Euro NCAP ratings

[M.C]

Do they bother you/influence your buying decisions? Probably seems a bit silly compared to bikes, but as you're strapped into the car and crumpling metal's the difference between being potato or not, is safety a high priority for you?

https://www.stillbreathing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/crash-testing-dummies.jpg

[smegballs]

I'd never even consider it tbh.

Think of the guys on here that have been perma-spazzed by offs at 20mph on a bike. Even in a really "unsafe" car they'd most likely be minor injuries at worst.

[M.C]

Well I've still got injuries from a low speed off a few years back, so I think that's what has made me think about it, before then I'd never been injured so didn't realise what fun it was

Imagine you have a really big smash on the motorway, would a 5 star car (which I currently own) perform that much better than a 4 or 3 star? Could you interpret it literally and say you'd be 20 and 40% worse off (I know it's an overall score based on different factors).

[stevo as b4]

You should be ashamed at your girl speak even starting this thread. Fucking Ncap safety records? That's what took all the fun cars off the road way too early.

We could have had factory 160bhp 1.8 Metro's and Mk3 Fiesta zetec 2.0 ST170's etc years ago when it would have been pretty cheap to build a full beans hot hatchback, if it wasn't for Ncap and the other safety shit that stopped all the fun.

Cars should be or at least for me are about:

1, the smallest cheapest box on wheels that's pennies to run and gets you A-B. In modern day terms that's about an Aygo or similar, or something Smart size but without the daft cost.

2, being eligible for the retro rides forum, and be all about the project status, and what mad plans you've got for them.

I don't get why people want luxury barges, crossovers, Range Rover superiority, perceived premium badges on their key rings, or endless techno features and connectivity etc?

I ain't even got a hands free phone system in my work van, and I don't want one either. If I have to take calls all day I ain't even gonna get in the cab, or I'll switch it off before I drive. I don't know of any UK firms that force you to talk and drive at the same time, and if there are then I ain't gonna work for them.

Maybe life/work is different in London so that the above is impossible, I'm never going to find out though.

[smegballs]

I see crashing as just luck really.

There's some people who have come off at high speed and walked away without a scratch, other who smash their pelvis/femur at 20mph and are fucked for life, and then all the other cases in between the two extremes.

I'd take the opinion that "don't crash" is more useful than buying cars on the basis of crashing safer. When it comes down to "try not to crash" on my list losing NCB and insurance ballaches come higher than "I might get hurt".

[M.C]

The Metro, what a loss to motoring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5wtWAj3Mc

[smegballs]

Quite interesting, I'd be interested to see how the old 90s Volvo "tanks" did.

[M.C]

I'm guessing not that well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY (if you get an advert close and re-open it).

[stevo as b4]

It had an air bag, what more do you want?

I've seen more 200bhp+ Metro's at car shows, than I have Jazz's. And I know for a fact it's cheaper to build such a Metro or mk3 Fiesta, or Nova etc, than it is to make a Jazz of that spec.

The crash results would have been no different if you'd shown a Renault 5 or Citroën Ax etc.

Maybe I'm just looking for the wrong things in my cars?

[M.C]

FWIW I'm looking at a different car for the powah increase. I also had no idea about my cars safety rating when I bought it.

[thx1138]

Never really owned a car.

Considerations would be how cheap is it, how small is it, I can just about park a small car.

[stevo as b4]

You need to be careful just looking at a bhp increase alone though, as it's often really missing the point in newer cars.

You can buy a 200bhp Audi saloon now, that does a nice quiet drama free dash to 60mph in about 7seconds and over 40mpg and is all quiet and peaceful on the motorway etc.

But thanks to all your 7air bags, and sat navs and can bus electronic systems, it's still pretty pathetic to be honest.

25years ago a 200bhp engine in a family hatchback etc would have been absolutely ballistic and hard to deploy on anything other than perfect grippy track tarmac.

Weight is the enemy and must be exterminated at all cost.

There's a 1989 fastest ever 2wd hatchback I can think of that did 0-60 in 6.7seconds, on just 152bhp. 200bhp makes them super car destroyers when your rocking just 960kg kerb weight.

[M.C]

Well it's a supercharged Cooper S, so definitely quicker , but not that much lighter.

[thx1138]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[stevo as b4]

[stevo as b4]

[M.C]

[thx1138]

in the late 80s my step brother had a Ford RS2000, it was made out of at least 3 other cars, put together by him and a mate in a lock-up, and broke down about twice a week, and got pulled over by the police as often.

body shell was different colour to all the doors etc, had a roll cage and bucket seats, looked like a scrap heap, and seemed to be really stupidly quick

spent many evenings in the passenger seat too young to own a bike, with house music blasting out the stereo hooning round the country lanes late at night

still didn't tempt me into getting a car though.

[grr666]

My car is a pretty light weight thing at just over a 1000kg. 138bhp as standard, 7k redline and handling (and spec list)
that would shame a great many cars. No turbo, just flog it till it screams. And a 5 star NCAP rating to go with it all.
The very newest iterations of the Swift only get 3 stars.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[BrownTrousers]

Bike is for fun. Bike is just for me; safety (safety features anyway) is close to irrelevant.

Car is for function. Car is for transporting 2 year old child around; safety is important.

That said, I don't specifically compare car safety records when deciding what to purchase because I tend to buy pretty modern, mid size cars and i figure that they are all broadly going to be relatively safe (compared to old cars, small cars or bikes).
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Ducati Multistrada 950 | Triumph Tiger 800 XR | Honda CBR500R | Yamaha YBR 125 Custom

[M.C]

[arry]

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[M.C]