I was just reading a magazine when i came across an article that claimed that the Xterra ranks number 15 in the top 20 most dangerous cars. I think that is the latest generation of X's (05-07) because they showed a picture of it in there but i dunno. I don't think that is correct. I mean for an SUV I feel that the Xterra is pretty safe. In fairness no car is "safe" tho.

http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/26/cars-da...thisSpeed=20000

"© Nissan

15. Nissan Xterra

Four-Door SUV

SCORE: 115

Consumer Reports' accident avoidance: Average

The tall, boxy Xterra sport-utility vehicle flaunts its rugged looks toward active young men, and fortunately comes with stability control to help remedy its three-star NHTSA rollover rating and especially high rollover risk. Frontal impact results are passable but unspectacular, at four stars. Side and side-curtain airbags are optional."

What a surprise, the X isn't a sports car :rolleyes:

but on some rock sliders and a front bumper and then do the crash test on an X.

those dont help for rollovers

Every pic we have seen of a rolled X, the stock step rails have been untouched

Well, have them do some rollover tests with an exo-cage on. I wonder what'd the damage be.

The frontier was #3. The info they use to back all of this up is irrelevant. How many bad things have you heard about a Jeep Wrangler? When I got t-boned in my 98 you would have thought I died in the accident. I got out and walked away w/ a mild concussion. I've also rolled my wrangler before off road and we flipped it over and drove home. I've never felt safer than I do in the xterra.

That rollover resistance test is the biggest bunch of bullshit ever dreamed up by the worthless NHTSA. They put a non-moving vehicle on a table and tilt the table till the fucking thing rolls over...not taking into account anything regarding vehicle dynamics, road conditions, road profile, and driver competance. Its just more hype that doesnt mean a hill of beans in the real world.

If your stupid enough to try and drive and SUV like a vette then have fun in the ditch or the morgue....just dont take me with you.

Tim

Actually, I don't even think the ratings involve tilting it on a table....IIRC, all they do is math...based upon the height, weight, wheelbase and track...and CALCULATE roll over tendancy...to SIMULATE tilting the table.



Stability control, suspension, etc...are not part of the equation.

So basically, if you were to create a statue of your Xterra in say, marble, in exact proportions, and exact weight, and then placed it on a less than stable platform, then this calculation would be VERY helpful. It's good to know people are watching out for you artistic types who tend to put things on less than stable platforms.

Pasted from a CNN article:

The so-called Static Stability Factor is computed by comparing a vehicle's track width with the height of its center of gravity. A vehicle's track width is the distance between the centers of its right and left tires. The center of gravity is the midpoint of the vehicle's mass, the point from which there is an equal amount of weight in front and behind, above and below, etc.

The stability factor is generally a number between 1.0 and 1.5. The higher the Static Stability Factor, the more stable the vehicle is and the less likely it is to tip over in a crash.

What the stars mean


Star rating Stability factor range Chance of rollover

5 1.44 to 1.55 Less than 10 percent
4 1.18 to 1.44 10 to 20 percent
3 1.08 to 1.17 20 to 30 percent
2 1.02 to 1.07 30 to 40 percent
1 0.95 to 1.02 Greater than 50 percent


* Ranges are for vehicles that do not tip in dynamic test. Chances of rollover are for single-vehicle incidents.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Among SUVs that have been rated so far, the one with the highest stability factor is the Honda Pilot with 1.25. The Pilot got a four-star rollover resistance rating from NHTSA.

There are plenty of passenger cars with four-star rollover resistance ratings. Four-star cars have rollover resistance ratings up to 1.45, though, so even the most stable SUVs are at the bottom of the 4-star range.

"That is a wide range," said Mark Krawczyk, a NHTSA communications specialist.