Interesting. I never considered that but it should play some part. I wonder if there's crash test results for the JK that compare different trims.
Or worse... in the way that older “solid” cars were less safe than modern cars with crumple zones.
Weren't older cars generally unsafe as well due to lack of airbags and sufficient restraints rather than lack of crumple zones? I can't imagine a crumple zone being always better than having a steel bar to deflect/absorb impact.
Yes of course, but the comment was in reference to the steel components, not other ways that older cars were unsafe.
No, no, what I meant was if an older solid car had modern safety features and was crash tested side by side with a modern car that had a crumple zone, wouldn't the older solid one provide more protection to the occupants? I wasn't alive during the olden days so my knowledge of older cars is pretty much nonexistent.
Nope. Crumple zones effectively slow down an impact. Imagine running into a solid concrete wall at 40 mph. The impact is at 40 mph. Then, imagine hitting an aluminum wall that “gives”. Perhaps that give equates to a 10 mph loss in impact speed. You then effectively slowed that impact by 25%.
