Despite advertisements touting their strength, toughness and reliability, the 2016 class of large pickup trucks was anything but during its most recent round of crash-testing.
The Ram 1500 Crew Cab and Quad Cab both scored poorly in the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety small overlap crash test.
The vehicles were all put through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, small overlap crash test, which is also known as the corner crash test. The Ford F-150SuperCab was the only truck to earn the top rating of “good” in all the categories measured in the test, thus garnering a good overall rating and the designation of Top Safety Pick.
Of the remaining eight trucks tested, three ( Chevrolet Silverado 1500Double Cab, GMC Sierra 1500Double Cab and the Toyota TundraDouble Cab) were deemed “acceptable,” the second best marking from the IIHS, in the small overlap test. The remaining five (Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, Sierra 1500 Crew Cab, Tundra CrewMax, Ram 1500Quad Cab and Ram 1500 Crew Cab) earned “marginal” ratings.
With the exception of the F-150 SuperCab, all the trucks tested registered “poor” ratings for lower leg and foot safety as the impact caused the footrests, brake pedals, parking brakes and/or lower dashboards in these vehicles to press up against the crash-test dummies leg, which translates to serious injuries in the real world. The two worst-performing trucks, the Ram Crew Cab and Quad Cab, saw intrusion around the feet and lower legs reach as far as 17 inches into the vehicle.
Both Rams also got poor ratings for structural security and the restraints and kinematics within the Crew Cab were rated acceptable—all the other trucks were deemed good in this category.
The IIHS has footage of most of the collisions available on its YouTube channeland the differences are clear. For example: during the small overlap crash test, which simulates a vehicle hitting a tree, utility pole or passing vehicle, the F-150 bounces off the wall, leaving the car substantially damaged but still largely structurally intact.
The Ram 1500, on the other hand, crumples like an empty beer can at a frat party.
Across the board, the longer crew cab trucks performed worse than their extended (or double) cab counterparts in the corner crash test, with structural safety being the biggest difference maker. The longer the frame, the less security it provided. This is something to consider for those looking at trucks with longer cabins to accommodate a family in the backseat, which is the case for many crew cab owners.
On the plus side, all the trucks scored well on the side impact test, which really is the most important test to consider when it comes to backseat passenger safety.
Ram’s struggles continued, however, during the roof strength test, as both 1500s earned marginal ratings in that crashworthiness category. This is especially problematic considering 44 percent of deaths in pickup trucks happen in role-over accidents. The Toyota Tundra CrewMax earned an acceptable rating in this category.
If you’re wondering why the 2016 Nissan Titanand Honda Ridgeline weren’t included in this report, it’s because they haven’t been tested yet. The IIHS promises to put them through the same tests later this year.