fishman
Veteran Member
We've been getting 25-27 mpg with our "new" (to us) 2000 model Chevy Impala. It's a nice big car and I'm impressed by the mileage.
Fuel efficient vehicles that are reasonably safe?
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Chuck52
Veteran Member
My 2003 Impala probably gets about the same mileage mixed, though on the highway I get something around 32mpg. The trunk is so large that when something escapes the cargo net I have to practically climb in to get to it. Our next car will probably be a hybrid. Until some new technology comes along, it appears that the hybrids will fill the gap.
Chuck
Chuck
slowrev
Elite Member
I have a 90 model Suabaru wagon, still going strong. It gets a bit over 30 mpg on the road. The outbacks are well rated in crash tests. As to buying foreign built cars, My sister bought an AWD GM mini van thingy, it was made by Toyota! You just never know what you are getting.
Ben
Ben
Robert_in_NY
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Have you looked at the Ford Escape Hybrid? Gets in the 30-35mpg range for both highway and city.
NIXON
Veteran Member
Rat , We've had two Subarus . One was a Lagacy and the current one is a Forrestor . Both got ( get ) around 28 mpg . Not bad considering they are AWD vehicles . They have a very decent crash rating as well .
Mind You, My daughter's Jetta TDI gets much better mileage at 40 + mpg . John
Mind You, My daughter's Jetta TDI gets much better mileage at 40 + mpg . John
Highbeam
Super Member
"The Chevrolet Cobalt and the Toyota Corolla got "acceptable" ratings."
-That is ONLY if equipped with the optional extra airbags. Those ratings go to poor without the extra options.
No 2000 lb car is going to protect you from a semi with tires as tall as the roof of the car or from falling off of a bridge. Any car is safer than a motorcycle.
I would rather be in my 5800 lb chevy truck with tall bumpers, getting 20 mpg on highway cruises, and in complete comfort than getting 30 mpg in a crackerbox deathtrap.
If I was forced to get a car it would be a VW equipped with a TDI diesel engine. The cars look sharp and the diesel technology is a fantastic jump towards beating fuel prices.
At what point is your life worth more than the fuel penalty paid for a safe vehicle? Gas is still pretty cheap compared to other things. Consider the full 30$ a week for 1560$ a year in fuel costs, that is less than a month's house payment these days, less than 3% of a 60,000$ yearly salary, BFD. The increase in mpg from a safe truck to a deathtrap car is worth only a portion of that.
Money is always tight but if we are making safety sacrifices in exchange for only a tiny percentage of our income then I think it is time to reevaluate our other spending habits.
"I never knew you were a pickup man"
-That is ONLY if equipped with the optional extra airbags. Those ratings go to poor without the extra options.
No 2000 lb car is going to protect you from a semi with tires as tall as the roof of the car or from falling off of a bridge. Any car is safer than a motorcycle.
I would rather be in my 5800 lb chevy truck with tall bumpers, getting 20 mpg on highway cruises, and in complete comfort than getting 30 mpg in a crackerbox deathtrap.
If I was forced to get a car it would be a VW equipped with a TDI diesel engine. The cars look sharp and the diesel technology is a fantastic jump towards beating fuel prices.
At what point is your life worth more than the fuel penalty paid for a safe vehicle? Gas is still pretty cheap compared to other things. Consider the full 30$ a week for 1560$ a year in fuel costs, that is less than a month's house payment these days, less than 3% of a 60,000$ yearly salary, BFD. The increase in mpg from a safe truck to a deathtrap car is worth only a portion of that.
Money is always tight but if we are making safety sacrifices in exchange for only a tiny percentage of our income then I think it is time to reevaluate our other spending habits.
"I never knew you were a pickup man"
We've had Volvos, Saabs and Toyotas, and yes, the safety ratings are very high. And, we've had pickups and SUV's. But, to my way of thinking, trucks and SUV's are no more safe than the little cars. The most recent accident I saw was an Expedition that had been run over by a dump truck; I've also seen other SUV's that have been T-Boned by semi's. You can't get a passenger vehicle that's big enough to be king of the road.
Frankly, if one is any kind of a driver, I'd have to say that the smaller and more nimble the car, the safer it is. First, it presents a smaller target, so it's less likely to get hit. Second, because of superior braking and cornering, it's easier to avoid an accident. How many SUV's have rolled over because they can't execute an evasion manuever? There's a reason why some of the ads for cars like Volvos and BMWs show cars evading accidents.
