Only 3 out of 11 midsize 2012 luxury cars performed well in the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s (IIHS) new frontal crash safety test. If this were a school exam, that would score a meager 27 percent.

In the IIHS test, the Acura TL and Volvo S60 both secured “good” ratings, and the Infiniti G earned “acceptable.” The Acura TSX, BMW 3 series, Lincoln MKZ, and Volkswagen CC scored as “marginal,” and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS 250/350, Audi A4, and Lexus ES 350 earned “poor” ratings.

The new IIHS crash test was designed to evaluate the cause of more than 10,000 deaths from frontal crashes that occur every year. Small overlap crashes account for nearly 25 percent of all frontal crashes causing serious or fatal injuries to front seat passengers. In the test, which replicates what happens when a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or pole, 25 percent of the car’s front end was crashed into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph.

Most of these same models were named 2012 IIHS “Top Safety Picks” for top scores in the institute’s front-, side-, and rear-impact crash tests—all except the Infiniti G, Lexus IS 250/350, and Lexus ES 350. IIHS will be adding results of this new test to its overall safety ratings in the future.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not currently conduct small overlap crash testing.