The Jetta has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Camry’s blind spot costs extra.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Jetta has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Camry.
Both the Jetta and the Camry have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available lane departure warning systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Jetta is safer than the Toyota Camry:
|
Jetta |
Camry |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
101 |
134 |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
554 lbs. |
752 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
14 inches |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen Jetta is much safer than the Camry:
|
Jetta |
Camry |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Structure |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
226 |
391 |
Head Peak Forces |
no contact |
82 G’s |
Neck Tension |
245 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
22 lbs. |
45 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.06 in |
1.85 in |
Shoulder Force |
245 lbs. |
335 lbs. |
Pelvis Force |
1182 lbs. |
1272 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Neck Compression |
45 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Pelvis Force |
1049 lbs. |
1361 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |