Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Dave
I am a little puzzled that the venom for SUVs is not equally applied to minivans. Are you that afraid of Momma? Minivans get horrible MPG, too. They are operated (usually) in an method guaranteed to get poor MPG. They have the aerodynamics of a box of Wheaties. If any vehicle ever made that should be a hybrid it is the minivan with its stop-and-go mission.
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It's not the mileage of a minivan - it's the safety. Minivans must meet stringent safety protocols - and it shows...
In the event of an accident - here's the stats
Lincoln Navigator SUV:
Chance of life threatening head injury: 16%
Chance of life threatening chest injury: 20%
Chance of leg injury: 35%
Ford Windstar minivan
Chance of life threatening head injury: 2%
Chance of life threatening chest injury: 4%
Chance of leg injury: 1%
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Dave
Yup. Kinetic energy. It does you no good to have only a small amount of KE if you do not have the traction to deal with it.
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As long as you've realized that weight falls out of the equation
But keep in mind Dave, people aren't jumping on this for the economy (for the most part). It's the safety claim. To visualize in chart form....
Those are real world results, not crash testing data as compiled by:
Tom Wenzel (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, CA)
Marc Ross (University of Michigan)
But the point is, SUV's aren't on the top 10. 3 minivans, 4 mid size, 1 full, 1 compact and 1 subcompact.
Ha, I just noticed the three subcompacts at the bottom of the list are all American. Maybe that's why small car's aren't economical for GM - their small cars kill their consumers :/