Very safe cars

In case you need to know why, go to this thread.

So, we are looking for a new, safe car. Or a gently used, safe car.

Ideally, we would like a hybrid, smaller than an SUV but with room for dog/future children/luggage.

The 5 star safety rating site is only for those who are looking to compare 2 specific cars or look at each car individually. We are hoping to come up with a short list (5-10) that we can narrow down from there.

A good turn radius and short stopping distance are super important, but probably part of safety, I would guess.

I want all the digital bells and whistles of blue-tooth through the stereo, a nav system, back up cam (ok, this I could give up), and really great cup holders. Seriously, the old ones were small and placed poorly.

Let the suggesting commence!

Subaru Outback. Not a hybrid, but very safe, well-built, and all around solid. We bought a 2011 for my wife, and I wish it was my car.

We're used car shopping these days as well. The biggest revelation for me has been, Ford is apparently awesome now, on all fronts. I want a Taurus (only 2009 or newer) in the worst way. GREAT safety ratings (five-stars on all but one, I think), tons of space, and plenty of electronic googaws on the SEL edition.

The Fusion is slightly more compact, and would probably have fuel efficiency closer to what you're looking for. Slightly less impressive safety ratings, but IIRC, still at four stars or higher on the government tests.

...and I'll echo Milkman's suggestion of the Subaru...my wife brought a 93 Legacy into the marriage. Not as fuel efficient, but it was highly reliable (biggest repair job was oil seal replacement after she learned you need to change the oil more often than once a year), and kept her safe as she took part in a deer's unsuccessful suicide attempt.

That car's replacement was another surprise--2001 Buick LeSabre. Much better fuel efficiency than I expected, huge amounts of space...reliable in the really expensive areas, but the electronic toys (of which it had plenty) have been going out on us left and right. Not sure what the later models are like in these areas.

Insurance company taking care of you guys like they should?

Hyundai Santa Fe. All of the Hyundai models have increased enormously in quality over the last several years, and that model in particular gets great safety ratings & meets your other needs. We bought a used 2010 model with 6000 miles for 8K under the new price--still with a comprehensive, inside & out 10-year warranty. I don't mean sound like a shill for Hyundai or anything, but we're very happy with it. I also love my 2007 Civic, but it doesn't fit your description at all.

EDIT: I'll agree with Mytch about Ford. We rented a Fusion on a recent out-of-town trip, and I was impressed with the way it handled. I don't know about its durability, but it felt very responsive and solid.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Subaru Outback. Not a hybrid, but very safe, well-built, and all around solid. We bought a 2011 for my wife, and I wish it was my car.

These - I love Subaru cars. I feel like I'm driving a tiny tank without actually driving a tank. They hold a lot, they are good solid cars that make me feel safe because they are safe, and I like driving them.

Mytch wrote:

The biggest revelation for me has been, Ford is apparently awesome now, on all fronts. I want a Taurus (only 2009 or newer) in the worst way. GREAT safety ratings (five-stars on all but one, I think), tons of space, and plenty of electronic googaws on the SEL edition.

This. We're starting to look for another and this keeps coming up. The Fusion actually has a hybrid version, but i'm digging the new Taurus and all the new toys.

ranalin wrote:
Mytch wrote:

The biggest revelation for me has been, Ford is apparently awesome now, on all fronts. I want a Taurus (only 2009 or newer) in the worst way. GREAT safety ratings (five-stars on all but one, I think), tons of space, and plenty of electronic googaws on the SEL edition.

This. We're starting to look for another and this keeps coming up. The Fusion actually has a hybrid version, but i'm digging the new Taurus and all the new toys.

Since it sounds like you've been test-driving too, what do you make of the headrests on the new Tauruses (Tauri?)? Only thing on that car neither my wife nor I were a fan of...I appreciate they want us to keep our heads in an upright, alert position, but that thing is downright sadistic. It's actually one of the reasons besides cost we're looking at an '09 or a '10 instead.

