Are small cars any good

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by cheap

You could always have "big" head on with a big heavy vehicle and tell us how it works out, except you'd probably be dead...

Yeah, I'm really concerned about that so I bought one of these as my daily:

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by castellan

Are small cars any good or are people just buying rubbish.
One of the small cars I liked was the Peugeot 306 and the sporty GTI6.
The ride was magic for a small car.
The braking was magic as the rear end does not send the rear up in the air like other cars do, this thing the rear goes down when braking real hard.
Why don't all the new cars come out like the 306.

how can the rear end go down as you describe?

[cheap]

Originally Posted by Wretched

So kindly explain your sentence:


Judging by your comment there you're indicating that rich people drive big cars?
Secondly, as per my previous post, you got proof of just baseless trash as usual?

Again, as per my previous post, define rich/wealthy please.

My post is perfectly clear and unambiguous, if you have difficulty interpreting it, then ask a four year old.

This is not about rich/poor people, you seem to be going out of your way to pick an argument that never was, grow up.

[mik]

Originally Posted by trublu

And that saying can go with big cars having a head on.
With any type vehicle on the road you will always risk being killed in an accident regardless of vehicle size.

yes big chance death will ensue with a head on , but there are lots more ways you can damaged in a car than a head on, and i would not like to be in any car in that instance , but especially not in a smaller car.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by cheap

My post is perfectly clear and unambiguous, if you have difficulty interpreting it, then ask a four year old.

This is not about rich/poor people, you seem to be going out of your way to pick an argument that never was, grow up.

Thanks for not answering the questions and proving typical troll trash posts.

[Franco Cozzo]

Come out of it deaf for about 30 seconds, ears ringing and a minor burn on my forehead from the air bags and nasty bruising from the seatbelt.

My first Focus did alright given I t-boned a 1980s Rodeo at between 80-90km/h on Sunbury Rd on the side of Melbourne Airport when he reversed out across both lanes of the road from the emergency lane.

Tagged his passenger side with the front left of the Focus, bent his Rodeo like a banana, sent it into the trees on the far left in the grass, if he had a passenger they would be pushing up daisies.

It doesn't look bad from the photos but the front left of the car is pushed into the passenger door and the entire left side of the car was buckled, you couldn't open the doors on that side.

Its not the 1990s anymore and small cars are built better than the Ford Festiva tin can my Mum has, if I was in that I would be dead for sure.

[superyob]

Originally Posted by Wretched

Thanks for not answering the questions and proving typical troll trash posts.

Not trying to pick a fight but I had no trouble discerning the intent of cheap's ruminations...

[castellan]

Originally Posted by xxx000

how can the rear end go down as you describe?

It just does, it's how they set it up, I never looked under my mates but he was driving flat out and showing me what she does.
He said see how smooth she rides and yes I was impressed and that road was rubbish.
He jumped on the brakes and said see the rear does not rear up, she goes down and that makes it more stable and better balanced.
That car was a normal 306 that he bought new back then and then the next year he bought the 306 GTI6 and took me for a fang a round bris in it.
Very impressive for a small car I thought, not powerful but nippy and well controlled.

But no where near my own V8 to drive, but it takes a real man to drive something real fast and enjoyable like that. ( I understand it's to much for some )

I could maybe live with something like a 306 as a runabout for town and enjoy driving it, as it is a rewarding car to be able to drive about, not just a bucket to transport you about.

Some cars love to be driven hard and reward you for doing so and just cruse about fine as well,but some cars are just something you can't stand to drive or be in.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by cheap

You could always have "big" head on with a big heavy vehicle and tell us how it works out, except you'd probably be dead...

As you probably would be in a big car too.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

I drove my friends 1 year old Corolla the other week. Keeping in mind this is the highest selling car in the country - it was god-awful. NVH from the engine in particular was incredibly intrusive, difficult to drive smoothly, dash a horrible blob of cheap black plastic. Based on that experience - no - small cars aren't any good.

But I have driven a previous-gen Focus XR5 a lot, and been a passenger in a few Golf GTi's, and based on those experiences - yes - small cars are very, very, very good indeed.

Yes I am lead to believe that the Focus XR5 and Golf GTI's are a good small car to drive and enjoy driving type rewarding car.

Like you say the Corolla is just that, but most do not know it's just truly only rubbish car and saying that, most would not know it was as backwards as it is.

A member in the family is looking to buy a new small car and was looking at the Corolla but said now he is not going to buy one.
I think the Subaru Impreza maybe for him and her.

