Re: Crash test - A4

[ScharfR@aol.com]

I doubt that anybody's crash testing would really reveal that five year old
cars offered better crash survivability than a new, stateof the art design.

On the topic of crash testing, and leg injuries in particular, there are
third-party tests done in Germany by the magazine "auto, motor und sport"
together with the Technische Ueberwachungs Verein (TUV) which are done ar 55
k/mh (34.1 mph) into an offset barrier.  In these tests only half the frontal
area overlaps the barrier, so it is more like hitting an opposing vehicle
with the two drivers seeing eye to eye.

This methodology is particularly good at revealing leg injury criteria (which
are measured in the NHTSA teste, but not incorporated in the star rating
system).

But what is his point, you ask?  Well, the A4 produced such exemplary results
that the magazine termed it the best in its class and said that it set a new
benchmark, particularly with respect to leg njury criteria.  In all the
mesaured criteria - for both the driver and front seat passenger - the A4
recorded G loads and deceleration peaks that were well below the risk levels
accepted in this sort of crash testing.

The A8 and A6 have also been tested in Germany and demonstrated results that
put them among the best (read safest cars on the road).  Add this to the US
Government's ful overlap barrier tests and you have a degree of consistancy
and repeatability which is truely impressive.  The A6 actually achieved a
five star rating for the driver and the front seat passenger. No other luxury
car has achieved this, not Mercedes, not Volvo, not anybody .  To my
knowledge, there is no other manufacturer for which such good and consistant
results are publicly available.  If you know better, I'd be very interested
in seeing some data.

I'd put my loved ones in a new Audi over any other car in this class -
including a five year old Audi.