Is the Lancer Evolution Safe?

[DRFTR8]

Is Lancer Evolution safe?
Mitsubishi! > Lancer's Side Crash/Impact Test Results

Cars Tested by NHTSA for front-seat Side Impact/Crash
2004 Lancer Evolution (Evo) 4-Dr
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-Dr
2003 Lancer 4-Dr
2002 Mitsubishi Lancer 4-Dr
Result: Lancer 'Fails' (2 stars out of 5)
According to NHTSA, a vehicle classified as 2 star in this test results in 21-25% chance of serious chest injury that could potentially be life threatening.
http://www.mitsubishisucks.com/cars/crash/news/lancer/images/lancer-evo.jpeg

More on NHTSA's Side Impact Test
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) has a New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for safety purpose. It started testing selected vehicles for side impact safety since 1997.

How does NHTSA side-crash test vehicles?
"For testing side impact collisions, crash-test dummies are placed in driver and (driver's side) rear passenger seats, on the side of vehicle struck, and secured with the vehicle's seat belts. This test represents an intersection-type collision with a 3,015 pound barrier moving at 38.5 mph into a standing vehicle. The barrier is covered with material that has "give" to replicate the front of a vehicle."[NHTSA]

Can be ratings be compared across car categories?
"Since all tested vehicles are impacted by the same size barrier, it is possible to compare all vehicles with each other when looking at side crash protection ratings." [NHTSA]

What do the ratings mean?
"Side-collision star ratings indicate the chance of a life threatening chest injury for the driver, front seat passenger, and the rear seat passenger. Head injury is not measured in these tests. As with the front-impact ratings, a serious injury is one requiring immediate hospitalization and may be life threatening." [NHTSA]
The ratings and their meanings are as follows:
5 star = 5% or less chance of serious injury
4 star = 6% to 10% chance of serious injury
3 star = 11% to 20% chance of serious injury
2 star = 21% to 25% chance of serious injury
1 star = 26% or greater chance of serious injury

How serious is side impact issue in real life?
In 1999, about 8000 fatalities happened because of side collisions. In its "2002 Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Crashes" report NHTSA asserted that
Two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger car and a LTV (includes pickup truck, SUV and VAN) show that when a car was struck in the side by an LTV, the car occupants were 20.8 times as likely to be fatally injured.
20.8 times as likely to be fatally injured...(in front-collision it is 3.3 times)

Lancer Impact, Crash, Collision: Japan, Australia and Europe
Australia NCP Impact Test Result of 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer: "Protection from serious chest injury was poor for the drive." (http://www.mitsubishisucks.com/cars/crash/australia/lancer/)

NHTSA 2004 Lancer Evolution Side Impact Safety Test Result Link
NHTSA NCAP's side crash safety result for 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 4-Dr (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2893.html)
CREDITS: All the images except my boxplot are from NHTSA's site. Picture on the top left is that of a Lancer subjected to side crash test.

[EV0LL]

Don't really care much. If I wanted safe I woulda bought a SAAB or Volvo.
TIA

[mtsevovii]

ouch...

[Unowned]

use the Evo's handling to avoid accidents at all costs :) my chance of avoiding accidents up 50%!

[MadEvo]

Always wondered how our evos rated. Now I know.

[evo8dustu]

i couldnt care less.

[myVekDrifteRS]

"Don't get caught on railroad tracks, look both ways clearly before crossing the intersection, your passenger is more important than your car - hence your girl, kids, etc. and look both ways clearly before crossing the intersection, watch out for yellow light runners, look both ways clearly before crossing the intersection....

[KareBearPowa]

I love that home drawn diagram from "mitsubishisucks.com"

Last I checked NHTSA has only crash tested the normal lancer.

[evo_dadi]

even the crapiest of all car is safe as long as the driver is not an idiot so its the drivers fault when you dont think ahead.

[MarkSAE]

I'll take my chances inside my evo. Stupid drivers inside safe cars are still more dangerous IMO.

[redvolution]

from joe250: "Volvo: Because the worst drivers need the safest cars."

[turbotiger]

Yah, they still haven't done a crash test on a evo yet, just a base model lancer.
There's significantly more rigidity in the evo than a base model lancer.

[coco]

use the Evo's handling to avoid accidents at all costs :) my chance of avoiding accidents up 50%!


+1

I avoided a deer with my brakes from a brisk pace. It is also safer then my bike.

[DRFTR8]

Yah, they still haven't done a crash test on a evo yet, just a base model lancer.
There's significantly more rigidity in the evo than a base model lancer.


from the top of the thread:
Cars Tested by NHTSA for front-seat Side Impact/Crash
2004 Lancer Evolution (Evo) 4-Dr

[KareBearPowa]

from the top of the thread:
Cars Tested by NHTSA for front-seat Side Impact/Crash
2004 Lancer Evolution (Evo) 4-Dr



Go to the NHTSA site and show us then. I looked yesterday, lancer only. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.

[zyounker]

Yah, they still haven't done a crash test on a evo yet, just a base model lancer.
There's significantly more rigidity in the evo than a base model lancer.


from the top of the thread:
Cars Tested by NHTSA for front-seat Side Impact/Crash
2004 Lancer Evolution (Evo) 4-Dr




just because it is posted on the internet doesn't make it true..

From NHTSA:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3551.html


Only car listed is the lancer.. And the 2008 lancer sportback.. Nothing on the Evolution.


EDIT: Point is. the evo has not been tested it seems, and it should be much different then the base lancer.. Might be worse, or better... Who knows.

[MarkSAE]

just because it is posted on the internet doesn't make it true..


:werd:

[turbotiger]

just because it is posted on the internet doesn't make it true..


:werd:

Especially by a website called Mitsubishisucks.com. I'd say that's a biased website.

[Yuh]

Well, I was involved in a 40mph passenger side impact in a rainstorm, and I was hospitalized with in the ICU with major internal bleeding for 5 days on my 03 evo. Thank god I was driving by myself, the damage was pretty terrible for 40mph. The passenger probably would of died.

When I recovered, I bought a evo ix with the insurance money. LOL...
I had choices between a used nsx, g35c, s2k, or STi...

[RgistRdShowoffIX]

excuse me, Yuh but....ahem..


;) Die Hard Loyalist 8)

[TVA]

These results are strictly for a T bone type crash though. The Evo was one of the Insurance Institute's "Best Picks" for an offset frontal impact with their highest "good" rating.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=354

[tkeirin]

just because it is posted on the internet doesn't make it true..


:werd:

Especially by a website called Mitsubishisucks.com. I'd say that's a biased website.


this is an interesting point.

[MitsuMan]

if you drive fast enough maybe you won't get tboned instead you be spun around.* *Who cares you don't buy a performance car for the safety at least I don't .* can you amagine how much heavier the car would be if the doors were reinforced to withstand a t-bone attack.* *if your really woried why don't you have a full cage installed

I don't care what your driving if you get hit hard from the side your in some deep shit period even if you have side air bags its still gonna be a bad crash

[turbotiger]

These results are strictly for a T bone type crash though. The Evo was one of the Insurance Institute's "Best Picks" for an offset frontal impact with their highest "good" rating.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=354

Again, that's the base lancer model crash results, not the evo.

[TVA]

These results are strictly for a T bone type crash though. The Evo was one of the Insurance Institute's "Best Picks" for an offset frontal impact with their highest "good" rating.
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=354

Again, that's the base lancer model crash results, not the evo.



That result page might lead you to believe that, but it is for the Evo.

[DaveLC2]

I bet the Evo is a lot safer than mitsubishisucks.com says it is. I can't seem to find any info on it.

Dave

[chrisw]

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/image.ashx?rh=285&id=1

I have seen worse on evom crash thread with the idiot drivers walking away from it.

and, if the pic is the proof, the regular lancer sucks in side impact protection...

[SilverStreak]

yah...i wouldn't trust a website like that for unbiased information.

from what i read on the evolution...i think it was an article from edmunds or something like that. the car did fine in safety tests.

it didn't score as high as other cars in side impact collisions because newer cars have heavier reinforcements on the doors, and side curtain airbags. the lack of these features lowered its score.

[turbotiger]

Again, that's the base lancer model crash results, not the evo.

That result page might lead you to believe that, but it is for the Evo.

excerpt from the side impact test result.
Tested vehicle specifications:

* 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4-door
* Class: Small car
* Weight: 2,736 lbs.
* Side airbags: none
* Wheelbase: 102 in.
* Length: 181 in.
* Width: 67 in.
* Engine: 2.0 L 4-cylinder
* EPA ratings: 25 mpg city | 31 mpg highway

[DaveLC2]

I remember seeing some pretty nasty crashes on Evom over last year or two. One that stands out was a guy and a girl that slid sideways into a tree at an insane speed and they both survived* :shock: They didn't exactly wallk away, one of them had a ruptured spline and several broken bones but there are many other cars on the road that would've had a different ending.

http://67.19.177.10/newphotos/bad/bad239.jpg

http://67.19.177.10/newphotos/bad/bad238.jpg

http://67.19.177.10/newphotos/bad/bad240.jpg*

http://67.19.177.10/newphotos/bad/bad058.jpg*:shock: :shock: :shock:


Dave

[tkeirin]

Dang!! pretty insane.

[Lurk]

I already knew the EVO wasn't the safest car around when I bought it. Actually the Impreza has a very good crash and safety rating, but the EVO I heard was not very safe in crashes. But then again, I don't intend on crashing mines. *knock on wood*

[Lurk]

Looks like even the mighty GT-R doesn't do very well in side impacts either: http://www.japanesesportcars.com/galleries/data/media/54/skyline2_1.jpg