Modern Muscle Cars Aren’t Quite As Safe As You’d Think

The Mustang, Challenger and Camaro all missed out on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top safety ratings, with two struggling with the challenging overlap tests

Matt Robinson

Updated: 24 May 2016

Since sports cars tend to be driven enthusiastically, it’s important they’re as safe as possible. However, a trio of modern muscle cars - a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger - all missed out on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) top safety ratings.

To nab the IIHS’ ‘Top Safety Pick’, a car needs a ‘good’ rating in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restrain tests, and have some kind of front crash prevention system. The Mustang came closest, but was let down by an ‘acceptable’ rating in the small overlap test, where the roof buckled and the A-pillar plus instrument panel intruded into the cockpit.

The Camaro fared much better in the small overlap, but it scored only ‘acceptable’ in the roof strength test, and doesn’t have any front crash prevention tech.

The Challenger - the oldest of the trio - performed the worst, scoring ‘acceptable’ for roof strength and the head restraints, and only ‘marginal’ in the small overlap.

So in other words, room for improvement with all three cars…

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Now people will make more Mustang crowd jokes now that they see this.

The Mustang doesnt have enough with killing crowds, he also wants to kill the driver

But the real question is, “Who cares”

Well since my first car was a 1998 citroen Saxo, that i think achieved at best a 1 star euro ncap ratinh, these cars looks fine to me :D (jokes)

what are the rims of the camaro made of? plastic? paper?

Part out?

Muscle cars owners will be really nervous right now

Wait what??! The Mustang is the best and the Challenger the worst? Are you kidding me? The Mustang crushe the Driver because the A-Pillar is like from old Cola Cans. The Challenger was the stiffest of them three, it didn’t lost its Wheel and maybe you could even open the Driver’s door.