NCAP/NHTSA crash tests, how does your car fare?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Since I wondered how my 2007 VW Rabbit fared in a crash test, I looked it up on the EuroNCAP website…

Turns out, it did pretty well, five stars, my safest car so far

That inspired me to look up my other cars, and was actually dismayed at what I discovered, I had previously been driving death traps…

Going backwards from the Rabbit, I had a 2007 Saturn Ion, it seemed to do… okay, not great, but not horrible on the frontal offset test, but the pole test? YIKES, it basically folded like a taco!..

Still, it did better than my 1998 and 2002 Dodge Neons, with the Neon, the entire CAR is one big crumple zone, and the passengers are energy absorbers, it’s truly terrifying how the Neon simply crumples on impact

Couldn’t find any videos of the crash test of a 1992 Dodge Shadow, but apparently it rated reasonably well, four stars front end impact for the driver, five for the passenger

And my first car, a 1988 Ford Escort pony, looks like a lack of crumple zones transfer impact energy to the passengers

So, how does your car fare?

2

The EuroNCAP tests vehicles with different trim and equipment than what might be available in the US. It’s really not useful for US market vehicles. In any case it has changed over the years so cars from different eras aren’t comparable anyway.

If you compare NHTSA ratings the Beetle is less safe than the Ion. But NHTSA ratings have changed drastically for MY 2011 and above and scores are much better differentiated than before.

Here’s a great aggregate list of all US market vehicles, including both NHTSA and IIHS ratings. GM is probably the maker with the safest vehicles across the board right now.

3

I have a 2007 Honda Fit (called the Honda Jazz in Europe). Overall it did pretty good (four stars for adults).

The diagrams that show the amount of protection for an adult in a crash show that it’s pretty much “good” or “adequate” (the two highest levels) in front and side impacts. The exceptions are: frontal impacts are “marginal” for the driver/passenger’s lower body, risking lower leg and knee injuries; and side impacts are “marginal” for the drivers’ torso. That’s not too surprising, since the car has driver and passenger front airbags and pre-tensioners on the seatbelts, but no side airbags.

The rating was four stars for adults, but only three stars for children. It notes that results were mixed for the child impact testing using the restraint points built into the car. It says that “Honda does not recommend placing a child in a rear facing restraint fitted to the front passenger’s seat. But apart from non-permanent pictograms on the door pillar and the screen, there were no warnings visible to tell users about the consequent danger of death or serious injury in an accident.”

I think that’s kind of a crappy criticism, since AFAIK it’s always a bad idea to put a rear-facing child seat in the front passenger seat in any car. I wouldn’t single out the Honda Fit here, since I’m sure they do any labels/warnings that are legally required.

4

My Volvo was #36

5

you’re trying to compare the results of different tests. The NHTSA test is a full-frontal impact test. The video you linked of the Neon is from the IIHS which is an offset frontal impact test.