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
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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…

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Comments

America

The challenger isnt the oldest

05/24/2016 - 20:37 |
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Anonymous

And who the F cares ? I would still drive them like a mad man on track and alone. Its not the car who kills ppl. Its the driver…

05/24/2016 - 20:59 |
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Turboghini

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I agree, but you want to be safe from the idiots out there on the road.

05/24/2016 - 23:20 |
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Anonymous

Oh.. The overlap test. Well yeah, uhhh not many cars are doing well on that. Not just these ones.

05/24/2016 - 21:04 |
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Anonymous

This is why they’re cheap…

05/24/2016 - 22:08 |
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Nick Schrader

And the challenger still sustains the least damage. Tank 4 that win!

05/24/2016 - 22:38 |
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Fin Jimbo

So why do new “muscle” cars look like that if they are not even safe?

05/24/2016 - 22:39 |
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McMeische-e39

Pretty shi11y build-quality

05/24/2016 - 23:24 |
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King Kong

“The Challenger wasn’t up to the challenge…” Wow, that was a forced pun!

05/25/2016 - 00:15 |
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Anonymous

They just have to make a really hard piece into the chasis that send the impact force (or energy) to the side, so the car doesnt hug the crash zone, instead it keeps going foward . Like the 12 mazda 6, but you know keeping driver intact…

05/25/2016 - 04:46 |
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Pooft Lee

Well I learned the camaro has the weakest wheels. Partial overlap is bruutaal

05/25/2016 - 04:52 |
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