Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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Comments

  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I didn't say I agreed with it ... just stating the reasons for the DH's decisions ...
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    But basic physics dictates heavier is better, in the case of a collision momentum is 1/2mv2(squared) (it's been a long time, but I'm pretty sure that's the formula) so IF you are going to hit something, bigger is better. Of course, bigger is harder to manuever which is the downside.

    I agree with you about the SUV- a terrible car for a beginning driver. But a great big old Buick or Oldsmobile might not be such a bad idea! :D

    I was thinking about giving my son my LGT in a few years when he starts driving- but I've definitely decided it's not a good car for a young beginning male driver!

    tom
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    it's not our first choices, but what's already available and what is affordable ...
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You're right Brenda. You make the best decisions you can, given the options available to you.

    Bob
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Tom- You're right that heavier "can be" better but not always. In addition, the Montero has a rigid truck frame which means that the frame is much less capable of absorbing the forces from an impact, which means that the driver and occupant's bodies will have to absorb much more. And since it's an older model, there's probably no airbags and certainly no seatbelt pretensioners nor active head restraints.

    Also, when a heavier vehicle impacts a smaller vehicle, the heavier one "wins" but at the expense of the smaller vehicle. So is there no concern for that vehicle's occupants? Who by the way are probably innocent victims since in any accident involving a teen driver the odds of the other driver being at fault are quite low.

    Most experts agree with you that a big old family sedan (like a Buick or Olds) makes the safest choice for a teen driver. Unfortunately they are also the least cool to drive. Given the number of teens driving SUVs, it’s readily apparent who wins that argument ;-(

    -Frank
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Heavier is only better if the vehicle structure can absorb energy and protect passengers. If it's the vehicle versus an immovable object like a bridge abutment or huge oak tree, I'd rather have a smaller lighter car with modern safety features! One place momentum won't help is if you hit something that deflects all your energy back at you. In that case, bigger heavier vehicles are a liability.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My roommate in college had one, very tipsy vehicle that didn't feel very safe. His was a 2 door, I think the 4 doors ought to be better.

    In a 2-vehicle crash mass helps you, but I'd opt for active safety so my child could avoid a crash in the first place.

    The Miata, for instance, is a tiny vehicle, but death rates are average, because you can swerve out of the way. I guess a Suburban might not be able to avoid a crash so it's a good thing it has all that mass! ;)

    Death rates for a Corvette or Mustang are awful. Check out crashtest.com, they list the statistics:

    http://www.crashtest.com/mitsubishi/ie.htm

    Too bad the Monty isn't rated.

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I don't think it's ok to conclude from the one data point you have that the Miata's death rate is mainly because of its manueverability.

    It's a roadster with no integrated rollover protection, so when it does roll (easily done when going offroad no matter the manueverability of a vehicle) the occupants are going to have a pretty high probability of being crushed. Additionally, the Miata gets pretty tailhappy during emergency manuevers by untrained drivers.. Seen it plenty of times and have done it before myself during an autocross, and my ex-wife did it in the middle of a 4 lane freeway.

    It probably has more to do with the average operator's age, driving style, and the vehicle's low power output.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    All those things are factors, sure, I was just giving an example of how a light car doesn't fare poorly overall.

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Craig, you're right, of course. I was just making a counter-point. :D

    When I had my Sequoia I almost got broadsided by a semi running a red light. At that point in time, it really doesn't matter what you're driving!

    tom
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    On another tack, the first little Suzuki 4x4 (the name escapes me)was a narrow tall tippy little vehicle.Well I saw one today and some halfwit has it jacked up a good 8 to 10 inchs, talk about a recipe for disaster.

    Cheers Pat.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Was it a Samurai or maybe a Sidekick?

    ~Colin
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    One or other of those Colin, but you know the one I refer to. Actually if memory serves me that was the one at the centre of all the contraversy, they had it running around with outriggers on it showing how easy it was to tip
    Cheers Pat.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    It was the Suzuki Samurai that Consumers Union declared dangerous due to roll-over concerns.

    -Frank
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    And that's why when I saw it, I couldn't believe that some eejit would jack one of these things way up on the suspension. Whoever it was has little regard for their safety.

    Cheers Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I remember that whole controversy. I saw a video that Suzuki put together, though, that showed it took them an unusual amount of attempts to get it to do what they wanted to, and it was at higher than normal speeds for that test.

    When they finally did get it to do what they were obviously setting up, you heard the staff cheer loudly that they had "succeeded".

