Not quite cheating, more as, the crash structures are not designed for it.
If you design a car to pass frontal and moderate overlap, it will be safe in those situations. If you design it for side impact, it'll be safe in that, too.
But if you have to design a car to be safe in front, moderate, small, diagonal, pole, pole lengthwise across the roof, pole crosswise across the roof, log-through-the-windshield, re-bar through the door, bullet through the side window and etcetera, you'll have a car that weights hundreds of pounds more, costs thousands more and has less carrying capacity for more size.
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It's like the bicycle helmet argument. Sure, helmets are good, but full-face helmets are better. Those protect the jaw, but armor is better. Armor and helmets are good, but armor, helmet and HANS device are better. And airbags are better. And perhaps full armor with protection from joint overextension... hey, why don't we fully enclose the bike and give it a cage... at which point you've increased the cost beyond what most people are willing to pay... (and the weight beyond which most people can bike with...)
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Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian
Sad to see how my Fit did. STill, it's worth noting that it's the oldest car in the list, and the top-scoring Chevy is the newest. I expect the new Fit to do well like the recently introduced Civic and Accord have.
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I think the even more pertinent data point is that Chevrolet modified the Spark for the US market. Disappointed the Mirage didn't do better, since it's a newer design... but that lightweight front end is built around just two frame rails (the fenders hang off of plastic pieces attached to the rails), no box or perimeter frame around the engine. I'm wondering what they can do to pass the test without making it another 50 kilograms heavier.
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Originally Posted by P-hack
Seriously, that is at least half the missing story here. A slight offset crash on a SUV is a complete miss in a small car. Plus less mass can change directions easier.
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Completely agree. The test is supposed to simulate an accident with cars driving in opposite directions on a two-way street... on the idea that small overlap hits are more common than moderate... but you've got to wonder which car is most likely to get hit in that situation, given the width differences between car classes...