[MAGPIE]

Nothing like a small car thread to bring out the brain dead tossers

Hasn't this been done before.

[cheap]

It is interesting comparing small V's BIG, because today's small cars aren't small when compared to 1950-1960's small cars.

Whilst the world has become smaller, cars generally haven't.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by cheap

It is interesting comparing small V's BIG, because today's small cars aren't small when compared to 1950-1960's small cars.

Whilst the world has become smaller, cars generally haven't.

1950s large cars sucked too:

https://youtu.be/C_r5UJrxcck

[BradEL]

Small cars once were cool, but the definition of a small car in the 1960s was somewhat different.....

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by xxx000

how can the rear end go down as you describe?

Anti squat or rear dive under braking is a thing!
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handlin...ling_weightxfr

Not desirable subjectively to completely remove from a commuter car as the impression of retardation is reduced in such a situation...
but my 1990's AWD hatch has this tendency...my 000's falcon does not

graphic illustration
http://www.racecartuner.com/03/305.html

JP

[revcore]

I much prefer bigger cars even though they tend to be a little heavier on petrol than small cars.
Having said that, I have driven a very late model Focus and a Mondeo and was pleasently suprised by how roomy they felt for a small car. If I were to own a small car it would most likely be a Focus although I'm not too fond of front wheel drive vehicles.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by 99AUXR

Beg to differ and to many variables, what big car and what small car?

Out of all the crashed cars we pick up I think you will be suprised at how safe the drivers of late model small cars are. . . .Provided they are wearing seat belts :/




Still laughing.

As a general rule, all things being equal, the heavier your car, the safer you are in the event of a shunt. The occupants of a small, light five star ANCAP rated hatch will fare rather poorly in a head on shunt with a large, heavy 5 star rated sedan.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

As a general rule, all things being equal, the heavier your car, the safer you are in the event of a shunt. The occupants of a small, light five star ANCAP rated hatch will fare rather poorly in a head on shunt with a large, heavy 5 star rated sedan.

As a general rule of thumb, nothing is equal though!

JP

[Trump]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

As a general rule of thumb, nothing is equal though!

JP

That is very true JP.

The more metal between the rest of the world and me, the better

[Express]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Its not the 1990s anymore and small cars are built better than the Ford Festiva tin can my Mum has, if I was in that I would be dead for sure.

Your right many small cars do perform well in an accident these days and that Focus has held up well.

I drive a series 1 BMW and feel just as safe in it as I do in a larger sedan.

I remember when Top Gear slammed a Smart Car head on into a concrete wall, you could still open the doors.

Unfortunately the concussion on the body at impact would have killed the occupants but that would have also been the case if they were in a large car.

The worst thing about a small car is if it’s impacted by a large car, particularly when something like a big 4WD with a roo bar T-bones you.

The imprint of that roo bar on your forehead will probably stay with you for years.

Also a large car could possibly climb a small car in a big impact but I guess everyone would be dead anyway.

By the way in NSW you’d be defected for driving a car with the headlight out.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by BradEL

Small cars once were cool, but the definition of a small car in the 1960s was somewhat different.....
image

You mean the American definition of small car was, and still is different. Remember the XK Falcon was sold as a small/compact car over there, but family sized here.

Originally Posted by cheap

It is interesting comparing small V's BIG, because today's small cars aren't small when compared to 1950-1960's small cars.

Whilst the world has become smaller, cars generally haven't.

You don't need to go that far back, the 1980's is enough to illustrate your point.

The first Toyota Camry sold in Australia was 100mm shorter, 80mm narrower, and 60mm lower overall than the current Corolla.

The current Holden Cruze is only 150mm shorter than the VB Commodore, but 66mm wider and 106mm higher.

[jpblue1000]

What I have learnt from AFF due to this topic:
This debate will rage forever, there are those who do those who dont those who will and those who wont. For some there never will and others who will never not.
Size of car is a choice like the color of your underpants and make of your wife and no matter what hue she chooses for you you'll ague it's pros and cons till they kill you.
People die in car crashes, in cars of all makes, models, price points and performance criteria.
If you die in a smash you were wrong in many of your choices leading to that moment. your ***** (**) size, bank balance, hero status or eco credentials didn't save you. If you survive I guess your guardian angel was flying faster then you were driving, was it the car, was it dumb luck, science cannot prove it, maths cannot prove it nor can faith. You just survived.
Soon there will be no falcon, just big pieces of crew cab rubbish and chocolate box hatchbacks, I guess we are all doomed, bored to death probably, crushed to death by a tank less likely.
Be safe no matter what you drive, be lucky with what your fellow motorist drives if they crash into you and be wary that I am right and you are wrong! (where the hell did my emoticon thing go) here they are
(**) Pen(i)s is not a bad word

JP

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Express

Your right many small cars do perform well in an accident these days and that Focus has held up well.

