Car & Driver disses buying old economy cars to save fuel

[ATaylorRacing]

I am 57 and have not been killed by my deathtraps yet. My current ones are:
96 Geo 1.0
05 Neon SRT4
84 Plymouth HHorizon
06 Scion Xb
In the past the following deathtraps could not kill me either:
60s Fiat 600 (Wish I kept that one!)
67 BMW 2000
67 BMW 2000 CS
71 Dodge Dart
70s Fiat 128 Sport Cpe

Of course, it helps when you don't get into accidents...I had a bumber bender on the 128Sport Cpe and that has been it!

I WAS almost killed in two NEW mail trucks from head on collisions with idiots that did not see me. Those trucks are all aluminum and crumple like tin cans.....very rough on the drivers sine the only protection is a seat belt that catches too late si you get to mash your head on the steering wheel about the same time that it digs into your chest!

[Bror Jace]

Safety is a relative thing. I survived a not-insignificant crash a couple years ago with just scratches ... but I probably would have been fine in any car I have ever owned going back nearly 3 decades.

I suggest people post (respectful!) rebuttals in the comments section provided.

The article is just garbage ... while the issue is a very good one that should be thoroughly explored.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by ATaylorRacing

I am 57 and have not been killed by my deathtraps yet.

Congratulations. What do you expect? Milk and cookies? Its not like the people that have been killer because they were driving around in tin can death traps like the geo metro are going come here and post "Oh yes, I was killed by my death trap. I wish I had been driving a safer car. Now I'm dead."

Fuel economy isn't everything. If you have the unfortunate experience to to colide with any of the 2003+ cars that use a high percentage of high strength steel, you're toast. I'm not even talking about heavy SUVs. Just normal cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzTP6cMLwRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY

[Formula413]

Originally Posted by Hasbro

^ Which is why I no longer subscribe to C@D. I understand their motivation but reading the mag is like listening to politicians.

I let my subscription run out because I was so sick of the right-wing editorial slant.

[Formula413]

I hope this doesn't turn into another war over safety vs size like the other thread...

My second car was a 1990 Geo Prizm hatchback, 4 door, 1.6 L. Got totaled in a semi-head on collision at about 45 mpg. No airbags of course. I had a couple little scrapes and a black and blue stripe across my chest from the seatbelt. FWIW...

[extragoode]

Is it just me that thinks comparing the safety of a pre-airbags car to one with airbags is completely ridiculous? I know there have been 101 other safety advancements in the last 16 years besides airbags, but they are far and away the single biggest change. Definitely buy a car with airbags, it will undoubtedly be a lot safer (in the event of an accident, the rest of the time there's no difference), but that doesn't mean you have to by a new car. Anything 95, 96 or newer will most likely have an airbag (in the US passive restraints were required by law after 94). Comparing anything on opposite sides of a major, game changing advancement is obvious. WOW these rubber wheels are SO much smoother than those iron ones! And these transistors are SO much faster than those vacuum tubes and relays! Duh! I could keep going, but I think I've made my point.

[tasdrouille]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Well somebody needs to worn people away from these death traps.

Don't you have an E30? Which year was it already?

[Johnny Mullet]

I dare the publisher of that article find the Geo Metro of his choice no matter what condition, running or not, as long as it's complete and give me the car and $1000.00 cash and I will prove that he is nothing but a propaganda freak and his written words are worth less than the ink used to write the article.

The only reason smaller cars are deemed unsafe is because most American vehicles are huge, gas sucking, ecokillers bought by people who have been spoiled with cheap gas prices since we started driving cars. To tell you the truth, paying $4.00 per gallon for gas is still pretty cheap compared to the rest of the world.

I truly look forward to seeing $8.00 to $12.00 per gallon and I hope an increase in fuel prices like this happens real soon. Why? Because I am curious to see what happens in this country when we have to pay what our European friends have been paying for many years. Maybe then then the car manufacturers will truly build something economical and cheap like the Metro was in it's day. Maybe when the entire country is forced to drive less or make some serious decisions in what they are using for transportation then we can have a cleaner, greener planet to live on.

That article pissed me off.

[Frank Lee]

Agreed! I want $8 gas too, and it won't come soon enough.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Fuel economy isn't everything. If you have the unfortunate experience to to colide with any of the 2003+ cars that use a high percentage of high strength steel, you're toast. I'm not even talking about heavy SUVs. Just normal cars.

The same goes for normal cars compared to larger SUVs/pickups, as well as the obvious environment (eg wall/etc) and naturally much larger box trucks/semis/etc. Safe habits are the safest things anyone can have, way safer than the safest mass produced car, even with accidents caused by other drivers, since steps can be taken to avoid those too. Considering how much metal there is between a safe driver and a bad driver who rear ends 'em, which is the most common type of accident the other driver is involved in with us, I'd say that as long as a driver is cautious and doesn't hit anything as well as minimizes their chances of getting t-boned, they'll probably be much safer in a couple decade old econobox than they would be in if drove like anyone else in a newer car.