accessibility, and other visible hardware that may be confusing. The Infiniti QX50 earned a “poor” rating in this category.
The Lincoln MKT, MKC, Infiniti QX60, and QX70 all earned “marginal” ratings but the Lincoln MKX was the only vehicle in this study to earn an “acceptable” rating from the IIHS/HDLI.
Top Safety Pick Awards
The IIHS/HDLI takes off of the preceding safety ratings into consideration when they decide which vehicles will receive one of their Top Safety Pick awards. These awards serve as IIHS/HDLI’s seal of approval for the safest vehicles.
The Lincoln MKX and Infiniti QX60 are the only two vehicles in the study to earn 2017 Top Safety Pick awards.
The Lincoln and Infiniti models all seem to be on par with each other. Overall, the Lincoln models earned more “good” ratings for crashworthiness than Infiniti.
All models earned equal ratings for crash avoidance and mitigation, but the Lincoln models outscored the Infiniti models when it came to child seat anchors.
Although the results are extremely close between the Lincoln and Infiniti midsize luxury SUVs, the Lincoln managed to earn better safety ratings than Infiniti.
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