1999 Corolla Safety - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

Guest thepunish3r

Hi,

I am new to the corolla and my other post may be a bit to much so what do the results really mean and are these cars safe?

Depends on what you mean by safe? As far as design of the vehicle - it will protect the occupants in most accidents. Also depends on what vehicle collides with the Corolla - can't change the laws of physics - a larger vehicle will take more damage than a smaller one. Doesn't mean that larger vehicles are safer - some cases, the smaller vehicle may protect you from the crash more - all depends on how the vehicle is struck.

Take a look at http://www.hwysafety.org/ - they have lots of data on different aspects of vehicles, and their interpretation of what consititutes a safe vehicle.

Good luck.

Guest thepunish3r

thanks, guess you are right, I just compared it to a jeep 2001 cherokee and then a 2001 camry and the results are worse for the jeep and around the same for the camry.

The front and rear crash for the corolla aren't bad, it is the side that makes me nervous.

I am hearing that the injury stats are high for people in corolla's?

If you got side air bags - then the ratings are decent. Without the side airbags - not so good. It is a smaller car - not much "meat" on the side to protect you in a serious accident. But ratings themselves won't predict what will happen in a crash - there are photos of someone in a different Corolla forum that got broadsided by a Econoline van - hit about about 35-40MPH, car was a writeoff but the Corolla driver walked away. His was a 1998 Corolla without side airbags.

Guest thepunish3r

well, that is certainly good news. I guess that the smaller size is what makes me nervous having always been in a bigger car. Plus 6.1 and 220pds, so it is a tight fit for me.

I guess these things are all relative and you could worry about any of the cars. I think more of it is just feeling comfortable in the car.

Currently all small cars have poor side impacts in lastest highway saftey test (cant remember what that safety organization was called), but neways only 2 cars did average out of like 14 small cars tested. The 2 cars that did average was the Chevy Cobalt and Toyota Corolla, both 05 with side airbags. The same ones without the side airbags was the same rating as the others, poor.

I don't think any airbag will save you if something really big hits a small car like a corolla or any small sedan.

Especially if you're broadsided.