    I guess they proved the obvious - if you drive like an idiot and actually try to roll, then you will. The fact that the Samurai was so flawed just made it an easy target.

    -juice
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    ok .. here are the 'choices' in our household ...

    2001 Outback (mine)

    1997 Lincoln Towne Car (DH's)

    1993 Olds Cutless Ciera (almost 200,000 miles and the daughter in college is driving it right now)

    1991 Mitsubishi Montero (about 120,000 miles)

    The DH and I both went through divorces 6-7 years ago and those aren't 'cheap'. I changed jobs and ended up back in college where I've been for the past 6 years. I have one daughter who will graduate in May after FIVE years in college. Well ... you get the picture .. these are the vehicles that we HAVE and it's not always about what you'd LIKE to put your kids in for them to drive ...

    Do I agree with a lot of what you've said? Absolutely ... Is it always feasible? ... Not at our house ...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No worries, Brenda, our wants aren't always the same as our needs.

    I had no car at all during most of my college career, and only bought my first new car once I was half-way through grad school.

    How did I get around? On a scooter! In fact I picked up my wife on our first date on a 1984 Honda Aero 125. It could barely go uphill with two people on it.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Here's a pic a little later on, I moved *UP* to this bike. :D

    -juice

    PS That's the wife, must be around 1990 or so
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    outstanding! :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Do you like the big 80s hair, the tie-dye, and the flats?

    I was behind the camera, probably wearing baggy MC Hammer pants and a Members Only jacket. :surprise:

    -juice
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    In case she hasn't reminded you lately, you're a lucky guy. :)
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Did you buy the bike because she was on it? :D
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Brenda- I fully understand the fiscal constraints you're operating under. I think this thread wandered a little too far off into the theoretical world.

    In any case, I seriously doubt that the Montero is worth what it would take to repair or replace the engine. Therefore we were just trying to offer helpful advice on what type of vehicle might make a suitable replacement :-)

    -Frank
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    well i know BigElm is too busy dealing with the Nabisco OT Crew

    Whew... ain't that the truth. Ok.. well, things seem to be simmering down a bit so, not to shy you guys away from this great place but I'm doing what I can to bring some sanity back to NABISCO.

    There's a rumor about the 2007 Leg Spec B... from what I'm hearing, someone leaked some legit info... :)
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    correcto.

    If it were me, and let's say that installing a junkyard engine myself is not an option, I would get a new beater rather than mess with the Montero as most are suggesting.

    ~Colin.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Updates sound good, MT already picked it a winner in a comparo with the MazdaSpeed6.

    I really like that read leather, I made the mistake of sitting in one at the dealer last week...yummy!

    -juice
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    and I understand .. just wanted to let people know we weren't making some sort of big decision to put our kids into unsafe vehicles as a priority .. lol

    ok ... the word from the garage was quite expensive ... he had it towed to a coworker's house (who has done some work for him in the past) ... he was under instructions to do 'minimal' work in replacing the timing chain and then to see if the truck would run or not ... it's done and ready for us to pick up at a fraction of what the garage would have charged ... and at a price to make it feasible for the kid to have a vehicle to drive again ...

    where we live it's almost exclusively used on city streets where the speed limits are in the range of 35mph .. do I think he goes faster than that at times? .. absolutely .. but he is not driving in a big city/ freeway / heavy traffic type of situation ...

    and the bottom line is .. vehicles are really only as safe as the people operating them ...

    I don't think I really took umbrage at anything anyone said ... and remember .. many of us made it through childhoods where a car seat was a seat that hooked over the back of the bench seat to put us up high enough to see out (and be thrown through the windshield in case of a crash) ... no adult seatbelts .. and a dashboard made of steel so it was more easily washed off after an accident ....
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Brenda- So the Montero is running again with only the timing chain replaced? If so that's great news!

    I also think that people today can get a little too carried away when it comes to safety features. Makes one wonder how anyone survived an accident back in the day ;-)

    Of course I also marvel how any male driver survives past the age of 25 (yours truly included). I know that luck has to play a large role because cars, testosterone and youthful feelings of invulnerability make for an extremely dangerous combination.

    -Frank
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Couldn't post at all yesterday and it's still not acting right today.

    -Frank
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Frank they were down yesterday for upgrades. Expect it to be worse than usual.

