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2009 Dodge Viper Safety Review

April 8, 2009

SAFETY | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

No data
NHTSA

No data
IIHS

the Viper SRT10 is the least driver-friendly car we've evaluated in the sense that a racecar set loose on a city street can be very unfriendly
Cars.com

complete a high-performance driving school prior to operating this vehicle
Car and Driver

If you're shopping for a car based mainly on safety concerns, TheCarConnection.com recommends that you not head for the 2009 Dodge Viper. Safety features are heavy—and they're hardly in abundance here. Crash-test results are not available.

In the absence of hard crash-test data, prospective Dodge Viper buyers will have to rely on the race-inspired engineering of the 2009 Dodge Viper to keep them safe in the event of an accident. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)—the two main crash-test authorities in the United States—have had an opportunity to test the 2009 Dodge Viper due to its high price tag and limited production run.

The 2009 Dodge Viper is not for everyone. Safety features are slim, and its performance capabilities make it unsuitable for garden-variety drivers. Car and Driver reports that the owner's manual advises that drivers "complete a high-performance driving school prior to operating this vehicle." Cars.com declares, "the Viper SRT10 is the least driver-friendly car we've evaluated in the sense that a racecar set loose on a city street can be very unfriendly if you don't leave the Big Gulp and cell phone behind." The reviewer warns, "Known what you're doing, and pay close attention at all times. The word 'coddle' isn't in the Viper's vocabulary."

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that the Dodge Viper makes available very little in the way of safety tech. ConsumerGuide does add that "dual front airbags" come standard, but Edmunds notes that "no stability control or side airbags" are included. Cars.com summarizes the safety amenities on the Dodge Viper 2009 by pointing out that "available safety features include all-disc antilock Brembo brakes and adjustable pedals"—covering all the safety features in one sentence. In most other vehicles that don't offer crash-test ratings, the list of safety features provides some degree of comfort, but that's not the case in the Dodge Viper 2009 edition.

Visibility in the 2009 Dodge Viper is only so-so. The poor visibility is one of the reasons that many reviewers, such as those at Edmunds, find that the Viper is "not comfortable enough to be used as a daily driver." Cars.com says visibility is hindered by the fact that "the trunklid, head restraints and roll bars are pretty high" in the convertible, "so it's tough to see behind you by turning your head," but reviewers there find it is "workable through prodigious use of the rearview mirrors."

Conclusion

The 2009 Dodge Viper hasn't been crash-tested, and it doesn't offer much in the way of safety features.

SAFETY | 6 out of 10Expert Quotes:No dataNHTSANo dataIIHSthe Viper SRT10 is the least driver-friendly car we've evaluated in the sense that a racecar set loose on a city street can be very unfriendlyCars.comcomplete a high-performance driving school prior to operating this vehicleCar and Driver If you're shopping for a car based mainly on safety concerns, TheCarConnection.com recommends that you not head for the 2009 Dodge Viper. Safety features are heavy—and they're hardly in abundance here. Crash-test results are not available. In the absence of hard crash-test data, prospective Dodge Viper buyers will have to rely on the race-inspired engineering of the 2009 Dodge Viper to keep them safe in the event of an accident. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)—the two main crash-test authorities in the United States—have had an opportunity to test the 2009 Dodge Viper due to its high price tag and limited production run. The 2009 Dodge Viper is not for everyone. Safety features are slim, and its performance capabilities make it unsuitable for garden-variety drivers. Car and Driver reports that the owner's manual advises that drivers "complete a high-performance driving school prior to operating this vehicle." Cars.com declares, "the Viper SRT10 is the least driver-friendly car we've evaluated in the sense that a racecar set loose on a city street can be very unfriendly if you don't leave the Big Gulp and cell phone behind." The reviewer warns, "Known what you're doing, and pay close attention at all times. The word 'coddle' isn't in the Viper's vocabulary." Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that the Dodge Viper makes available very little in the way of safety tech. ConsumerGuide does add that "dual front airbags" come standard, but Edmunds notes that "no stability control or side airbags" are included. Cars.com summarizes the safety amenities on the Dodge Viper 2009 by pointing out that "available safety features include all-disc antilock Brembo brakes and adjustable pedals"—covering all the safety features in one sentence. In most other vehicles that don't offer crash-test ratings, the list of safety features provides some degree of comfort, but that's not the case in the Dodge Viper 2009 edition. Visibility in the 2009 Dodge Viper is only so-so. The poor visibility is one of the reasons that many reviewers, such as those at Edmunds, find that the Viper is "not comfortable enough to be used as a daily driver." Cars.com says visibility is hindered by the fact that "the trunklid, head restraints and roll bars are pretty high" in the convertible, "so it's tough to see behind you by turning your head," but reviewers there find it is "workable through prodigious use of the rearview mirrors." ConclusionThe 2009 Dodge Viper hasn't been crash-tested, and it doesn't offer much in the way of safety features. 2009 DODGE VIPER STYLING | [10 out of 10] Cars.com: "Look at this thing. It's not exactly unobtrusive" Kelley Blue Book: "more angular front end is highlighted by a large, functional air-intake scoop" ConsumerGuide: "the speedometer and fuel gauge can suffer sunlight reflections, ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Porsche 911 Turbo is an amazing automobile and considerably more expensive than the 2009 Dodge Viper. The personalities of these two vehicles are so different that we can't imagine a buyer ever making a choice between the two. The only Corvette that really stands up to Chrysler's snake is the mighty Z06 edition. The Viper outpowers the Corvette Z06 by 95 horsepower, but the Corvette is nearly as quick—not that anyone really cares about second place in this duel. Another alternative for the muscle crowd is the soon-to-arrive 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang, which promises 540 horsepower from its supercharged V-8, along with significant improvements and a top speed of 155 mph. Unlike the Viper, the GT500 promises to have a lot of civility to go with its bite.

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See the Dodge Viper in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (1 total)

  1. By TaraunLekhi #1, Posted: 7/1/2009

    a bugatti veyron is the best car in the world!!!!!

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