Oh, that reminds me, E hunnie...the other model we're seriously considering is the Nissan Altima. Not quite as good safety ratings (only by a little), but gas mileage is better than the Taurus and almost as good as the Fusion.

Ideally, we would like a hybrid, smaller than an SUV but with room for dog/future children/luggage.

Honda has a really weird-looking vehicle, the Accord Crosstour, that might fit this well. It's not a hybrid, but it gets reasonable mileage. It looks and drives mostly like a car, but it's got a really huge trunk space. Safety ratings look pretty good; it's got a weak roof, and 'head/neck protection' is only adequate, but everything else tests very well.

I gather these aren't selling as well as Honda hoped, so you can get pretty decent discounts on them if you shop around. I test-drove one, and it was too noisy for me, but I've been spoiled by very nice Toyotas for too long. I thought it was otherwise excellent, with good road feel and nice tight control. It didn't feel nearly as large as it is. If you don't hate road noise as much as I do, you might really like it.

My inlaws have the Crosstour and absolutely love it, and made multiple trips between Minnesota and Arkansas with it. I would also highly recomend the suburu, they are well known for their awd, safety, and the fact they generally last several hundred thousand miles.

Volvo and Ford are kicking safety butt right now. Volvo is pricy though. The Fiesta is the best small car for safety and amazing economy, Focus hatch is 5 star. You can find used Focus cars dirt cheap.

Subaru is a really good recommendation. They're more expensive but they'll last you forever and they're some of the best designed cars out there. I've heard good things about the Mitsubishi RVR as well, though I haven't driven one and they're a new model so you're not likely to find a used one.

My biggest piece of advice: Don't buy a hybrid if you plan on keeping the car for many years. Once the batteries start to wear out, it will either lose its good mileage (but still have the lower horsepower, plus hauling all that dead weight) or you'll spend thousands to replace the batteries, negating any fuel savings you may get up to that point. The production process of many hybrids (particularly ones built in Japan) also often gives them a worse lifetime carbon footprint than an efficient gas model. I've got a 2.0L 4 cylinder in my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer which has plenty of power but on the highway, gets as low at 6.5L/100K (36.1 MPG). Your choice of course but that's my suggestion based on my conversations with mechanic friends and a couple of earlier hybrid owners.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Subaru Outback. Not a hybrid, but very safe, well-built, and all around solid. We bought a 2011 for my wife, and I wish it was my car.

I have the 2.5i Outback. I average 26mpg daily driving, and I hit 30 to 32 on long trips through the mountains. It feels solid and has tons of space. AWD is a nice thing, too.

I'll echo both buying Ford and skipping the hybrid. Ford Escapes are pretty awesome and get decent gas mileage as well.

The production process of many hybrids (particularly ones built in Japan) also often gives them a worse lifetime carbon footprint than an efficient gas model.

Actually, that's just borderline true, given the phrasing is pretty specific. You might be able to find a *very* efficient gas car that out-rates a low-end hybrid, but for most cars today, the hybrid will produce about 1/8 less carbon than a mid-sized sedan over it's lifetime, including production.

If economy is paramount, VW diesels are the way to go. But their safety rating is not sterling. The Golf is a 3 star rating if I recall. They have put those diesels in Audis.

Parallax Abstraction wrote:

Subaru is a really good recommendation. They're more expensive but they'll last you forever and they're some of the best designed cars out there. I've heard good things about the Mitsubishi RVR as well, though I haven't driven one and they're a new model so you're not likely to find a used one.

My biggest piece of advice: Don't buy a hybrid if you plan on keeping the car for many years. Once the batteries start to wear out, it will either lose its good mileage (but still have the lower horsepower, plus hauling all that dead weight) or you'll spend thousands to replace the batteries, negating any fuel savings you may get up to that point. The production process of many hybrids (particularly ones built in Japan) also often gives them a worse lifetime carbon footprint than an efficient gas model. I've got a 2.0L 4 cylinder in my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer which has plenty of power but on the highway, gets as low at 6.5L/100K (36.1 MPG). Your choice of course but that's my suggestion based on my conversations with mechanic friends and a couple of earlier hybrid owners.

