Crash tests of five luxury vehicles by an insurance industry-backed research lab indicate that purchasing a high-priced automobile doesn't necessarily translate into a safer car.

The Arlington, Va.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that in its recent crash tests the BMW 5 Series received only a marginal grade in side-impact collision. One car that did do well was the Volvo S80, which was judged the "Top Safety Pick for 2007″ in its class of automobile.

In addition to the BMW and Volvo, the IIHS tested three other luxury cars–the Acura RL, Mercedes E Class and Cadillac STS. The Institute also tested the KIA Amanti in the large family car class, which received good ratings in the front- and side-collision test, but the results were marginal for rear-crash protection.

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