Type 44/5000 safety rating

[t44tq at mindspring.com]

Ben-
The Procon-Ten system installed in '89 model year for the US
greatly improved the safety rating of the type 44, along with
the driver's side airbag. Considering this, I would hypothesize
that possibly the steering column is at fault for causing the low
safety rating.

I don't know if the European crash results are available online,
but I thought the type 44 did pretty well in tests other than those
conducted by NHTSA, but this is going by memory alone and I could be
COMPLETELY wrong, so don't take my words as wisdom. :-)

Those NHTSA tests were crashes into a concrete barrier at 35mph,
head-on,
non-offset. I think the reason we have offset crash testing as the norm
these days is because they've realized that head-on flat crashes are not
very realistic.

Taka

-----Original Message-----
From: quattro-admin at audifans.com [mailto:quattro-admin at audifans.com] On
Behalf Of Ben Swann
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 10:30 PM
To: 'quattro at audifans.com'
Cc: SWANN (E-mail)
Subject: Type 44/5000 safety rating


OK - Listers, I'd appreciate some help with this one.  I had always been
under the impression that out Type 44's were rather safe.  Please help
me refute this.  I thought I saw some testimonials awhile back
proclaiming that in this very type of drivers side accident the
occupants came out miraculously unscathed, while the other vehicle
disintegrated on impact, or something to that effect.

I personally con't see how this can be knowing something of the
construction of these cars.  The only thing I can see is these safety
rating are making a comparison to the newer luxury cars with side impact
air bags, and even then, I question this rating.

Here is what happened - the potential buyer of my '87 5000 turbo quattro
avant backed out due to the following email:

Joe Buyer here.  I've run into a bit of a snag with my wife regarding
the purchase of your avant.  She's a firm believer in safety ratings and
when she looked up the stuff on the 87 5000's was not amused at their 1
star drivers side rating in the 83-88 range.  Unless I can find
something in print somewhere to convince here otherwise I'm afraid I'm
going to have to pass on the car.

Sorry,

Joe Buyer

Name changed to protect the identity of the buyer.

Doesn't change my opinion of these cars, but this really bothers me, in
addition to not selling the car.

TIA,

Ben




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