Safest car?

[jbischke]

I'm not sure this is the best category but since safety is related to health it seemed like the best fit.

I'm swapping out my vehicle sometime in the next 30 days. Originally I was planning to get a hybrid (and still may) but have decided now that I want the safety of the car to be my highest priority when making a purchase decision. I'm wondering what cars are generally the safest. I've done some research online but it's a bit confusing and I'm also a little concerned about a lot of it being marketing vs. an objective viewpoint on safety.

Anyone have any thoughts here? Thanks!

[Doku]

There are many ways you could go with this...
Some say that bigger is better. (for instance, when hitting a deer in my conversion van, the deer went flying, and I didn't even feel it)
Some say that four weel drive is better.
Some say go by the crash test ratings.
Some say...

Here's my advice.
1) Look at the crash test ratings.
That will show you how well they survive when a crash happens.

2) Antilock brakes
3) Traction control
4) All wheel drive (not 4wd)
5) Quality tires
That will help you avoid the crash in the first place.

6) Defensive driving school. (best $ you can spend as far as vehicle saftey is concerned)

[Matthew Shea]

Personally, I'm not sold on hybrids. There's a big hidden environmental cost because of all the batteries, which are typically nickel-metal-hydride, which is environmentally problematic itself albeit better than the lead-acid batteries in most cars.

Here's more information.

For example, while the industry average of all vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2005 was $2.28 cents
per mile, the Hummer H3 (among most SUVs) was only $1.949 cents per mile. That figure is
also lower than all currently offered hybrids and Honda Civic at $2.42 per mile.

The dollar values are supposedly the total cradle-to-grave energy costs per mile driven.

I'd look for a conventional vehicle that's just big enough to suit your needs, keeping in mind what Doku mentioned above.

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Matthew Shea

Personally, I'm not sold on hybrids. There's a big hidden environmental cost because of all the batteries, which are typically nickel-metal-hydride, which is environmentally problematic itself albeit better than the lead-acid batteries in most cars.

Here's more information.

The dollar values are supposedly the total cradle-to-grave energy costs per mile driven.

I'd look for a conventional vehicle that's just big enough to suit your needs, keeping in mind what Doku mentioned above.

The thing about the 'cradle to grave' cost, assumes that the full-size SUV is going to be driven close to 300K miles before it is 'retired'. Most people are not going to keep their truck/SUV that long.

If I were in the market for a new vehicle, and my primary concern was safety, I would look for a conventonally powered mid-sized vehicle that had good crash-test ratings. I have driven hybrids and have not been impressed with their performance on hills/mountains. If you want to go 'green', and diesel is an option in your area, you could get a biodiesel conversion.

[openeyes]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

If I were in the market for a new vehicle, and my primary concern was safety, I would look for a conventonally powered mid-sized vehicle that had good crash-test ratings.

Same here. I'd go for a mid sized Japanese vehicle such as a Toyota Camry, Corolla, Honda Accord, or Civic.

[CeciL]

If your going for safety in a crash hands down Lexus. If you want to avoid an accident try a Subaru. ALL Subarus are AWD (All Wheel Drive), stick to the road like glue, high safety ratings and are cost effective.

[Erki]

Subarus should also be pretty reliable and good if you drive on unpaved roads a lot or on roads with potholes in them.



Erki is still in the process of manifesting himself a Subaru Impreza...

[Jack]

Kitt is the safest,strongest and fastest car but the bad thing is it is a tv show(Knight Rider) car and not real(when i learned that kitt is not real,i got very sad)

[silicon toad2000]

I guess it depends on what you mean by safety, do you want something that drives for you? get something with abs, traction control and electronic stability control.
Do you want something that handles really well and is least likely to loose control if you miscalculate something then you want a sports type car, unless the roads are generally not in very good condition then you might want a softroader or cross over type vehicle.
4wd's and Sports utilities give you a better view of the road ahead but they tend to 'trip over' and roll much easier than a normal sedan.
In the hands of a good driver, a non abs car with big brakes, good suspension and tyres will be safer than an abs equiped car with small brakes, poor tyres and worn shockers.
every piece of original equipment on a car is a compromise between cost and effectiveness and what the manufacturers think most people want.
Once you have your car, take your new car and yourself along to an advanced driving course, a lot of crashes on the road can be avoided by reading traffic conditions and planning ahead. When I'm on my motorbike I am constantly looking about for what if's and planning escape routes to go with each what if.

[twinkie]

A whole bunch of the Hondas have 5 star crash test ratings. When you look at crash test ratings remember the rating is in relation to all other cars in its size. For example a mini might get a good rating but it is only compared to other tiny vehicles.

Consumeraffairs.com just had an article on rollovers and somone at the end says "buy a European car. BMW, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and other European manufacturers build much more rigid bodies that are more stringently tested for rollover protection"

[jbischke]

Good stuff all. I live in Los Angeles and it's home to a lot of crazy drivers (many of whom don't have insurance but that's a separate issue). I'm currently driving a Chevy Tahoe which is great in terms of being big and relatively safe but not so great in terms of MPG. I'm looking for something that gets better gas mileage but is also pretty safe. Most of the hybrids don't appear to be all that safe, at least relative to other stuff on the road.

Handling is less of a concern to me as rarely do you get going fast enough on the roads here in LA that that matters. Instead, I'm looking at protecting myself against the dude who decides to try to run the intersection. Things like side impact air bags and a sturdy frame would probably be most important then.

Thoughts?

[Doku]

You could always go extreme like I did a few years ago... I bought a used bulletproof BMW 750iL. It cost me 10 grand.
Couldn't beat that car... v12 engine, bulletproof, and it got 24mpg highway.
Unfortunately, it beat itsself... the transmission was going, and the shocks were bad, and ... and I was changing jobs, and NEEDED a reliable car. I didn't have the garage space for the BMW to sit while I got things sorted out, so I sold it. That sale was the worst auto related decision that I have made... I loved that car.

While the bulletproof cars are hard to come buy, and are generally only found in the ultra luxury models, they are actually fairly cheap used. Luxury cars drop like a rock in price. Example: List price on a 2007 BMW 3 series about 35k. 7 series about 85k. 1999 used 3 series about 12k. 7 series is also about 12k.

Side note: I wasn't looking for a bulletproof car, just a v-12 car for 10k. That's what I ended up with.

Just food for thought.

[CoolStuff]

electric scooter!! but yeah that's not very safe. I would drive the **** on the sidewalks though, or just pretend it's a bicycle.

[silicon toad2000]

you could always see if it is legal where you to instal a rollcage or 1/2 rollcage inside a car, certainly stonger than anything the manufacturers call a safety cell.
The point I was getting at with the handling and braking was that a car that handles and brakes well is more likely to do what you tell it to in an emergency, but you're right, no matter how well a car handles it's no protection against a looney who runs the intersection.
Lol safest way would be work from home and use public transport, there isn't much on the road a bus would come off second best against

[dennis08]

Well you can't go wrong with an SUV. I mean they are big and all but they are gas guzzlers. Just do some research or ask the guys at the car place. They know

[stephencp]

Is safety really your most important factor in buying a car? If so, is safety also your most important factor in your lifestyle? Do you eat well, do you drink, exercise, etc? There are probably alot of things you can do that will have a greater impact on your safety than picking a Lexus over a Honda or an SUV over a compact.

Stephen

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