>So I was looking at crashtest.com the other day. According to the US
>government, the Vanagon earns the worst possible rating for head-on
>collision safety. According to the Swedish insurance company that provided
>those cool pictures of the Vanagon vs. Volvo crash-test, the Vanagon has the
>very best crash safety rating. Right up there with 600SEL Mercedes and Volvo
>M1A2 tanks. I guess I'll choose to believe the Swedes, if only cause it
>makes me feel better. Maybe it's all the extra insulation and soundproofing
>they put in Swedish Vanagons...

Dem Swedes' pix don't lie...

Various past listees have posted on accidents, and from what they
say, the other vehicle always seems to come off far worse. To the
point where the VW can be driven away and the other car has to be
REMOVED.

The Swedish test was at a combined 100kmh (64mph). It was offset, so
there was no load spread across the full width of the cars' fronts,
which considerably reduces intrusion. Mercedes uses offset impacts in
its own test, as they are the nastiest and also almost always the
case in real life. That the VW slaughtered the Volvo tank is more
than impressive.