I can speak to a counterpoint - my 2004 Prius is more than 7 years old, and still has the same mileage it's always had. The warranty would have covered dead batteries, if I had had any.

IMAGE(http://www.army-technology.com/projects/maxxpro-dash/images/1-maxpro-dash.jpg)

If you really want to be safe. Also good for war zones.

Tanglebones wrote:
Parallax Abstraction wrote:

Subaru is a really good recommendation. They're more expensive but they'll last you forever and they're some of the best designed cars out there. I've heard good things about the Mitsubishi RVR as well, though I haven't driven one and they're a new model so you're not likely to find a used one.

My biggest piece of advice: Don't buy a hybrid if you plan on keeping the car for many years. Once the batteries start to wear out, it will either lose its good mileage (but still have the lower horsepower, plus hauling all that dead weight) or you'll spend thousands to replace the batteries, negating any fuel savings you may get up to that point. The production process of many hybrids (particularly ones built in Japan) also often gives them a worse lifetime carbon footprint than an efficient gas model. I've got a 2.0L 4 cylinder in my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer which has plenty of power but on the highway, gets as low at 6.5L/100K (36.1 MPG). Your choice of course but that's my suggestion based on my conversations with mechanic friends and a couple of earlier hybrid owners.

I can speak to a counterpoint - my 2004 Prius is more than 7 years old, and still has the same mileage it's always had. The warranty would have covered dead batteries, if I had had any.

That's good to know. I've never owned a hybrid so what I said was just anecdotal evidence. I do have a friend who works as a mechanic at a Honda dealer who has had to replace several Insight battery packs out of warranty at a cost of thousands per. The owners got screwed too because with shot batteries, the car's worth nothing to sell or trade. How many he had to replace in the grand scheme of how many they sold I don't know though.

If you're really all that conscious about emissions.. consider that more crap was emitted by the production process of one new car than will likely be emitted by any used car for the rest of its operable lifetime.

So, you know, buy used.

As a starting point, the US EPA keeps a list of the most fuel efficient cars here: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestw...

Hunnie (and wordy, if he's reading this) -- in my view, when it comes to car safety, crash-tests results are not the whole story. It's actually the easiest part of the story, because crash survivability is tested by the government and outfits like Consumer Reports, and the results are readily available. To me, the safety is also related to:

Responsiveness of the steering
Effectiveness of the braking system
Behavior in hard breaking scenarios and rollover propensity
Rear and rear-quarters visibility
etc

I am driving a 2001 VW Jetta. I consider my car safe, because neither I nor my passengers have suffered any injuries for as long as I've been driving it for about 10 years, because I haven't been to any accidents to begin with.

Now, I am not saying that you're at fault in your accident (and since you probably will be involved in a lawsuit, you shouldn't really be discussing that anyway). What I am saying is that a really safe car allows you not just to survive an accident, but to stay out of it entirely, even if the other party appears to be just plain committed to making it happen.

I got a Fiesta about a month and a half ago, and I really like it. Of course, it's a small car, so while it can haul crap (I managed to fit a bike in the back last week), it's not exactly a huge stuff-carrier. I haven't crashed it yet, so I can't really speak to how safe it is yet. Mileage is good. I have a commute that's usually a lot of stop and go traffic, yet I'm still averaging 33mpg.

The electronics are sweet. I have an ipod hooked up to the hidden USB port behind the glove box, and I can have it play any artist, album, track, or genre with just voice commands. Technology!

E Hunnie wrote:

Ideally, we would like a hybrid, smaller than an SUV but with room for dog/future children/DnD buddies/luggage.

