The Driving Woman

Honda Odyssey Ranked Best in Bumper Tests

Bottom line. It costs a lot to repair a bumper on a minivan. We’re talking a range of $5,000 to $8,000. And that’s for driving at low speeds.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just released the results of low-speed bumper tests for six 2008 minivan models. The tests, conducted at 3 and 6 mph, measure how well vehicle bumpers protect a vehicle from costly damage in typical fender benders (such as commuter traffic or parking lots). 
 
The star of the test was the Honda Odyssey with a total damage cost of  $5258. The worst performer was the Nissan Quest with more than $3,500 damage in one 6 mph rear impact test and more than $8,000 in all four tests combined.

The upshot was that the Honda Odyssey tested best followed by Dodge Grand Caravan, Toyota Sienna, Chevrolet Uplander, Kia Sedona and Nissan Quest.

The good news? The minivans as a group, performed slightly better than cars. The reason is a no- brainer. Their bumper bars are mounted higher.