A Honda is softer?

[Kelpie]

1. I read from another forum that someone commented Honda has the sofest metal compared with other Jap brands like Toyota, Nissan and etc.

 

2. But Honda 2004 Civic(7th gen) scored 5 stars for NCAP frontal crash rating and it is also the heaviest compared with Altis and Sunny. Sunny is the lighest oppose to what we thought could be the heaviest 1.6L car because it drinks well. What do you think?

 

Regards,

[Weixiang_06]

hello... if i am not mistaken.. the NCAP front crash being 5 stars doesn't mean it has the hardest metal... it means the possibility of the driver able to escape from the crash unharmed... so it can have a soft metal.. but yet absorbed the impact till swee swee.. so hard and soft metal.. doesn't really make a stand here..

 

not sure whether i am right or not.. this is what i have read..

[Weixiang_06]

Kelpie... so how was the world cup.. was the result what you expected.... a penalty shoot out...

[Kelpie]

Kelpie... so how was the world cup.. was the result what you expected.... a penalty shoot out...

 

I bet Italy 2-0 France. But didn't expect it to be a penalty shoot out but Italy won by 2 balls overall. Sian, have to wait for another 4 more years. So UBS Investor guide is very accurate in prediciting Italy to win the world cup.

 

Regards,

[Kelpie]

hello... if i am not mistaken.. the NCAP front crash being 5 stars doesn't mean it has the hardest metal... it means the possibility of the driver able to escape from the crash unharmed... so it can have a soft metal.. but yet absorbed the impact till swee swee.. so hard and soft metal.. doesn't really make a stand here..

 

not sure whether i am right or not.. this is what i have read..

 

I thought heavier body structure is crucial in good score in NCAP. The 04 Civic is not light so I'm not quite convince that Honda's mental is soft.

 

Regards,

[Jusnel]

no la, doesnt mean got softest metal.

 

hardness of body got nothing to do with the NCAP ratings la.

 

its the ability of highest chance of survival of ppl inside car.

 

high NCAP rating means that car body is able to absorb most of the force upon impact crash before it reaches the ppl inside

 

honda cars are made such a way that upon crash impact, the body structure will asborb the force and 'disintegrate'.

 

i'm sure other new cars are made in this way also. maybe honda has 'mastered' this crash impact safety over the other jap cars.

 

maybe that's why, honda cars cost more than other jap cars.

[Sjlim]

1. I read from another forum that someone commented Honda has the sofest metal compared with other Jap brands like Toyota, Nissan and etc.

 

2. But Honda 2004 Civic(7th gen) scored 5 stars for NCAP frontal crash rating and it is also the heaviest compared with Altis and Sunny. Sunny is the lighest oppose to what we thought could be the heaviest 1.6L car because it drinks well. What do you think?

 

Regards,

 

No lah, don't think this is true at all. Maybe this is a leftover impression from the very early Honda models of the 80s, but at least the last two generation Hondas feel very solid when you close the doors. Same goes for Toyota Corolla Altis, Camry etc but not the Vios. Try slamming the door of a Nissan Sunny or Mitsubishi Lancer and you'll be convinced that those cars have much softer metal than Honda cars.

 

FYI, the 8th gen Honda Civic also scored the highest gold rating in the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. See http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=300

[Weixiang_06]

yah.. i said le.. ball is round... never mind... there is always a next time.. pity zidane got red card for that implusive act... penalty shootout was real close last night....

[Davidklt]

Correct term is Torsional Rigidity

[Smurfie]

I experienced a chain collision b4... there was a Cefiro, followed by a Jazz and lastly a Corolla. The Jazz suffered the most damage, the front gave in to the Cefiro rear bumper and the latter just had some dents. Likewise for the Corolla's front bumper.

 

Maybe like what Jusnel says, Honda tends to 'absorb the force by disintegrating' or by strain hardening. I believe if the metal body had stayed rigid in the collision, the force will be transfered into the cabin and will act upon the driver which may in turn cause him to knock his head onto the steering wheel/windscreen. Thus it is safer for the metal to give way to a certain extent.

 

Anyway all drivers are safe and sound. So these cars are crash proven!

Edited July 10, 2006 by Smurfie

[Fashionista]

err but this win is not really a spectacular win. If Zidane wasn't sent off, who knows?

[Jusnel]

yeap, thats the whole idea of NCAP testing; making sure the survival rate of ppl inside cabin.

 

honda car body is meant to disintegrate upon impact. this will prevent most of force going into the cabin.

 

1 thing bad upon disintegrating bodies; ws cannot panel beat back! must change the whole body part or scrap the whole damm car!!

 

then owner will ....

 

 

panel beat is alot cheaper.... last time old cars, kena accidents, ws can easily panel beat and respray nice nice....

 

with these new car disintegrating, no way can panel beat......

[Sunray]

Try slamming the door of a Nissan Sunny or Mitsubishi Lancer and you'll be convinced that those cars have much softer metal than Honda cars.

 

Sunny door got much softer metal? Becos its weight is lighter? Weight lighter still drinks so well?

 

So harder metal = more ex = honda cars?

[Jack_jack]

hello... if i am not mistaken.. the NCAP front crash being 5 stars doesn't mean it has the hardest metal... it means the possibility of the driver able to escape from the crash unharmed... so it can have a soft metal.. but yet absorbed the impact till swee swee.. so hard and soft metal.. doesn't really make a stand here..

 

not sure whether i am right or not.. this is what i have read..

 

You're mostly right on that count. But one has to understand the parameters of the NCAP crash tests. A 5-star rating on frontal collisions simply mean maximum passenger protection at speeds up to 60 km/h when the car collides head-on with something else. It doesn't tell you much about what will happen if you crash your car at higher speeds, or if your car overturns and the roof is crushed. Sometimes, I really wonder if these Renaults with their 5-star ratings are really safe in every type of accident.

[Jack_jack]

One little thing overlooked by many people about the softness of Honda cars' frontal structures... these cars are also designed with pedestrian safety in mind. When you whack a passer-by, the soft structures will minimise the injuries sustained. Hence, the premiums you pay for a Honda ensures that you won't kill unprotected pedestrians (although this also translates into higher repair bills for all kinds of knocks).

[Sjlim]

I never said that harder metal = more ex = honda cars.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Sjlim

[Odyssey02]

Are you sure the Altis has a solid feel to its doors? there's been alot of hype over these thai-made vehicles.

[Elfenstar]

those who said its not the toughness of the sheetmetal are right.

 

Its how the surrounding structure absorbs the impact while the safety cell (i.e. the cabin) shields the occupants. Things such as how the steering column collapses, how the engine moves (e.g. the merc ones are designed to go under the car), etc all play a part.

 

the material used also plays a major part for example assuming everything else is exactly the same, a mild steel safety cell is weaker than a crome-moly cell which inturn is weaker than a boron steel cell. as such more weight does not necessarily mean a safer car.

 

In addition to crash safety for the occupants, pedestrian crash safety plays a part which in addition to impact absorbing aspects, angles and shapes of the car also play a part.