Just saw a quick mention of a story tomorrow night on ABC about how Amercia is going to smaller cars. At least the story does not look negative but rather pointing out which are the most safe of the small cars. I figured it was going to be your typical story on American cars at first but the video did show our favorite little car last just as they said they would show us which performed the best. Might be a good story to catch.

 

Is it going to be on the national ABC evening news? (with Charles Gibson according to my DVR)

 

From what I understand. There might be something on www.abc.com I have not looked. Just saw a short snip durring the national news tonight.

Edit: Looks like ABC World News with Charles Gibson

 

If only I had a TV...


If I remember correctly, the new Civic outperformed the MINI in crash tests.

 

The 1988 Yugo??

 

 

It's coming up on 'Good Morning America' - right now!

 

Just caught a short story on our local morning news (GMA isn't on for another hour here) about mini-car safety tests. They mentioned some cars performing horribly, including Toyotas and ended the story by saying the MINI did well in front and side tests, but only marginal in rear crash safety. The highest score went to the Nissan Versa, the lowest went to the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio. The story concluded by saying that if safety is your priority, these are not the cars for you due to their size and weight. Great--more fuel to the SUV-owners fire...

 

Yaris was 2nd and Fit was 3rd - what they didn't say was that smaller cars make smaller targets - and of course MINIs just get out of the way so easily!

 

MINI was fourth. Received a "good" rating for frontal crash, and "marginal" for rear.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/12/14/...sts/index.html

Nissan Versa Front: Good - Side: Good - Rear: Good

Toyota Yaris (with optional side airbags) Front: Good - Side: Good - Rear: Marginal

Honda Fit Front: Good - Side: Good - Rear: Poor

Mini Cooper (tested previously) Front: Good - Side: Acceptable - Rear: Marginal

Chevrolet Aveo Front: Acceptable - Side: Marginal - Rear: Poor

Scion xB Front: Good - Side: Poor - Rear: Marginal

Toyota Yaris (without side airbags) Front: Good - Side: Poor - Rear: Marginal

Hyundai Accent Front: Acceptable - Side: Poor - Rear: Poor

Kia Rio Front: Acceptable - Side: Poor - Rear: Poor

basically a survival of the fittest... the better job you have,
the better safety you get.

 

Of course they had to end it with "If you want to really be safe, get a bigger car." Haha, I said outloud "I'd rather die in my MINI than drive another larger vehicle...just to be 'safer'."

-Cody

 

"If you can afford it, buy bigger."




1. I could have saved some money had I purchased a larger sedan-type vehicle (Jetta, etc.)

2.


Stupid stories like that just mean I'll have more defending to do at gas stations and to some of my friends.

 

Front page news up here (Boston) today. But you know it's a slow news week when something like basic physics makes headlines. Yeah...the rear seat of a MINI is inches from the rear wheels. So, you plow into it with something twice its size and go figure

Although, I have to say that I've had this thought often while sitting at a light watching some locomotive-sized SUV bear down on me from behind and wondering if they actually see me.

So far, so good.

 

That's exactly why I added the Third Light Pulsar.
Top notch mod and it DOES catch the attention of the occassional bumper hugger.

 

I wonder how old the test was they were using for the MINI? It noted that the car did not have electronic stability control, and they way the article read it also did not sound like it had side airbags. If memory serves that was an option on the 02 and 03 Coopers, but I thought it became standard by 05. I wonder how it would compare to the same test done on a 06 Cooper?

 

I have the same airbags in my 03 MCS as the later models, and ASC was standard, DSC was an option.

 

My husband was hopping mad about that statement this morning! "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard....blah, blah, blah!" It's not like the bigger cars are safe! At least in my MINI, I can get the hell out of the way and out-manuever the idiots in the bigger cars. If I was in a "bigger car", I'd have no place to go!

 

Just remember who the major auto advertisers are on ABC. It's not Mini.

 

... "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" ...

I'd rather drive the nimble MINI and keep alert of my surroundings, than drive an SUV everyday!

 

I can't believe they said something so stupid. Maybe if their ignorant philosophy worked then my mother-in-law would still be alive after a small motorcycle hit her car last year. The media is nothing more than a farmer hearding cows where they want them to go.

That said. I wish some of these small cars were built like the MINI. The 80's small cars ruined themselves with cheap materials and build quality. The MINI proves a small car can be good if you build it correctly. If they start throwing out small cars that aren't built good then they'll disappear again like they did in the late 80's and 90's.

 

Force = mass x acceleration. MINI mass < SUV mass :: less force when hitting something (assuming the acceleration is the same ). Now what about a SUV hitting a MINI .

 

They're already talking about gas prices jumping again and ABC comes out with statements like above?! Friggin MORONS! It's time to start forcing people to downsize their vehicles. If you don't have a legitimate excuse for driving one, then why have it? You're nothing but a road hazard! (Be advised, I do drive a F-350 when towing my 20 ft trailer to track or the hardware store. Otherwise the truck never moves.) I understand that people can have need of them, but an f'ing Hummer? ***-on people! How many reservest military personel do we have that can afford one? I was hoping with the last gas jump people would get the message, but here goes ABC scr*#ing the pooch and pushing people right back into them!

 

Be careful guys our MINI's didn't do well in the latest crash test, speacially a rear end hit!

 

To add to this, today on CNN Headline news there was a video.

In the video a female reporter was sitting in a PW/W MINI. She reported the facts and then said MINI was in the middle of the pack but it was a 2006 and they would test 2007s when they came out.

BUT ... then the anchor says ... the words I remember in a VERY condescending tone ... very seriously

"So for the people who just have to by these cutesy, itty-bitty cares, they need to be warned of what can happen"

I dont remember the exact words but he clearly said it in a condescending way with kind of the eye roll thing and the words cutesy, itty-bitty, etc.

The reporter mentioned that when a large SUV at 7000 pounds hits of the little cars from the rear (and the MINIs worst rating of marginal was from the rear) ... expect serious damage.

Interesting that the reporter was very factual, just doing her job while the anchor threw in "his opinion"