🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Jun2.173538.15039@awdprime.austin.ibm.com> johniac@hwperform.austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti) writes:
>I think you're misrepresenting the relative safety of Japanese cars. 
>In the NHTSA crash tests of small and compact cars, only the Toyota
>Corolla and Toyota Tercel had problems (with driver side protection). 
>The Acuras, Mazdas, Nissans, Mitsubishis, and remaning Toyotas were
>all as safe as the domestic offerings.  When you get to medium and
>large cars, the unsafe ones are all American:  Buick Century, Buick
>Regal, Olds Calais, Olds Cutlass Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix,
>Chevrolet Caprice.  The Multipurpose Vehicles are all unsafe,
>regardless of where they're made.

In NHTSA studies, vehicle weight has correlated strongly to vehicle
safety.  The Japanese make more light weight vehicles than Americans.
And most of the low-end American cars are little more than re-labelled
Japanese cars.  Usually cars by Mazda (Ford), Mitsubishi (Chrysler),
and so on.  I think Honda/Acura is the only company that isn't selling
Japanese cars with American labels (even Toyota is part owned by GM,
as I recall).

Of course, when you get to the medium and large cars, there aren't
any Japanese cars to compare them to.  Name the Japanese model that
compares to a Ford Crown Victoria, for example.  And with that
increased size and weight comes increased safety, relative to the
small cars.  (Try a cross-category comparision of safety - Cadillacs
to Toyota Tercels ;-)

As for MPV's - there are no safety standards for MPV's because most
snuck in as vans, and neither vans nor trucks have the roll-over or
side impact requirements that cars do.  But that has nothing to do
with country of origin.
-- 
John F. Haugh II      | VNET: LCCB386 at AUSVMQ | "Physical Fitness is the
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Internet: jfh@devnet.la.locus.com               |  of excellence"  -- JFK