Safer Car or SUV for my daughter

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Anupam Routh

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Greetings! My daughter soon will be fifteen years old and will be taking driving lesson from school. I can not think of any safer car or SUV than ST for her unless I give her real big one like Expedition.



I like the following in favour for ST - [1] It is truck based. Am I right in the assumption that truck based SUVs are better than car based SUV in a crash? I may be wrong.

[2] It is long. It is 205 inch in length.

[3] It is higher than a car.

[4] It is heavier than a medium sized car like Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.



The only against ST is possibility of rollover?



What is your opinion? Your opinion is very important for me. With thanks.
 
When I purchase my vehicle I look for 2 things. Fit (I'm 6-6) and safety ratings. It's true that bigger vehicles offer more protection, however I primarily look at vehicle crash test ratings. Some smaller cars rate better than full size SUV's!



I would start with: http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx There are also other sites on SUV's with least rollover potential



In the case of a daugther's 1st car, I would suggest a used,safe, & reliable car. For example, a civic or accord several years old. This'll give her the impression that you have to work hard for a nicer vehicle and instill other hard work ethics.



Cheers!

-Mark



 
Your reasons 3 and 4 under positives are negatives for an inexperienced driver - they contribute to your one negative - rollover.

Like Mark said, a good used Accord or similar, maybe a Taurus or Sable.

Check insurance - here in Texas, a four door is better than two for youngsters.

Consider MPG. Don't know about your particular state requirements, but once they get to drive other kids around they do a boatload of miles.



grump



One more thing - good luck. When she gets out on her own, you will lose sleep.

 
For a rookie driver i would go front-wheel drive all the way...Eaiser to learn and better behaved in bad weather. Having owned one(it's for sale actually ;) ) i'd suggest a small front drive suv(ours is a tribute). The escape, santa fe, tribute, crv, rav4, etc will all offer a little more protection in a crash, have some pretty good safety features(our 2002 trib has 4 airbags, abs and AWD) get decent mileage and sit up a bit for a good view, but are still smaller than the ST. Having owned the trib for 4+ years, the 07 ST we bought is gargantuan by comparison.



--chris
 
"Small cars have become increasingly popular as fuel prices have risen and their quality and safety ratings have improved.



But even the safest small car offers less protection in a crash than a larger car, the Institute said.



"People traveling in small, light cars are at a disadvantage, especially when they collide with bigger, heavier vehicles," said Institute president Adrian Lund."



Check the link bellow for entire article. Bottom line is no matter how many stars a small car has, that applies in a collision with a small car. Heavier is always better in a car accident. Hope this helps.
 
I would sugest a mid size car for a first vehicle. Driving something like the Sport Trac can be just as dangersous for a first time driver. Top heavy vehicles just handle differently in alot of situations not just emergancy manuvers. Also consider that a first time driver is going to have accidents not nessarly big ones but small mistakes that could scrape a bumper or put some small dents in the fenders.



Just get something with average miles and in decent shape that did well in crash tests. After your daughter has a few years of driving under her belt then you can get her a better car or truck.



Also stay away from vehicles with too much power. In my area I see alot of parrents buying thier kids Mustangs and BMW's for their kids 16th birthday. I dont know what they are thinking giving a performance car to an unskilled driver.
 
I know this may be mean but get her a station wagon(subaru,etc)....they are safer than accords and civics but not styling.......so it will make her work really hard to get the money to get a better car.........that is my opinion but its up to you........



Good luck....insurance is going to go up!!!
 
I'm with others in thinking that a FWD car of some sort (one with good govt. crash test ratings) is a better way to go than the ST.



It's smart to make it as "idiot-proof" as possible, and a FWD car is about as easy to drive in any conditions as anything out there. The ST takes longer to stop, is more prone to rollover, is easy to spin the rear tires on in rain and is harder to park/manuver than a car will be.



 
I'd go with a smaller car also. An AWD Subaru if you live where there is snow. Big suv may be safer in a crash, but a small car will avoid a quite a few crashes that an suv will not.
 
Heavier is always better in a car accident.
Click to expand...