I drive a series 1 BMW and feel just as safe in it as I do in a larger sedan.

I remember when Top Gear slammed a Smart Car head on into a concrete wall, you could still open the doors.

Unfortunately the concussion on the body at impact would have killed the occupants but that would have also been the case if they were in a large car.

The worst thing about a small car is if it’s impacted by a large car, particularly when something like a big 4WD with a roo bar T-bones you.

The imprint of that roo bar on your forehead will probably stay with you for years.

Also a large car could possibly climb a small car in a big impact but I guess everyone would be dead anyway.

By the way in NSW you’d be defected for driving a car with the headlight out.

image

The one that scares me the most is this situation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3MPKLy9qHU

If I'm heading for the back of a semi I'm gonna go for the trees instead I think, at least when they put me in my coffin I'll still have my head attached to my neck

Interesting small car vs SUV/ute:

https://youtu.be/hx1mBKeUeLo

Any head on situation at highway speeds is most likely going to be lethal for both parties I reckon, in my situation I was lucky I t-boned him and his Rodeo pretty much flew off into the trees, if it was a head on as in he was coming toward me moving we would most likely both be brown bread.

Tell you what though wish my Focus had a knee airbag, I smashed it into the dash pretty hard, if you've ever thought they are useless invention wait till you stack your car, inflatible seat belts would be nice too.

[superyob]

Big Damo, that video of the Bel Air crumbling away is scary...

[zilo]

Originally Posted by 99AUXR

Beg to differ and to many variables, what big car and what small car?

I'll make it as succinct as possible.

My big 5 star Mercedes and your small 5 star Focus/Mondeo/subaru/yaris/...

Both 5 star, way different mass.

Mass wins....everytime...
(unless you have an anomalous crowbar sized object that comes through the windscreen at me.)


I'll even go further and say......

5 star buzz box with 500mm bonnet length versus 4 star big car with 1.5 metre bonnet length.......4 star car wins.

At impact, (which is the stopwatch trigger for decelerative forces), the longer the bonnet the slower the rate of deceleration.

Using above example.

At 60km/h small bonnet car G forces of 33 on occupants.
At 60km/h big bonnet car G forces of 12 on occupants.


The vehicle with slowest deceleration wins in the injury stakes.


Now let's not come up with the usual examples of how we have a neighbours/cousins/pet dog/pool cleaners wife who wrote off an 80's 4WD ute and came out with not a scratch.

You can't beat simple Physics.

Comes down to a choice of what colour wheelchair you want if you rely on a gazilion airbags as an alternative to mass.

[zilo]

I had to look for a while to find this again , but this video sums it up..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXunnaaYtz0

[jpblue1000]

I drive to survive I don't buy to crash! Its the risk I'm very happy with.
I might die happy in my buzz box and you might die sad in your big car when a bigger one hits you or the 500mm bonnet hits your 50mm door!

JP

[zilo]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

I drive to survive I don't buy to crash! Its the risk I'm very happy with.
I might die happy in my buzz box and you might die sad in your big car when a bigger one hits you or the 500mm bonnet hits your 50mm door!

JP

Cool....I guess that means you concede small cars are not as safe as big cars.

Plenty of happy people like you in heaven who are there saying...

"I had the right of way...I shouldn't be dead yet"....

[cheap]

The original fiat 500

Wheelbase 1.84 m
Length 2.97 m
Width 1.32 m
Height 1.32 m
Curb weight 499 kg

The current Fiat 500

Wheelbase 2,300 mm 26% bigger
Length 3,546 mm 19% bigger
Width 1,627 mm 23% bigger
Height 1,488 mm 13% bigger
Curb weight 980 kg 96% bloated

Modern small cars are not small, which exactly explains why there is a traffic problem! If those proponents of small cars actually lived by the ethos of small, there would be far less congestion, the world would be a better place, peace and harmony prevailing. If you want to know why things are screwed up, it is because of the faux small car!

[jpblue1000]

Actually I think there are more dead from the golden era of big strong cars than from crumple zone donned hatchbacks.
You cant deny a hatchback in the side of your falcommercmw is going to hurt you more then the other driver.
So why worry.

JP