3 ms·

I totally buy the environmental impact argument on keeping that Mercedes vs buying the Tesla. That isn't the only concern though. In a high speed collision aga

by ssmoot 11y ago

I totally buy the environmental impact argument on keeping that Mercedes vs buying the Tesla. That isn't the only concern though. In a high speed collision against a modern 5-Star vehicle the people in the Mercedes are pretty much toast. I think it's possible you could upgrade the safety of an older vehicle in many ways, but realistically most owners never would beyond tires and modest braking improvements. And you'll probably not see "city stop" like systems or airbag cocoons become common aftermarket systems anytime soon.

qume 11y ago
If I could install aftermarket side airbags I would. It's the main advance missing from the older cars. I don't agree with your statement about the high speed collision though. If it's front on, the strength of the passenger compartment and the weight of your vehicle vs the other car are the most important thing, in which case the Mercedes is likely to come out even or better.
- ssmoot 11y ago
  It weighs less than comparable modern cars (my S80 weighed 4400lbs IIRC, my truck weighs 7,200 and my wife's van is about 5,500) at 3,900lbs. Check out the ~30mph crash test footage: http://youtu.be/8ye-EIymm2k http://youtu.be/8ye-EIymm2k There's others on YouTube. It doesn't look pretty. A low belt-line doesn't help either (or so I've read, I'm not an automotive engineer). I get the old car love. A P1800 or Volvo Amazon would be so cool. But you have to accept that even vehicles that were at the top of their game a decade ago are going to get the bad end of the stick in a wreck with a new vehicle. There's a 5th Gear video of a last-gen vs new Espace out there as well. Both 5-star rated at release. The new one absolutely demolished the old one. And we're talking about a much smaller time gap in releases here. The W124 has only gotten more attractive with age. It's reliable and easy to service. It's better environmentally than running out and buying a Tesla. That's all admirable. and adults are totally capable of those outweigh safety for themselves. But motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among children and teens if you exclude suicide and cancer. If you could do something that would have a potentially large impact on that stat, as a parent, it's kind of hard to ignore. (Which wow, that seems like a pretty stark class issue I've never considered before.)

by ssmoot 11y ago

qume 11y ago

If I could install aftermarket side airbags I would. It's the main advance missing from the older cars. I don't agree with your statement about the high speed collision though. If it's front on, the strength of the passenger compartment and the weight of your vehicle vs the other car are the most important thing, in which case the Mercedes is likely to come out even or better.

ssmoot 11y ago
It weighs less than comparable modern cars (my S80 weighed 4400lbs IIRC, my truck weighs 7,200 and my wife's van is about 5,500) at 3,900lbs. Check out the ~30mph crash test footage: http://youtu.be/8ye-EIymm2k http://youtu.be/8ye-EIymm2k There's others on YouTube. It doesn't look pretty. A low belt-line doesn't help either (or so I've read, I'm not an automotive engineer). I get the old car love. A P1800 or Volvo Amazon would be so cool. But you have to accept that even vehicles that were at the top of their game a decade ago are going to get the bad end of the stick in a wreck with a new vehicle. There's a 5th Gear video of a last-gen vs new Espace out there as well. Both 5-star rated at release. The new one absolutely demolished the old one. And we're talking about a much smaller time gap in releases here. The W124 has only gotten more attractive with age. It's reliable and easy to service. It's better environmentally than running out and buying a Tesla. That's all admirable. and adults are totally capable of those outweigh safety for themselves. But motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among children and teens if you exclude suicide and cancer. If you could do something that would have a potentially large impact on that stat, as a parent, it's kind of hard to ignore. (Which wow, that seems like a pretty stark class issue I've never considered before.)