Road test Jazz v Yaris

[JazzMusic]

The younger the car/platform the better it should perform in a crash test.
Cars which were designed before 2000 all fail today's tests.
If you're lucky the car scores better with a facelift but not by much.
There are car makers with a history of low/minimum safety like Fiat.
When the 8th gen Civic suddenly gained 120 kg weight it was all due to safety reasons. You don't want have a crash in on of the former gen Civics. Worst Honda of all was the CRX. These fun to drive 'rolling coffins'.
Have a look how far back the driver sits in the new Jazz, even though it's a pretty small car. Also notice how narrow both front passengers sit which needed an airbag between them.

Regarding the driver. I can drive as safely as I want, it's the idiot that crashes into me who wants me having a safe car.

[Westy36]

Tested today with actual test protocols a 2012 Jazz would surely reach no more than 2 euroncap stars, to be honest 2 stars would be a very good and lucky result.
This because its chassis was not designed to pass:
-the frontal full width 50km/h crash;
-the frontal 40% overlap crash  with a soft trolley with standard weight;
-the side crash considering much more parameters (some of them needing a sidebag put between drive and passenger) for adults and children;
-the rear crash for rear passengers;
-and so on: euroncap datasheets are clear about this https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/47807/euroncap-2015-honda-jazz-datasheet.pdf and https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/7449/euroncap_honda_jazz_2009_5stars.pdf
We must consider that manufacturers do not design their cars to be safe or to be clean: they design them to meet  legal and commercial parameters current in a specific year and in a specific market and nothing more because it would be expensive in the assembly line. Cars for USDM markets must meet a roof strength test to protect driver and passengers from rollover damages, so cars built to be sold in the USDM have A, B and C pillars more robust than cars sold in Europe.
Here you can see rear bumper parts of a USDM 2017 Fit, https://www.hondapartsnow.com/parts-list/2018-honda-fit--5dr_ex-ka_6mt/interior_bumper/rear_bumper.html
and this is the same part chart of an european Jazz: https://www.parts-honda.uk/honda-cars/JAZZ/2017/14-EXECUTIVE/UPHOLSTERY/REAR-BUMPER/30747/B4650/5/30747
As you can see the nr° 7 beam in the USDM Fit is missing in the european Jazz, this because Euroncap never tests rear crashes, they only test  seats performance about  whiplash.
If you check other parts, you will see that the front beam of the USDM Fit will be different from EUDM Jazz, as front driver bag and sidebags: this because of the small overlap test, so we can say that USDM Fit drivers will be more protected than european ones in a crash very similar to the small overlap. No driver will probably  be weel protected in a crash with 45° angle, because no nCAP test, USA, EU, AU or latin, is moving manufacturers to well perform in this performance.
So if you see a 2012 Fiat Panda with 0 stars if tested in 2018 (and with 4 or 5 stars when tested in 2012), feel sure that every other mass production car designed in the same period will behave in the same way.
So we must say that a car will be safe only considering the specific test well performed: other fields are not considered in the design so probably the car will perform bad.

Wow, very detailed reply! Every day is a school day as the expression has it.

I genuinely had no idea that car manufacturers built the body of their cars to differing specification safety wise for different markets. I now knowwhy given the info referenced, but I assumend a Jazz here was the same everywhere. I know they fit different trim levels and equipment relevant to the market to be sold in however.

Stay safe whatever you drive! 

[Kremmen]

I always remember that 'unsafe at any speed' where one item highlighted, that used to be common on a lot of cars, was the ignition key in the dash by your right knee.

Because the key was sticking out, end on, it would slice your kneecap in half in serious shunts.....nice !

[Westy36]

I always remember that 'unsafe at any speed' where one item highlighted, that used to be common on a lot of cars, was the ignition key in the dash by your right knee.

Because the key was sticking out, end on, it would slice your kneecap in half in serious shunts.....nice !

I have had four Saab cars, and they have all had the key in the centre near the handbrake. Very safe.

I note some cars these days, and Im thinking here of BMW's, have a slot higher up the dash for the key fob to be inserted and a starter button to start. I suppose it is safer than having a key right by your knee.

[jazzaro]

I have had four Saab cars, and they have all had the key in the centre near the handbrake. Very safe.

I note some cars these days, and Im thinking here of BMW's, have a slot higher up the dash for the key fob to be inserted and a starter button to start. I suppose it is safer than having a key right by your knee.

Key fobs have been moved upwards since first years of this century, when Euroncap started to test cars highlighting problems for knees. Start buttons are no more a safety trick, they are used mainly for confort.
Also pedal assemblies and dashboard beams have been modified as to be less dangerous for our legs: first 5star cars were full of soft plastic cushions placed between panels and dash beams.