FTFY

I bought a Saab 9-3 SportCombi (the pimpin' wagon version) after reading that it was the single safest car on the road. Saab engineers actually go to every single crash involving a Saab in Sweden to see what they can fix. It's the reason the key is in the middle console, because they discovered people were damaging their knees in accidents hitting the keys dangling from the steering column. As a bonus, it's super fun to drive (thanks to the twin turbo-charge) and gets pretty good gas mileage. Our is 5-6 years old and can pull 22-23 pure city and 35-36 pure highway. We got a cage for the back so the dogs can sit in the rear hatch. We've had it for over three years and the only problem we had was a CD player malfunction that was covered under warranty (and who uses CDs anymore?). I'm a huge fan and would evangelize them to anyone.

Oh, and they have the most ridiculously over-engineered cup holders I've ever seen.

So, you know, buy used.

This is just a good idea in general. Toyotas and Hondas, at least, lose most of their value in the first couple years, and depreciate very slowly after that. If you keep them up, they will run freaking forever.

I bought a 2-year old used one near the height of the Toyota scare last year, and it's actually worth more now than I paid for it, even with an extra 10K miles.

Malor wrote:
So, you know, buy used.

This is just a good idea in general. Toyotas and Hondas, at least, lose most of their value in the first couple years, and depreciate very slowly after that. If you keep them up, they will run freaking forever.

I bought a 2-year old used one near the height of the Toyota scare last year, and it's actually worth more now than I paid for it, even with an extra 10K miles.

This is true if you pay cash. It can different if you finance. Interest rates on used vehicles can be relatively high (~8% last time I looked, though a few years ago) as opposed to very low or even 0% financing on new vehicles.

You usually qualify for the same rates if you get a certified pre-owned. They cost more, but most insurance companies and banks treat them like new cars.

If you decide to finance, hit up Edmunds.com and look for their tips. I thnk it was Capital One that offered me 4.1%, so the default 8% everyone was offering never needed. The place I bought my car, they took that paperwork as a challenge and got me right around 3.99% - saved me some cash in the long run, and I just tore up the Capital One packet when it arrived, as they had informed me to do.

Also, the financing came with a list of car year / finance rate. I ended up with 2009 Mazda 3.

We've been looking for a replacement for my fiance's dying Saturn SUV.

I prefer small cars and she's come around to my way of thinking.

Here's our current list:
Ford Fiesta Hatchback
Ford Focus Hatchback
Mazda 3 Hatchback
VW Golf

Our needs sounds similar to yours safety, reliability, economy, and enough room for a growing family. I think those're about the tops right now.

Would love a Subaru, but there is a downside to the awd. If you have one tire that gets blown, you have to replace all 4. The wear on them needs to match so you don't get additional wear on the management computer and electronics that're really expensive. I have a friend with a Legacy and he has had very bad luck with tires and has had to buy 4 sets in 6 years. That is very bad luck, though.

Lester_King wrote:

Here's our current list:
Ford Fiesta Hatchback
Ford Focus Hatchback
Mazda 3 Hatchback
VW Golf

You seriously can't go wrong with any of those.

Lester_King wrote:

We've been looking for a replacement for my fiance's dying Saturn SUV.

I prefer small cars and she's come around to my way of thinking.

Here's our current list:
Ford Fiesta Hatchback
Ford Focus Hatchback
Mazda 3 Hatchback
VW Golf

Our needs sounds similar to yours safety, reliability, economy, and enough room for a growing family. I think those're about the tops right now.

Would love a Subaru, but there is a downside to the awd. If you have one tire that gets blown, you have to replace all 4. The wear on them needs to match so you don't get additional wear on the management computer and electronics that're really expensive. I have a friend with a Legacy and he has had very bad luck with tires and has had to buy 4 sets in 6 years. That is very bad luck, though.

We had a 1999 Outback Wagon we bought in 2002 and just got rid of in December when we bought the 2011 Outback to replace it, and the '99 was incredibly reliable. Had no problems with the tires whatsoever, and in all our research for buying a new car that wasn't something referenced as a known problem, so it sounds like unusual luck or your friend spends lots of time driving through a nail factory.