[danthefitman]

You might want to see this Crash Test of the 500...

I have been wanting to see this - and now that I have, I'm not too pleased to know the outcome. Basic physics.

Go to the bottom left of the image box and click on the "Play" > arrow.

 

[ed_bltn]

Wonder what happened to the space the legs of the dummy driver in the Fiat occupied. The Fiat appeared to get it worse, but both cars were pretty cratered.

 

[Joe in Dublin]

Fiat faired pretty well, just dont get into a headon offset crash... Your driving one of the smallest cars on the road.....

 

[BlueStreak]

This was done in 2008. What changes have been made in the area of safety?? Don't know what if any but I feel safe in my 500!


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

 

[fjhuerta]

Our cars are safe, but really... no matter what Fiat does, it's still a very small, light vehicle. If I crashed head-on with a Q7 I'd expect for bad things to happen.

Check out where the tires of the Q7 end up. I have a feeling that crash test dummy lost both legs. At least.

 

[guido]

Keep in mind that this is a crash test for the European FIAT 500 not ours. While I wouldn't want to meet a Q7 head-on in either version, this will give an idea about what safely improvements we got:

http://www.fiat500usa.com/2011/03/fiat-500-beauty-inside-and-outside.html

 

[Giallo Edizione]

Our cars are safe, but really... no matter what Fiat does, it's still a very small, light vehicle. If I crashed head-on with a Q7 I'd expect for bad things to happen.

Check out where the tires of the Q7 end up. I have a feeling that crash test dummy lost both legs. At least.

FIAT dummie's head got channelled into the front corner between the two air bags and then came off. Not cool.

I hope this test makes all the Q7 owners feel good about themselves. Mabye they should pair up the Q7 against, say, a Peterbilt.

 

[danthefitman]

Here's an article speaking for the positive side of small car crash tests - recently too - May 26, 2011. http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr052611.html

And here's another article from the New York Times back in August of 2009. Physics is physics - and what they say about the head striking the steering wheel, through the airbag is something I particularly didn't know happens - I simply thought airbags completely stopped that potential - apparently not. I just think, defensive driving is key - however, there's instances when no amount of defensive driving is going to stop someone else's errors.

New York Times article: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/small-cars-rate-poorly-in-new-crash-tests/

Be safe everyone, don't text and drive or talk on your cell, at all - eyes on the road.

 

[MrFlippant]

Actually, that crash looked survivable, and much better than I expected to see. The improvements made for the NA version should enhance that a bit more.

Of course, as has been said, physics is physics, and any time you put a big car against a little one, the little one loses. That's why so many soccer moms out there are driving frikking Navigators and Escalades and the like. If there were more small cars on the road, this wouldn't be such a big deal. Stupid greedy Americans. ;-)

 

[danthefitman]

I agree.about the SUV's and the pathetic soccer mom's. Their SUV's never have and never will see, a back road, dirt road or dirt for that matter. I think SUV's should be outlawed - as they're gas hogs and small car killers and generally turn my stomach. I've owned a small car since 1984 - an MGB roadster - and what's more - no roll bar either! I was involved in a collision with my first B - a 1976 (rubber bumper). This lady ran a red, whilst I was coming to cross her path - (a "T" in the road)...I "T-boned" her car - and hit head on - the side of her ugly station wagon. My MGB (and I) survived quite well in fact. I was traveling about 40 MPH or so. MGB's are unibody cars, one of the first to do that sort of design. The frame horns were bent - and both front fenders/bonnet were crunched. I got a bump on my forehead on the top edge of the windshield - otherwise, I was injury free. I got right out - and told the lady she ran the red. I eventually got the car fixed and drove it for anther 9 years. I've owned my current MGB since 2000 and always drive defensively - getting around the snail-slow drivers - and the soccer mom's who are constantly yakking on their phones - whilst applying makeup to their faces.

 

[rrucker]

I now drive with a pillow taped to the side of my head.

 

[Tweak]

Yet another reason a little extra power and modding the car can be "helpful" so anyone with a significant other telling you "no" maybe reconsidering the defensive driving aspect with the bit of extra "get outta the way" might sway the vote.

 

[Giallo Edizione]

Yet another reason a little extra power and modding the car can be "helpful" so anyone with a significant other telling you "no" maybe reconsidering the defensive driving aspect with the bit of extra "get outta the way" might sway the vote.

"Honey, I'm trading up to an Abarth because, well, er...it's much safer than our Sport....."


Bang! Zoom!

 

[Tweak]

"Honey, I'm trading up to an Abarth because, well, er...it's much safer than our Sport....."


Bang! Zoom!

Perfect!

 

[aktarus]

this test is stupid, if this is the means of comparison, why not do a full frontal Q7 vs. this?

even these are in town right?

 

[RobR]

Mabye they should pair up the Q7 against, say, a Peterbilt.

Exactly, it's all relative.