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What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

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Old 12-01-2010, 07:24 PM
  #16  
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

How about in terms of outward visibility?

Just kidding.
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Old 12-01-2010, 11:14 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by HAZ-Matt
What the car looks like is irrelevant. It is all about how much energy the car absorbs versus how much the people absorb. It is the same principle when you see an F1 disintegrate into 10000 pieces, yet the driver gets out of the tub and walks out.
Exactly. In reality, the car that comes out of it the worst (meaning the worst looking) will often times treat the occupants the best.

That is the cars job, to sacrifice itself, for its occupants.

This is why trucks had horrible safety ratings, up until just recently. They were too stiff, and transferred all of the forces of the accident to the occupants.

The only part of the vehicle that you should pay attention to, is the passenger cell. The rest of it can disintigrate into a pile of tin foil, but as long as that passenger cell is relatively unscathed, the safety of the passengers will be assured.
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Old 12-02-2010, 01:26 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by JasonD
Didn't the Camaro got 4 stars because they measured the airbag deployment to be more powerful than necessary? Something like that? Or am I thinking of something else?
I remember you saying that about the 4th gens when talking about this on the podcast and suggested this as a reason, but I don't remember a confirmation.
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Old 12-02-2010, 06:53 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Chally =s Challenger?.....SOUNDS HAWT! I'm gonna spread this so sick nick name around to everyone and it'll take off quicker than hot cakes!
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Old 12-02-2010, 08:51 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Chally?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he5fpsmH_2g
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Old 12-02-2010, 09:38 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

I get tired of typing Challenger over and over since I'm on the Mopar sites a lot, so sometimes I just use Chally. Although I cannot stand when people say "Maro" over on the other site.
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Old 12-02-2010, 12:54 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

The Challenger tank is commonly called Chally too
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Old 12-02-2010, 01:25 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by HAZ-Matt
The Challenger tank is commonly called Chally too
Yeah you would have thought I killed somebody the way some people get so worked up over what I call a car.
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Old 12-02-2010, 02:17 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by Aaron91RS
So it is parroted on here over and over that all this saftey equipment is the reason they weigh so much and it turns out now they didn't even get that right and it's even worst in class.
So we just got weight for no reason now.

The other ironic thing is I can find quotes all over here saying a camaro with anything less that 5 star's won't sell.

You guys never get anything right.
Huh? I don't recall any sane people here saying that more weight automatically means safer. I think I have seen a "certain" GM rep say that's part of the reasoning behind a heavier car, but I don't have the time to go hunting.

The car is heavy because it's based on a large sedan, has IRS and has the 556 HP LSA in mind. I think that's been made clear for a long while now.
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Old 12-02-2010, 03:48 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by STOCK1SC
I get tired of typing Challenger over and over since I'm on the Mopar sites a lot, so sometimes I just use Chally. Although I cannot stand when people say "Maro" over on the other site.
I understand the reasoning, but just not a fan. The text culture and shortening everything is just terrible. It may take an exta second to type the complete word.

Vette, Stang, TA - I can live with. They don't sound forced.

Formy - annoying, but at least it rolls off the tongue easy.

Maro, Chally - annoying, sound like an overexaggerated attempt at shortening just to be doing it.
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Old 12-03-2010, 07:51 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by SSCamaro99_3
I understand the reasoning, but just not a fan. The text culture and shortening everything is just terrible. It may take an exta second to type the complete word.

Vette, Stang, TA - I can live with. They don't sound forced.

Formy - annoying, but at least it rolls off the tongue easy.

Maro, Chally - annoying, sound like an overexaggerated attempt at shortening just to be doing it.
I'm not a fan of people coming into threads just to bitch about something that has nothing to do with the thread. So Chally is annoying to you, thanks for letting me know what things I can shorten that don't annoy you!
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Old 12-03-2010, 10:45 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by STOCK1SC
I'm pretty sure the Mustang is in last just because of weight but which car is the safest in a wreck, driver, front passenger and especially the back seat? The Chally or the Camaro?
Depends.

1. In any accident, the vehicle with the greatest mass wins. Although the Challenger is about the same basic weight as the Camaro (Challenger's engine and drivetrain are heavier), it's still bigger.

2. If you go by the government's "Star" rating, the Mustang and Challenger are (Camaro just went to 5-star due to a change in airbag specs).

3. If you go by the ability to handle it's way out of trouble, the Mustang.

4. If you are going by frontal crush area, Camaro.

5. Rear crush area, Challenger.

6. Side, Camaro (the "C" pillar and the area just aft of the doors is pretty reinforced).

7. The least likely to get in trouble due to driver error, Challenger (it's traction control can't be fully turned off)

8. Stopping quickly, Mustang.

Overall, if your plan is to drive headfirst into a concrete wall at 60 mph, drive under an 18 wheeler's trailer, or pay one to ram into your rear end at 70 mph or so, or drive down Pacific Coast Highway blindfolded where it has 100 feet cliffs, then the large, roomy, Challenger with lots of exterior crush area pretty much wins hands down.

Last edited by guionM; 12-03-2010 at 10:51 AM.
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:14 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Originally Posted by guionM
2. If you go by the government's "Star" rating, the Mustang and Challenger are (Camaro just went to 5-star due to a change in airbag specs).
I can't find any data posted for the 2011 Camaro, is that the one that got 5 stars? And apparently the rating system is a little different (allegedly more stringent) for MY2011 and on...

As far as the 2010 Camaro, it still seems to be listed as 4 star for frontal impact on safercar.gov

Camaro hasn't been tested by IIHS as far as I can tell, just fwiw.
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Old 12-03-2010, 08:07 PM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=77
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Old 12-04-2010, 11:27 AM
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Re: What's the safest of the big 3 pony cars?

Doesn't surprise me at all how well the Challenger did in the tests...LXs really are stout, well-built cars.
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