Need to buy a safe car

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Because height really has nothing to do with structural integrity or strength. I know people who have rolled their huge trucks in crashes and gotten completely fucked because the roof collapsed. It's has all to do with mass and strength rather than size. Just look at rally cars or anything with a roll cage for the strength aspect. A lot of big trucks are weak in one way or another in crashes. That being said, if the truck weighs twice as much as the car it hits the truck will probably win. I'd take my Volvo in a crash any day over Charmanders old ass truck.

Mar 25 2012 3:49PM

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MLB

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I hate to say this, but most of the comments in this thread are so out of wack. I would say truck. I was in my ford f 150 at a full stop, when a mini van ran full bore into me at 120 KPH. The caravan was totaled, and THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T even deploy. Part of the engine was in the passenger seat, the whole front end was gone, one wheel got ripped off. The driver was pretty badly hurt, and had to be taken away in an ambulance.

The only damange to my truck? The tail gate crumpled a little bit, and the bumper got folded down. Thats it. I drove home that night. The officer even said that if i was in any sort of smaller car, i would of been badly hurt as well.

That beam frame that comes in most trucks is very strong. Sure they have crumple points like cars, but trucks hold up in an impact way more then cars do. I don't want to be crushed in a tiny steel can in any sort of accedent. You could even put bumpers on, and cage and it would be just a tank.

Mar 25 2012 4:07PM

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MACAQUE

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And I'm betting that your truck weighed a lot more than that minivan and that you had your brakes on. Trucks a for sure gonna stand up to most impacts better than a small car will. I'm not saying that they won't. But I am saying that size alone doesn't dictate strength. Mass and structural design determines how well a car will hold up.

Mar 25 2012 4:15PM

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howlongcanausern

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yup.

Mar 25 2012 4:30PM

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MLB

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I agree, but i just don't agree with the spaceframe design/ multiple crumple zone . I just feel that many cars these days just come from the factory flimsy. ( i.e. most of the car is put together with spot welds....not full seam ones, etc)

Mar 25 2012 4:43PM

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p.hawks

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used audi a6 or allroad wagon, great in the snow, maybe not as big as an suv, but even the older ones still run great and have the same safety features of newer american cars. they can get expensive to maintain, but not much worse that a volvo (also nice cars).

or you could go with something like a tahoe/blazer/explorer, or a mid to flu size truck like an f150, ram 1500 etc (i'm no expert on trucks, these are just what my friends drive). something like a suburban/expedition will be way too big and get worse mileage, and as cool as jeeps can be, they roll very easily

Mar 25 2012 5:03PM

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MACAQUE

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Probably. I'm not an expert on cars so I don't know all of the specifics. Most of it is just common sense/ physics knowledge.

Mar 25 2012 5:16PM

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KravtZ

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5 grand for an audi? Yea good luck man with what a 15 year old audi with 100,000+ on it.

OP do youself a favor and hit up craigslist regularly get an idea of what comes onto the market and figure out what you want. Generally, the bigger the car, the safer youll be for the most part

Mar 25 2012 5:17PM

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Timmy.

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Ridiculous

2003 volkswagon jetta

Mar 25 2012 5:25PM

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saxon

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could be worse, for 4 grand.

http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2002-Audi-A4-1-8L-Turbo-Quattro-Wagon-W0QQAdIdZ365320911

Mar 25 2012 6:11PM

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p.hawks

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most from the early 2000's go for 4-6 grand (this is on edmunds), and before college I drove an a6 with around 150k on it, still ran great. I was trying to provide some alternatives to suv's because while many do fare better in collisions due to simple physics, there is more to safety than "winning." Also it makes a big difference whether he is going to a dealership vs a private sale. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, but I was trying to show him that there are other options

Mar 25 2012 6:32PM

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Ski_Alot

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lol u mad bro

Mar 25 2012 6:46PM

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pomme-de-terre

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i bought a toyota mr-2 turbo today.

i would not recommend one if you are looking for a safe car.

Mar 25 2012 6:48PM

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EthanJPAskier

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I drive an '03 A6 wagon that was $7500 with 98k on it.. and i'm sure you could find one cheaper

Mar 25 2012 6:56PM

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pomme-de-terre

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i drive a 2001 e46 bmw with 140k on it, it was like $9000 when i got it (around 120k)

i dont have much audi experience at work (i am a mechanic at a BMW/european specialty shop) i regularly see cars with 150k+ miles on them, its not unrealistic to expect a dependable car even though it has high mileage, as long as you keep up with preventative maintenance shit last forever.

Mar 25 2012 7:04PM

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chicken

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Oh god don't say this.

Yeah a truck will help you more in a head on collision with another car. If we all got trucks because they are "safer" then it would make the roads much more dangerous. A head on collision between two equal trucks is more dangerous than between two equal cars because of the full frame. what if you hit a tree, or a concrete barrier? again the frame is going to fuck you over big time. Trucks also have worse handling than a car and are more prone to rollovers.

Any vehicle can be safe if you drive it properly and dangerous if you don't. I'm not hating on trucks either, in fact they are my favorite type of vehicle. I just don't think it's any safer than a car.

Mar 25 2012 7:10PM

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EmperorKuzco

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Oh man you are a scumbag. Shit happens sometimes people make mistakes and it's not always your fault someone can hit you. Complete retard/dumb/stupid/ignorant post of the week congrats.

Mar 25 2012 7:18PM

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.WALDO

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VOLVO.... nuff said.. or subaru.. i have an 87 volvo and it has 230,000 miles and still running fantastc and i still love the thing like crazy. if u can find one cheap and can fix cheap or can get one in good condition it will not let you down (and older cars are so much easier to work on to if u get an older one). good luck!

Mar 25 2012 7:29PM

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p.hawks

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one thing to watch out for with the volvo's, and really any older european car, is the availability of parts. My gf had an s40, and it wasn't even that old (don't remember the exact year), but long story short the brake lines were wearing out and they were going to have to custom fabricate new ones because they were no longer in production. it was expensive enough that they just ended up selling it. just something to be aware of, and again, this isn't specific to volvo's, and really the only "downside" of european cars

Mar 25 2012 7:40PM

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