Bumpers on midsize cars are ineffective

I don't call that decent performance, since to me "performance" includes SURVIVING the 5 mph impact without damage, because those kinds of impacts are almost inevitable over the life of a car. Sure, let it disintigrate and save the driver's life in a faster impact- no argument there. Screw the car, save my family. But in a 5-mph fender-bender with a concrete pole in a parking lot? That shouldn't cost ANYBODY $1000 when you can clearly make bumpers that WILL protect AND survive without damage.

I suspect its more about the hazardous chemical disposal costs of large metal chroming facilities. Big chrome bumpers look FAR nicer than painted plastic. The new Charger would be beautiful with chrome bumpers, but it aint gonna happen.

you whack into stuff on a regular basis? Maybe you need to learn to park. I prefer to drive as if my bumpers were made from gold plated kleenex. My insurance company and my wallet thank me.

And before you think I'm some old fart, my summer car is a Trans Am with a weak clutch caused by excessive nitrous usage... :)

The chrome on the on the old bumpers does get scratched if bumped into things. I've seen many a car of that vintage with such damage. It's just that a scratch on a chrome plated bumper is much less visible than on a painted flexible bumper cover. Both often are buffable to make the light damage nearly invisible.

Industrial designers aren't likely to embrace chrome. When you see chrome bumpers on the show cars but not the production ones, then it's cost and regs. If they aren't on the show cars, it's style for not having them on the production models.

Uhhh... NOOOO. Doesn't say that anywhere up there, does it?

Don't construct a strawman. That was never my implication. My implication is that over the (hopefully) 20+ year life of almost any vehicle, someone (maybe me, maybe my wife) is likely to either to back into something gently or (more likely) some other vehicle is going to bump it while its parked. That shouldn't result in a big repair bill. EVER.

Your insurance company would save a lot more if 5 mph bumpers survived 5 mph bumps WITHOUT DAMAGE, as they used to do in 1974.

Well, I *AM* an old fart (though I drive too fast and love barking the tires with a big-block v8), and I don't like MY insurance rates being inflated by pathetic bumpers that meet minimum specs and nothing more.

Have you actually whapped anything at 5-8mph? It's actually a good sized tap. You imply that it's inevitable that someone will hit something over the life of the car - that's why I implied you need to learn to park (or to drive.) I just feel that you shouldn't be hitting anything on any kind of basis with a car. Now, the reality is is it's like bumper cars out there, so I'm not sure what the real solution is. I do know that testing cars at speeds that aren't required by the standard is both interesting and yet somewhat "dramatizing."

But those things are so damn ugly. My dirt car is a 76 Camaro with those big ugly bumpers - they can take a 30mph whack and all it needs is a fresh coat of paint. Don't ask me how I know this. ;)

Complain to the car company? BUT... better bumper = more $ to design and build. You pay upfront, or you pay when you hit something.

PS - what kind of big block you own? I'm a car guy. :)

Ray

I have. By driving my 30 year old cars instead of buying new ones.

;-)

Two 440s- A stock Magnum in a '69 Coronet R/T, and an "almost clone" of a Magnum built in a 1972 block and installed in a '66 Polara. I say "almost" clone because it has the same CR, same cam, etc. but has Keith Black HE short-skirt pistons and a few other modern goodies. I still have the original 383 that came out of the Polara, one of these days I may rebuild it (it still ran at 280,000 miles when I removed it, but it was getting tired.) I really like the old 383s.