I grant you, that if you DO get nailed by something bigger than you are, you probably don't have much of a chance. But the point I was making in the first paragraph is that the same thing is true even if you're driving a big pickup or SUV. I like my chances in the smaller car. The car I felt safest in was my son's '85 MR2 (which he still has and drives occasionally). If I had to pick one today, it would be the MINI.
I also grant you that if one doesn't have a clue how to drive well, the most nimble car in the world wouldn't help. One of the best ways to learn what a car can, and can't, do, is to try an autocross -- a skill event in which one car at a time negotiates a course made of highway cones, as fast as possible against the clock. They're held in large parking lots and airport runways and put on by local sports car clubs of the Sports Car Club of America.
Frankly, if one is any kind of a driver, I'd have to say that the smaller and more nimble the car, the safer it is. First, it presents a smaller target, so it's less likely to get hit. Second, because of superior braking and cornering, it's easier to avoid an accident. How many SUV's have rolled over because they can't execute an evasion manuever? There's a reason why some of the ads for cars like Volvos and BMWs show cars evading accidents.
I grant you, that if you DO get nailed by something bigger than you are, you probably don't have much of a chance. But the point I was making in the first paragraph is that the same thing is true even if you're driving a big pickup or SUV. I like my chances in the smaller car. The car I felt safest in was my son's '85 MR2 (which he still has and drives occasionally). If I had to pick one today, it would be the MINI.
I also grant you that if one doesn't have a clue how to drive well, the most nimble car in the world wouldn't help. One of the best ways to learn what a car can, and can't, do, is to try an autocross -- a skill event in which one car at a time negotiates a course made of highway cones, as fast as possible against the clock. They're held in large parking lots and airport runways and put on by local sports car clubs of the Sports Car Club of America.
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Robert_in_NY
Super Member
- Joined
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- 8,552
- Location
- Silver Creek, NY
- Tractor
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One thing about Trucks and SUV's is that you have less items on the road that will hurt you. Where as a small car will have to worry about the same things the Truck and SUV drivers will worry about hitting them but also worry about the Truck and SUV's hitting the small car. Its like the food chain, do you want to be on the bottom or the middle. One has to always worry about what is around them while the other has a larger cushion. No vehicle is safe from anything but what most people look for now is what has the least chance of being eaten /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Personally, I don't like cars. I am lucky in the fact I don't need a car and I do need a truck so I can drive what I like without feeling guilty. However, when I am in a car I feel vulnerable (well I also feel like I am sitting on the road but that is different). I would much rather have my daughter in a truck or SUV then in a car.
Personally, I don't like cars. I am lucky in the fact I don't need a car and I do need a truck so I can drive what I like without feeling guilty. However, when I am in a car I feel vulnerable (well I also feel like I am sitting on the road but that is different). I would much rather have my daughter in a truck or SUV then in a car.
I see lots of accidents between a small car and a large SUVs down here in South Florida. Most of the time the small car is smashed, but the SUV is on it's side, or upside down. I don't really see how that's really any safer than a small car, but maybe I'm missing something.
To answer the original question, how safe a car is depends on how safe of a driver you are, and how much you pay attention. If you are one of those people who constantly yaps on the cell phone while driving 55 mph in the passing lane, then you will be running more risk regardles of what you drive.
Personally, I prefer a small car. I'm probably going to sell my Toyota Hilux and replace it with a used TDI VW or Toyota Corrola, and a used Isuzu NPR or Mitsubishi Fuso. I'll never buy a Stupid Useless Vehicle, but a large work truck is something completely different.
To answer the original question, how safe a car is depends on how safe of a driver you are, and how much you pay attention. If you are one of those people who constantly yaps on the cell phone while driving 55 mph in the passing lane, then you will be running more risk regardles of what you drive.
Personally, I prefer a small car. I'm probably going to sell my Toyota Hilux and replace it with a used TDI VW or Toyota Corrola, and a used Isuzu NPR or Mitsubishi Fuso. I'll never buy a Stupid Useless Vehicle, but a large work truck is something completely different.
How about a jeep liberty with the mercedes diesel? Can't remember where i read the road test of one of the magazines, but i remember they said it was quiet for a diesel and they got 31 mpg with it on the highway. You would still have an SUV and get great gas mileage. I believe you could get one stickered out at 26 grand or so. Probably could get a lot off the sticker price. Price one out at
www.jeep.com
Here is an on line article on it.
Jeep liberty
www.jeep.com
Here is an on line article on it.
Jeep liberty
