Every year thousands of Australians buy used cars for themselves or their children, assuming they will be safe in a crash.
But as this NSW Government crash test shows, the results can be drastically different for each car even if they look similar and are of about the same age.
Both the silver 2009 Holden Cruze and red 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer were written off after colliding head-on at 60km/h in the test.
The NSW Government crash tested two similar used cars to show the stark difference in safety rating
Both the silver 2009 Holden Cruze and red 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer were written off after colliding head-on at 60km/h in the test
The driver of the Mitsubishi would almost certainly have died as the steering wheel and dashboard speared into their abdomen.
However, the Cruze driver would likely have survived without critical injuries as the damage to the front of the car was not so severe and the airbag deployed.
The government produced a buyer’s guide for second-hand cars, many available for less than $10,000, that it hopes will save lives.
Driver in cars with the lowest one-star rating were 10 times more likely to die in a crash than those driving five-star vehicles.
The driver of the Mitsubishi would almost certainly have died as the steering wheel and dashboard speared into their abdomen
However, the Cruze driver would likely have survived without critical injuries as the damage to the front of the car was not so severe and the airbag deployed
The government produced a buyer’s guide for second-hand cars, many available for less than $10,000, that it hopes will save lives
Driver in cars with the lowest one-star rating were 10 times more likely to die in a crash than those driving five-star vehicles
‘These ratings provide important information about how well a vehicle protects a driver in a crash, but they also show that you don’t have to compromise on safety,’ NSW Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said.
Pricier European luxury brands like Audi, Mercedes, and BMW dominated the five-star ratings, but some cars by more popular brands also rated well.
The Honda City was easily the safest light car and the 2012-15 Subaru Imprezza, Ford Focus LV, and 2009-13 Kia Serato scored well for small cars.
The 2007-15 Ford Mondeo earned five stars as a medium car, the immensely popular 2006-11 Toyota Camry four stars, and the Ford Falcon FG and Volvo V70 were the top large cars.
The 2012-15 Subaru Imprezza scored five stars in the small cars category
The 2007-15 Ford Mondeo earned five stars as a medium car
The Volvo V70 was one of the the top large cars, earning a five-star rating
Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival were the top people movers, the Holden Colorado was named the safest ute and the Hyundai ix35 the best small SUV.
Ratings were determined by data from 7.5 million crashes and 1.7 million injured drivers and passengers in New Zealand and Australia between 1987 and 2015.
Cars were not rated until they were involved in at least 100 crashes with at least 20 drivers injured.
The Ford Falcon FG also performed very well with a four-star rating
The popular Hyundai ix35 was named the best small SUV