Commuter recommendations (compromise between safety and efficiency?)

[pete c]

side airbags are not likely to help much with elk hits. if hitting an elk is anything like hitting a moose, having a very sturdy roof might be helpful. if you hit a big truck head on, it don't much matter what you are in.

i think your best bet would be an old benz 240D. extremely strong passenger cage, can be had with a 4 speed stick. and will easily exceed 30 mpg. i think an older 3.8 gm sedan such as a lesabre would be an excellent choice too. i had a neighbor that said he got a consistent 31 mpg on the hiway with his. and it is big enough to provide a little extra cushioning between you and that elk.

[PaleMelanesian]

http://safercar.gov You can look up the crash test results yourself. Understand that the new models since 2011 have a new set of tests that are even more rigorous than the earlier ones.

http://fueleconomy.gov is the equivalent for EPA fuel economy ratings. Cross-reference the two and find what you're looking for.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

Home | Safercar -- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) You can look up the crash test results yourself.

Except that those crash tests only measure what happens during the crash, not how likely you are to get into the crash in the first place. For that, I think you have to go to real-world accident statistics, as the Wenzel & Ross paper does.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Now I'm wondering if I should ask this cute girl out or not...

I'd recommend taking a shower first.

[MetroMPG]

sirhc: Does it have to be a US label, or just US-built?

How long has the Camry been made in the U.S.? Is the Accord made there too?

You could get a 4-cyl, 5-speed version of one of those in your price range. They're not common (the stick shift ones), but they're out there.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Is the Accord made there too?

The Accord has been made here for decades. The Accord plant was one of the first plants for US production of a foreign-branded car. (VW had an earlier plant in PA that fizzled.)

I agree -- either the Accord or Camry would be good bets. A couple decades ago, I read that Honda spent three times as much on training American workers as the average Detroit company. I helped Ford offshore lots of production in the 1980s. There are no "American" cars anymore, and some of the best jobs in the auto industry are with companies based in other countries.

To pick a safe car rationally, one probably has to look at driver death rates. On this basis, some SUVs and trucks are dismal: the Blazer was the deadliest "car" in America for a while.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Ken Fry

I'd recommend taking a shower first.

Shave too? Do girls like whiskers or not?