AU Trumps BA!

[GK]

Vehicle
FORD FALCON AU (1998-2002)
ANCAP UCSR
5 stars 5 stars
O

FORD FALCON BA 2002-2004
4 stars
O

For comparison with other large cars.
TOYOTA CAMRY 1998-2002
5 stars
X
HOLDEN COMMODORE VY/VZ 2002-2004
5 stars
O
HOLDEN COMMODORE VT/VX 1997-2002
5 stars
X
FORD FALCON EF/EL 1994-1998
5 stars
X
TOYOTA CAMRY 2002-2004
4 stars
O
TOYOTA AVALON 2000-2004
4 stars
X
MITSUBISHI MAGNA TE/TF/TH/TJ /
VERADA KE/KF/KH/KJ /
DIAMANTE 1996-2003
4 stars
O

The star rating used for the UCSR's:
Preventing serious injury to the driver:
1 = Significantly worse than average
2 = Worse than average
3 = Average
4 = Better than average
5 = Significantly better than average

Harm to others:
tick tick = Significantly less harm to road users than usual
tick = Less harm than average
O = Average
X = More harm than average
XX = Significantly more harm than average

This info was taken from "how safe is your car.com.au"

I looked for BF data but there wasn't any.

GK

[Casper]

This has been done before.
The one thing that isnt taken into account is the increase in the difficulty in obtaining an 5 star rating between 1998 and 2002.
Effectively, since both the BA and AU are from the same platform overall and share the same general structure and safety exuipment, I would guess that they would be very much similar in an accident.
Personally, as a driver, I would consider them about the same.. but as a passenger I would prefer to be in a BA/BF than my AU1 in an accident.

[andrewts]

Having only been in one serious accident (Camira doing 80km up the back of stopped car) I can say that the structure of the car itself plays the most part in a crash, not fancy detonating airbags, etc. That was a serious crash I was in that day, and I escaped with some cuts to the neck from the seatbelt.

If I were to be in another crash, I'd want to be in a post '94 Falcon.

[GK]

Originally Posted by Casper

This has been done before.
The one thing that isnt taken into account is the increase in the difficulty in obtaining an 5 star rating between 1998 and 2002.

Personally, as a driver, I would consider them about the same.. but as a passenger I would prefer to be in a BA/BF than my AU1 in an accident.

Good point about the more rigorous testing Casper! It's hard to know also, what part the heavier weight of the BA played in the testing. More weight = more crash energy to be absorbed somewhere.

So to be a passenger in the lighter AU, or the heavier but more airbag equipped BA?

BTW, what's a standard BA got in the number of airbags anyway?

GK

[Casper]

Originally Posted by GK

Good point about the more rigorous testing Casper! It's hard to know also, what part the heavier weight of the BA played in the testing. More weight = more crash energy to be absorbed somewhere.

So to be a passenger in the lighter AU, or the heavier but more airbag equipped BA?

BTW, what's a standard BA got in the number of airbags anyway?

GK

Its a difficult one to answer and, in general term of a stand up fight, the car with the most mass wins.
Either way I think both the AU and the BA/BF (and even the EF and EL as well) all provide an amazingly safe and protective passenger safety cell. Given the roads these days I feel much more comfortable in my Falcon than I would in a Lancer or Excel thats for sure.

As for BA's, I believe they have the 2 airbags as standard fittment these days (Driver and front passenger) but it may even be more, I honestly dont know for certain.

[xr8 007]

Andrew WTS,

Did the camira did good in a crash??

[GK]

Originally Posted by Casper

1. Its a difficult one to answer and, in general term of a stand up fight, the car with the most mass wins.

2. Either way I think both the AU and the BA/BF (and even the EF and EL as well) all provide an amazingly safe and protective passenger safety cell.

3. Given the roads these days I feel much more comfortable in my Falcon than I would in a Lancer or Excel thats for sure.

1. Agreed, the car with the most mass will win against another car.

But I was thinking about 4wd's and the like. They actually will sustain less external panel damage but the occupants have a higher rate of more serious internal injuries due to the larger amounts of crash energy they will have absorbed.

There are of course so many variables in an accident. Speed of the vehicle(s), the object hit, and the panel which is hit, the safety features of the car, Structure, airbags, length, crumple zones etc.

It actually makes it hard to accurately account for individual crashes. I guess that's the reason all the cars are test crashed in the same way, so the data is at least consistent.

2. Agreed.

3. Agreed.

GK

[Sleeperau]

Originally Posted by Casper

Its a difficult one to answer and, in general term of a stand up fight, the car with the most mass wins.
Either way I think both the AU and the BA/BF (and even the EF and EL as well) all provide an amazingly safe and protective passenger safety cell. Given the roads these days I feel much more comfortable in my Falcon than I would in a Lancer or Excel thats for sure.

As for BA's, I believe they have the 2 airbags as standard fittment these days (Driver and front passenger) but it may even be more, I honestly dont know for certain.

I agree they are all fairly safe. I had a reasonably serious high speed accident in my 97 model EL Falcon 8 years ago & walked away without a mark. The damage was so prolific you could not tell it was an EL/EF falcon It was obviously a write off but I walked away without a scratch. Not so the hiace doing a U turn over double centre lines on a blind corner.

[AU2PWR]

We Win !!!

[Sleeperau]

Originally Posted by AU2PWR

We Win !!!

I don't care I own both an au & a ba, both great cars but I am an au fan. Bottom line, falcons have been a safe car for a long time.

[AUIII XR8 MAN]

Lets hope no one every needs to find out just how safe these car are.