1989 vs 2024 Golf Crash Test: The Safety Gap You Have To See

Modern cars may feel bigger and heavier, but tests like this one show why that extra mass exists. Dekra, the independent safety organization founded in Berlin in 1925, took a second generation 1989 Volkswagen Golf and compared it with an eighth generation 2024 Golf under the same modern testing conditions. They sourced a well-preserved, 36 year old hatchback and ran both cars at the crash test center in Neumünster to see how much safety has really moved forward.

The vintage Golf was propelled into a barrier at about 40 miles per hour, equivalent to 60 kilometers per hour, simulating the frontal crash procedure used by the European New Car Assessment Programme until 2020. The barrier’s deformable element mimicked an oncoming vehicle, effectively recreating a head on collision between two identical cars traveling at roughly 31 to 34 miles per hour.

The outcome for the classic car was tough to watch. The passenger compartment collapsed, parts pushed deeply into the cabin, deceleration forces spiked, and the steering wheel impact would have been severe. A Dekra expert concluded that survival chances in the older car would have been very low.

Under the same conditions, the 2024 Golf told a different story. The cabin stayed intact, and the safety systems did their job in layers: front and side airbags, seat belts with pretensioners, and belt force limiters. In a real crash of this type, occupants likely would have walked away with only minor injuries.

Dekra also measured day to day safety advantages. Braking distance for the modern Golf was about 30 percent shorter. In a quick maneuver test, the new car stayed composed at 47 miles per hour, whereas the older model could only manage 40 miles per hour before things got sketchy. Nighttime visibility leaped ahead too: the new Golf’s light emitting diode headlights and light emitting diode taillights, paired with a third brake light, made a clear difference compared with the older car’s halogen bulbs and two brake lamps.

We all love the simplicity and feel of older cars. But when you see a 1989 Golf next to a 2024 Golf in the same crash scenario, the safety gap is undeniable. If you found this interesting, please do not forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss our next deep dive.