    Cheers Pat. :D
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    Of course I also marvel how any male driver survives past the age of 25 (yours truly included). I know that luck has to play a large role because cars, testosterone and youthful feelings of invulnerability make for an extremely dangerous combination.

    For anyone in that age bracket in the last 10-15 years, I like to attribute it to thousands of hours of video game experience to fine-tune our motor skills before even getting behind the wheel of a real car (yours truly included). ;)

    And people say they rot your brain...

    Doug
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They've been fed and everything seems to be back to normal.

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I just returned from some outpatient surgery on my knee. I had been having some problems with function and stability so my orthopedic surgeon recommended getting a camera in there to better assess the situation and do some general clean-up.

    Anyway, I'm just sitting back now hooked up to a cold therapy machine and waiting for the anethstesia to wear off.

    Ken
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Ouch! I cringe just reading about it.

    Get well soon Ken.

    Jim
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Take care Ken and I hope you have an easy and uneventful recovery.

    Cheers Pat. :sick:
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Ouch is right! Hope it won't affect your running, once you've healed.

    Bob
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Thanks for the sympathy. I did this surgery to correct some nagging problems I've had with my knee. They weren't major, but were affecting my running. The surgeon was pretty sure that things would turn out for the better. Also, because I did injury my ACL a long time ago, the only way to be completely sure about the condition of my knee was to stick a camera into it.

    Luckily, the procedure confirmed that my ACL is still in decent shape and that I don't need to worry about the future of my running.

    It hasn't been too bad. As promised, I am able to bear my full weight on my leg and hobble around. If all goes well 4-6 weeks until I'm back and running.

    Now if that iMac would hurry and show up already, I would have something to do to pass the time.

    Ken
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Hope your recovery goes well Ken. My wife goes in for ACL surgery on Feb 13.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's all those marathons you run. You should become a couch potato like me. ;)

    Actually, I sprained my ankle last year, and I still wonder if it's 100%.

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Ken,

    Best wishes for a swift, and painless recovery.

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Just saw that R&T article, and *wow*. 0-60 in 5.1, the only one to hit 120mph, the quickest autocross times, and by far the price-sensitive pick.

    The geezers on staff helped the Audi A4 get the overall nod, but only if you're not price-senstitive. Otherwise Subaru mopped up the competition, and we're talking about BMW and Lexus, here.

    Impressive. :shades:

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Oooh, good luck Ken. People recover from arthroscopic surgery pretty fast these days- they'll probably do a little 'smoothing' out of your joint which hopefully will make you feel better.

    They do have 3T MRI's now that are quite powerful and may be able to show more detail than your surgeon is used to. But it certainly is not as good as looking at it with your own eyes.

    Good luck again.
    Maybe you should consider bicycling?

    tom
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    until I got to school today .. one of my paraprofessionals went to the ER yesterday and is IN the hospital .. seems she has a BRAIN TUMOR ...

    talk about changing your perspective in a HURRY ...
    Brenda
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Wwe, Bren, sorry to hear the news.

    Bob
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Thanks everyone for the kind wishes. Yeah, maybe I should start thinking about cycling...not! :-)

    juice: Yeah, I saw that too and the LGT community is partying. It appears the Mazadaspeed 6 has some heatsoak issues.

    Brenda: Sorry to hear about that. That's shocking news.

    Ken
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Ken, what a trooper!! They had wireless connectivity in the recovery room? Isn't that taking this 'always connected' stuff a little too far?

    Glad to hear that you are on the mend. What did they find/fix???

    Speaking of fixed, what was up with Edmunds this weekend?

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Wow... It does put it all into perspective.

    I got to do an all-nighter in the ER with Emily last week after her little sister beat her up but good. Em was laying on the floor around 8pm playing with something, Annie was standing and twirling on one of our big, heavy office chairs, and came crashing down (chair and kid) on her chest/abdomen. It only takes a second of inattention by her parents for disaster to happen!!! Knocked the wind out of her pretty badly. As Beth lost her spleen to emergency surgery half a day after an accident many years ago, we thought it best to have her professionally checked out. At 4am we got dismissed. Thankfully nothing on the CT scan. Just some bruises...

    Steve
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    So sorry about your co-worker. I had one of those wake up calls recently too. My sis-in-law's sister went to her doctor a couple of weeks ago because of numbness and weakness in one of her legs. They discovered four tumors in her brain and one in her lung. They gave her 6 weeks if she does nothing; five months to possibly five years if she starts treatment immediately. She's a fighter, so we're hoping for a miracle or two. :(
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