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If you are worried about getting in to car accidents, don't get a heavy truck or car with a high point of gravity. If you drive somewhere where there's snow or

by laut 18y ago

If you are worried about getting in to car accidents, don't get a heavy truck or car with a high point of gravity. If you drive somewhere where there's snow or ice, proper winter tires will give you more safety than all wheel drive. Electronics can only mitigate the bad characteristics of an SUV, electronics can not break the laws of physics. A lighter car can brake more quickly. A proper car can turn faster without loosing traction or turning over. Accelerate faster, drive faster in general, drive further and use less gas than an SUV. Of the vehicles mentioned, the Subaru sounds like the safest car. A Volvo V70 is an another wagon that's safe. If you are not going off road, why not get a station wagon instead of an SUV? Another good safety feature is driver education. Knowing how to handle the car at the limits.

DenisM 18y ago
Rather than theorize about "trucks" or "high center of gravity" you should look at actual vehicles and their test results. RDX, MDX and Legacy have the same safety ratings. Stopping distance difference is within 6%. Acuras are a lot closer to a performance sedan than to an F150 in terms of handling.
- Zak 18y ago
  Smaller size alone makes avoiding an accident easier. There are simply more spaces lacking things to hit in to which the car will fit. If you're a good driver, balanced handling beats electronic stability control. If you're average, by all means, get the computer safety-net to take over.
  - DenisM 18y ago
    For one ting RDX is actually shorter than Legacy. For another your claim about smaller size being safer is just a guess, which I can counter with another guess "larger size makes your easier to see and so less likey to get hit".
    - Zak 18y ago
      I was speaking generally - on paper, the RDX compares well to the Legacy in terms of handling, size, braking and acceleration. I haven't driven one, so I can't comment on its driving dynamics, though I suspect the Legacy would be easier to control under extreme conditions, as reviews I've read claim it's more neutral. As for size, I'll stand by my claim. If it's a guess, it's an educated one. To provide an extreme example, imagine several scenarios where you've had to swerve to avoid a road hazard in your car. Now imagine that your car was the size of a bus, but with the same handling. Could you still have avoided the hazard?
      - DenisM 18y ago
        You're tunneling on one particular example of a potential accident. Instead, you should look at overall probability of getting in trouble across all possible scenarious, not just one particular case. Smaller vehicle might be twice as likely to avoid a hazard, but it may have 4 times the chance of being overrun by a truck, so it may still come out as a net loser in the end. Imagine all the cases when you did not get into an accident because other drivers knew to stay away from you.
- laut 18y ago
  That it doesn't handle as awful like an pickup truck doesn't say much. There is just no getting around mass. If the car weighs more and has the weight higher up, that is bad for handling. A Subaru Impreza WRX STi is faster than a Porsche Cayenne GTS around the Nordschleife, even though the Cayenne has a lot more power. A Cayenne gets beaten by hatch backs, sedans and station wagons on a track. It just doesn't stand a chance with all that mass.

by laut 18y ago

DenisM 18y ago

Rather than theorize about "trucks" or "high center of gravity" you should look at actual vehicles and their test results. RDX, MDX and Legacy have the same safety ratings. Stopping distance difference is within 6%. Acuras are a lot closer to a performance sedan than to an F150 in terms of handling.

Zak 18y ago
Smaller size alone makes avoiding an accident easier. There are simply more spaces lacking things to hit in to which the car will fit. If you're a good driver, balanced handling beats electronic stability control. If you're average, by all means, get the computer safety-net to take over.
- DenisM 18y ago
  For one ting RDX is actually shorter than Legacy. For another your claim about smaller size being safer is just a guess, which I can counter with another guess "larger size makes your easier to see and so less likey to get hit".
  - Zak 18y ago
    I was speaking generally - on paper, the RDX compares well to the Legacy in terms of handling, size, braking and acceleration. I haven't driven one, so I can't comment on its driving dynamics, though I suspect the Legacy would be easier to control under extreme conditions, as reviews I've read claim it's more neutral. As for size, I'll stand by my claim. If it's a guess, it's an educated one. To provide an extreme example, imagine several scenarios where you've had to swerve to avoid a road hazard in your car. Now imagine that your car was the size of a bus, but with the same handling. Could you still have avoided the hazard?
    - DenisM 18y ago
      You're tunneling on one particular example of a potential accident. Instead, you should look at overall probability of getting in trouble across all possible scenarious, not just one particular case. Smaller vehicle might be twice as likely to avoid a hazard, but it may have 4 times the chance of being overrun by a truck, so it may still come out as a net loser in the end. Imagine all the cases when you did not get into an accident because other drivers knew to stay away from you.
laut 18y ago
That it doesn't handle as awful like an pickup truck doesn't say much. There is just no getting around mass. If the car weighs more and has the weight higher up, that is bad for handling. A Subaru Impreza WRX STi is faster than a Porsche Cayenne GTS around the Nordschleife, even though the Cayenne has a lot more power. A Cayenne gets beaten by hatch backs, sedans and station wagons on a track. It just doesn't stand a chance with all that mass.