Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Dodge Challenger don't measure up

[JulesMaximus]

To the Lexus RC in safety tests.

http://www.torquenews.com/1083/2016-lexus-rc-tops-mustang-camaro-and-challenger-important-testing

In a comprehensive round of testing this week three popular sports coupes, the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger failed to equal the Lexus RC sports coupe. The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety found that not a single one could earn top safety scores.

The Mustang and Challenger could not make the grade on the small frontal overlap test. This test simulates hitting a telephone pole with just the front corner of the vehicle. In real-life crashes, this type of accident represents fully one-quarter of the serious and fatal crashes. The Camaro could not make the grade on the roof crush test, perhaps the easiest of all tests conducted.

In the case of the 2016 Dodge Challenger, the small frontal overlap test was particularly interesting. Adrian Lund, IIHS President, said of the test, "During the crash, the Challenger's front wheel was forced rearward into the occupant compartment, and the footwell intrusion trapped the dummy's left foot and deformed its ankle," Lund explains. "Our technicians had to unbolt the dummy's foot from its leg in order to free it. Entrapment is pretty rare. That's only happened five other times in a small overlap test."

None of these cars offer advanced or superior front crash prevention systems, so none would even qualify for the Top Safety Pick Plus designation. Tested last year, the Lexus RC sports coupe earned the Top Safety Pick Plus designation. It is not unusual for cars to earn this level of safety anymore. Cars like the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Mazda3 can all earn this ranking.”

Are American cars made of inferior metal?

 

[Herr Kutz]

I'm sure Ford/Chevy/Fiat will be more than happy to add a few more dollars of ultra high strength steel when you're willing to pay an extra $15k per vehicle for them to do so.

 

[master_shake_]

i wonder what the BOM is on a camaro, challenger, or mustang.

i bet there is room to add some better materials.

 

[LTC8K6]

Lexus RC Top Safety Pick Rating
In order to earn the industry’s highest safety rating, a vehicle must do three main things. First, it has to do well on all the conventional crash tests. Pretty much every car does now. Second, the vehicle must be rated Acceptable or Good on the IIHS’ difficult small frontal overlap test that simulates hitting a utility pole with the front corner of the car. Most vehicles cannot earn this rating. The Mercedes C-class and BMW 3-Series (the basis for the 4-series) were rated Marginal and were thus out of contention. The Audi A4, the basis for the S5 and RS5, rated Poor, which is a failing grade. Only the Lexus RC coupe earned a rating of Good in this class.

Wow, look at all that inferior metal...

 

[Kaido]

I'm sure Ford/Chevy/Fiat will be more than happy to add a few more dollars of ultra high strength steel when you're willing to pay an extra $15k per vehicle for them to do so.

The 2016 Scion iA starts at $15k and is a Top Safety Pick+ this year, so money is no excuse for their laziness. It was dumb of them not to design in better safety features, especially knowing that people would drive & crash them in stupid ways at crazy speeds. The small overlap test was announced back in 2012...they've had 4 years to retool to own the test & haven't.

Safety tests are weird like that though. Like, the redesigned Kia Sedona is a TSP, but the Toyota Sienna is nowhere to be found on the list. Strange world where Kia gets better safety ratings than a top brand...

 

[MongGrel]

The design is always a bigger factor of course, but I'm sure the OP is aware of that.

 

[NutBucket]

Makes sense since the Challenger hasn't been redesigned to "accommodate" for this test. Surprised Camaro and Mustang both failed since they've been redesigned fairly recently.

 

[z1ggy]

Is the RC much heavier? How about engine size and location? But my suspicion is it had nothing to do with quality of material, and evening to do with material choices and overall design.

 

[SithSolo1]

As pointed out by NutBucket, the Challenger platform is 8 years old at this point and its just a shortened version of a platform that is 11 years old. Its in dire need of replacement but I don't think thats due to happen before late next year.

As for the new mustang and camaro, I dunno whats up.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Wow, look at all that inferior metal...

That was a poke at the Toyota dominating nascar thread where someone suggested that the 'Murican brands weren't doing as well as Toyota because they use stronger steel than Toyota.

Sorry, guess it was kind of an obscure reference. ()

Here is the comment.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=38242856&postcount=61

 

[Crono]

The 2016 Scion iA starts at $15k and is a Top Safety Pick+ this year, so money is no excuse for their laziness. It was dumb of them not to design in better safety features, especially knowing that people would drive & crash them in stupid ways at crazy speeds. The small overlap test was announced back in 2012...they've had 4 years to retool to own the test & haven't.

The Scion iA is a 106 HP Mazda compact sedan. It's a different animal.

I'm not saying that they couldn't design muscle cars to be as safe, but "laziness" is a lazy argument.

 

[Jimzz]

The Scion iA is a 106 HP Mazda compact sedan. It's a different animal.

I'm not saying that they couldn't design muscle cars to be as safe, but "laziness" is a lazy argument.

I think you mean Toyota.

 

[SparkyJJO]

My care-o-meter is almost in the negatives here.

If I was shopping for a pony car (although the challenger may be stretching that class a bit), a Lexus isn't even on the list.

My personal pony car is is 17 years old. It would likely fail that test miserably. I still don't care.

 

[tsupersonic]

I think you mean Toyota.

No, they in fact did mean Mazda. It's essentially a Mazda 2, but we don't get that in the US.

 

[Jimzz]

No, they in fact did mean Mazda. It's essentially a Mazda 2, but we don't get that in the US.

Ahh thought he meant to write xA

Yea that's a Mazda, they did not do much to cover that up looking at a iA.

 

[KentState]

The Camaro and Mustang had the highest rating in all but one test. The Camaro is probably the easiest to remedy by strengthening the roof. It did well on the minor overlap which is the newest of tests. I was expecting worse by reading the comments here.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My care-o-meter is almost in the negatives here.

If I was shopping for a pony car (although the challenger may be stretching that class a bit), a Lexus isn't even on the list.

My personal pony car is is 17 years old. It would likely fail that test miserably. I still don't care.

I'm not in the market for any of these cars... and I really don't care either.

That said, I'd probably pass on renting a Challenger based on this article.

 

[iamwiz82]

My care-o-meter is almost in the negatives here.

If I was shopping for a pony car (although the challenger may be stretching that class a bit), a Lexus isn't even on the list.

My personal pony car is is 17 years old. It would likely fail that test miserably. I still don't care.

The RC isn't on anyone's list. They sold 800 in April. Ford sold 800 Mustangs in two days in April (12,726 total for the month).