Cars You Just Might Die In.
Nowadays, most people take the safety features of their cars for granted. There aren’t really a whole lot of cars on the market that actually get bad crash test ratings from any of the various agencies that rate them. Rafts of standard airbags, stability control, antilock brakes, brakeforce distribution, electronic brake assist, and built in anti-submarining and crumple zones mean that even a base-model economy car isn’t a bad bet in a wreck. It hasn’t always been like this. There are still a few cars around that I would recommend not driving for the practical reason that they might end your life.
1) 2001-2004 Chevy Blazer 2-Door 2WD
Why: High occurence of rollover-related deaths due to inadequate roof structural integrity
Seems like a pretty innocuous vehicle, rate? Well, buyer beware: the IIHS (international institute for highway safety) says that these 2-door, 2WD Blazers are the deadliest cars on the road, statistically speaking. The Blazer averages 232 deaths per 1 million units registered, with the industry average somewhere around 79 deaths per million. Also to be avoided according to the IIHS: the Acura RSX (with 202 deaths per million) and the Nissan 350Z (with 193 deaths per million.)
Safest car on the road? Chevy Astro van, with an average of 7 deaths per million. Also at the low end are the Infiniti G35 and BMW 7-series (11 per million) and the Toyota 4Runner (14 per million.) Keep that in mind, I suppose. Paranoid drivers of the world: Your Astro is waiting!
2) 1980’s Porsche 911 Turbo
Why: You’re probably coked out, wearing a Hawaiian Flower T-shirt, and do anything in a wet corner besides hold the throttle right where it is.
Although I have no hard data for this one, the 80’s Porsche Turbo had the double-whammy of being plain dangerous, and having a pretty clueless user-base. The 911 (pre anti-oversteer Weissach Axle design) had it’s engine all the way at the back, and letting off the throttle - or hitting the throttle, or hitting the brakes, or pretty much doing anything at all - in a tricky wet corner could mean serious snap-oversteer, which caught many a Johnny-Come-Lately Nouveau-Riche unawares in the 80’s. “Through the Gates of Hell, Backwards, On Fire” as Clarkson might say.
3) Ford Explorer
Why: Firestone Tires.
Need I say More?
4) Chinese Cars
Brilliance BS6 (Sedan):
Notice how in a 45mph offset frontal impact, the entire front passenger compartment sort of goes from a square to a straight line? Yikes. But it gets better!
Jiangling Landwind (SUV):
Observe (in horror) as the Landwind goes through the same offset frontal crash test. The passenger cabin deforms, the door pops open, the roof buckles, the side sills buckle, and the airbag goes off. Not that it matters, because then the steering column breaks free from it’s mounts and the hard steering wheel then whacks the crash test dummy IN THE FACE.
But I’ve saved the best for last:
5) Volkswagen T3 Transporter Caddi
Before: Passengers in Passenger Cabin
After: Passenger Cabin?