Although I cannot deny the laws of physics, you have a better chance of staying out of an accident in the first place with a smaller more maneuverable car. NO teenager should be learning to drive in a huge SUV. It's just to hard to manage and it's like sending them out with a loaded weapon.
 
TomT, then that same logic would have us sending our teenagers out on the freeway in go-carts and quad racers. They are smaller and more maneuverable, then a regular car, right? ;)



I will agree that top-heavy, lumbering SUVs aren't the way to go for a new driver. Nor is a small econo box or ricer car either. I think you want something in between...safe, large, with crumple zones and engineered for safety. For that, you can't beat an older Benz or Volvo, IMHO.



TJR
 
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A 1975 Lincoln Town Car. There's nothing better than sheer mass! If your teenager can figure out how to fit that thing through regular traffic and parking lots without hitting anything, then a smaller car later on will be a piece of cake!



Really, the ST is more for a driver who knows it's limitations. Personally I think the best thing for a new driver is something substantial, yet small enough to drive easily. A short bed full-size standard cab pickup is still fairly small, and still pretty cool, and can be found with a v6. If the height makes you worry about rollover, lower it! That's even more cool to a teenager! The 1990's era Thunderbirds and Cougars are pretty solid, very stable, and not too fast with the v6. The Volvo's are a pretty safe bet, too. Teenagers need some steel around them when they are learning.



One thing for sure, if they screw it up, they have to pay for it if they want it back. And if they don't want it, and want something else, they need to pay for the something else. There's nothing that makes someone take care of something like having to sweat the repairs themselves.
 
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Hmm, I think trying to compare a go-cart to a car might be stretching it a bit TJR. There's more to safety then size is what I'm trying to convey. Read this article from Money magazine:
 
SST, true on the maint of an older MB. But the older Volvos are pretty solid and can be picked up for a song. Tons are around our area with just over 100K miles, about 10 years old, and just a few K in price. Nice solid cars. Insurance should be reasonable.



TJR
 
Nothing can replace experience but experience itself. That said, it comes with time. Until such a time all you can do is get the safest vehicle you can afford.



I bought a 1 year old Lexus RX 300 (SUV). It is basically between a car and a SUV as far as stance goes but rides very nice. It is all wheel drive with four independent ABS Sensors as it has a Traction Control option.



I paid $30,000 for it and it is very well loaded. It was a certified used vehicle so it comes with a 100,000 mile warranty. If something goes wrong you simply drop it off and they give you another one to drive in the mean time.



It has side Air Bags as well as the normal front air bags.



I would think you could get a 3 or 4 year old RX 300 for a pretty good deal.



This will give you an idea of size and height off the ground.

7655c47d9e0855201baba8f9be917e05.jpg




Here are the specs,

External dimensions: overall length (mm): 4,575,

Overall width (mm): 1,816, Overall height (mm): 1,669,

Ground clearance (mm): 196,

Wheelbase (mm): 2,619,

Front track (mm): 1,565,

Rear track (mm): 1,549

Curb to curb turning circle (mm): 12,588



And the info on the suspension,

- ABS

- 3.29:1 axle ratio

- Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs

- Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management

- Immobilizer

- Limited slip differential

- Fullsize alloy rim internal spare wheel

- Stability control

- Strut front and rear suspension with stabilizer bar independent with coil springs
 
If you're keeping track of the tally, I'll put in my word for safe, reliable, normal car. It's true that vehicle mass is an advantage in a head-on collision, but that is FAR from the whole picture. For a new driver, who is bound to make some sudden stops and emergency swerves, you want a vehicle that:



1. Has the shortest possible stopping distance

2. Very good maneuverability, high SSF

3. Front airbags, minimum. No pre-airbag vehicles should be considered.



I've driven my wife's Focus many, many times and despite being an economy car it handles extremely well, accelerates well (has the PZEV 2.3L I4) and most importantly it can stop on a dime. Don't underestimate that last bit... stopping distance is HUGELY important for a new driver who hasn't got experience yet with real-world driving situations (i.e. the plethora of jerks on the road who drive in complete disregard or oblivious of the rules of right of way).



Forget full size SUV! Your daughter might fair well, but what about everyone else? No one in their right mind would put a new permit driver behind the wheel of a large, top-heavy truck.
 

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