America’s dynasty muscle cars largely performed well in crash tests, but they didn't do well enough to earn top safety ratings.
Intrusion was extensive with the 2016 Dodge Challenger. During the crash, the left front wheel was forced rearward and inward into the occupant compartment, and the severely buckled toepan trapped the dummy’s left foot. The dummy's leg had to be unbolted from the foot in order to free it. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The dummy’s head contacted the 2016 Dodge Challenger’s frontal airbag but then nearly slid off the left side, allowing the head to move toward the gap in coverage between the frontal and side curtain airbags. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2016 Chevrolet Camaro, pre-crash studio shot. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2016 Chevrolet Camaro action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The dummy's position in relation to the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro’s door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro’s frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2016 Ford Mustang coupe, pre-crash studio shot. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2016 Ford Mustang coupe action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Damaged car from crash test The dummy's position in relation to the 2016 Ford Mustang coupe’s door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was not maintained well. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Despite considerable intrusion of the door hinge pillar and instrument panel, risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low inside the 2016 Ford Mustang coupe. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The dummy’s head contacted the 2016 Ford Mustang coupe’s frontal airbag but rolled around the left side, allowing the head to approach the intruding A-pillar. The car's headliner is partially blocked the view; it became loose because of camera installation on the roof but did not interfere with the dummy's motion or the side curtain airbag deployment. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
2016 Dodge Challenger, pre-crash studio shot. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Crash-test ratings can mean a lot, but not everything. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was not maintained well inside the 2016 Dodge Challenger. (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
muscle car graphic (Courtesy Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
WASHINGTON — America’s dynasty muscle cars largely performed well in crash tests, but they didn’t do well enough to earn top safety ratings.
Earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” designation requires good ratings in all five of its crash test categories, which are: small overlap front; moderate overlap front; side; roof strength; and head restraints and seats.
The institute ran 2016 models of the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger through its crash tests. Here’s how the three did:
The Mustang performed the best, falling just one “good” rating short of qualifying as a Top Safety Pick.
The Insurance Institute does not usually crash-test sports cars because they are a small share of the market, but it says these models with optional V-8 engines are big sellers, and consumers often ask how they’d do in a crash test.
As a group, sports cars have the highest losses among passenger vehicles for crash damage and repair costs, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
“Given that sports cars have high crash rates, it’s especially important that they offer the best occupant protection possible in a crash,” said the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s president Adrian Lund.
Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.
