The 1-series: small and safe

In response to some misleading perceptions some people have regarding the 1-series and safety, I wanted to emphasize that the 1-series is a safe car. In fact, EuroNCAP safety ratings prove that it is just as safe, if not slightly safer, than the larger 3-series and 5-series sedans.

EuroNCAP safety ratings:

BMW 1-series

Front 14 (88%)
Side 18 (100%)
Pedestrian 2 (6%)
Child Protection 35 (71%)

BMW 3-series

Front 16 (100%)
Side 17 (94%)
Pedestrian 4 (11%)
Child Protection 39 (80%)

BMW 5-series

Front 11 (69%)
Side 16 (89%)
Pedestrian 2 (6%)
Child Protection 42 (86%)

The 1-series is just as safe as the 3-series, which make sense since both cars share many platform components.
The 1-series is slightly safer than the 5-series.

The Mini is also a very safe car, BMW will not produce a car that they can not build safety into. Passive safety is only one form of safety, active safety such as being able to avoid an accident is also a big factor to these cars! Try doing an emergency lane change in an SUV!
I had the experience of having to do an emergency lane change with my Cooper S while heading to Boston on I-90; a mini refrigerator fell out of a truck in front of me and I have to change lanes quickly at 80+ mph, and the car just stuck and went with my command, any other type of car I am not sure I would have avoided it or stayed right side up!

Interesting how your (government?) does their safety ratings. We only get up to five stars here in the states! I would rather see a percentage and what it means.

Thanks, I knew it was safe, but the numbers are even better than expected.

This is the guys doing the tests:

http://www.euroncap.com/

I have heard these arguments before...

Don't get me wrong, I love smaller cars like the Mini, etc.

But it cracks me up when people claim they are safer than larger cars.

I don't care what the crash tests say, you can't overcome the laws of physics.

What would you rather be driving when hit by a 6000lb Chevy Suburban, a Mini Cooper or a 5 series?

At least for the American crash tests, they are only meaningful when compared to cars in the same weight class (i.e. ~250 lbs).

Unfortunately driving a Mini or 1 series in America is different than driving one in Europe, because there are so many large, heavy vehicles on the road....

Originally Posted by icedragon

In response to some misleading perceptions some people have regarding the 1-series and safety, I wanted to emphasize that the 1-series is a safe car. In fact, EuroNCAP safety ratings prove that it is just as safe, if not slightly safer, than the larger 3-series and 5-series sedans.

EuroNCAP safety ratings:

BMW 1-series

Front 14 (88%)
Side 18 (100%)
Pedestrian 2 (6%)
Child Protection 35 (71%)

BMW 3-series

Front 16 (100%)
Side 17 (94%)
Pedestrian 4 (11%)
Child Protection 39 (80%)

BMW 5-series

Front 11 (69%)
Side 16 (89%)
Pedestrian 2 (6%)
Child Protection 42 (86%)

The 1-series is just as safe as the 3-series, which make sense since both cars share many platform components.
The 1-series is slightly safer than the 5-series.

If the 1-series is light in weight, it is never safe against a big SUV. And, how relevant are those numbers?