What is the safest car I can buy my family?

"G. Homer" (goyshahomer)
10/22/2015 at 13:50 • Filed to: None

Just heard this terrible story from work. One girl who was a security guard got into a terrible crash, 2 years ago and had all kinds of screws and bolts in her body from putting bones back together. She was in so much pain she killed herself.

She was 22.

My question is two fold- what is the safest car i can buy new or used? Is it still a volvo? S80, xc70? Or a Subaru?

Secondly, only reliable, realistic options please oppo. Not interested in tanks. I just hear this story and think about my two little baby girls, not really babies, 8 and 4 but I want to protect them in the safest thing i can afford. Thanks

DISCUSSION (33)

TheHondaBro > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:55

Go Swedish and don’t look back.

Patrick Nichols > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:56

From what I’ve heard XC90.

From personal experience, older Saab 900 or 9-3.

G. Homer > TheHondaBro
10/22/2015 at 13:57

Should I not worry about expense or reliability?

TheHondaBro > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:59

They’re typically more expensive, but they are the safest.

CalzoneGolem > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:59

First gen Kia Soul has great safety ratings, is cheap, easy to work on, and you can wring that little engine out.

Ash78, voting early and often > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:59

Safety is a big reason why we went with Odyssey. As much as I dislike it as a car, I can’t fault its safety ratings and test. About a foot longer and 6” wider than our midsize wagon that it replaced, but 3-4x more useful interior space.

JR1 > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 13:59

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/T…

Top safety picks for each category

G. Homer > Patrick Nichols
10/22/2015 at 13:59

New xc 90 is way out of our range as is any new volvo. At least until they bring the s40 or v40 to market. The used xc90’s I have heard are riddled with issues. Mostly transmission. My issue is, life is so hectic, I don't want to be sitting or paying for the dealership all the time due to poor reliability.

Berang > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:00

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/T…

Most cars today are extremely safe, so long as some stupid asshole in their lifted pickup doesn’t T-bone you.

bob and john > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:00

right now? the safest car money can buy is the volvo XC90. no if and or buts about it.

volvo has always hade the safest machines out there. NOW, keep in mind the condition. a rusty-ass volvo is obviously going to be less safe then a ford with no rust.

i’m not entirely sure where this subaru = safe thing came out of... I know they were running ads about it at one point, but 1 (relatively) safe model doesnt make a safe line up. rthe AWD helps sure, but we all know those arguments.

honestly? that just sounded like a shitty ass crash and she was lucky to make it out of the car alive.

but by FAR the best way to stay safe? avoid the fucking crash to begin with. keep you eyes scanning your surrounds. put down the CD. stop fiddling with the AC. i ride a motorcycle, and you would be AMAZED at how little attention people actually pay attention to the road. on a bike, you have no radio, no AC, no massaging seats, no wife to nag you (sorry, had too) so 100% of your attention goes to the road.

and its not just YOU. pay attention to other drivers. assume the worst of them. minivan? soccer mom with a latte texting. trucker? hasnt slept in 14 hours. ricer? well...yea. at a traffic light, wait until the croo-traffic has stopped moving before you go. stuff like that

never assume that someone has seen you. i’ve looked people in the eyes, and they still went. didnt realize i was there.

TL;DR: yes, volvo are still the safest cars out there. Avoid the crash to begin with.

Klaus Schmoll > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:00

It this case newer=better. A 5 y/o Fit will be much safer than a Volvo 760. Fithgear once crashed a Renault Modus against a Volvo 760. The Volvo had no chance. With the advances that have been made in this field in recent years a new-ish small car will always be safer than an old big one.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:02

There comes a point of diminishing returns with regard to vehicle safety. If you go broke chasing the safest car out there, you haven’t really gained anything.

Being a better driver is always going to be cheaper, and more effective than relying on your car to keep you safe, regardless of what car you have.

True, one can never predict what others on the road are going to do. But being attentive, defensive, and focused when you drive will help immeasurably more than spending loads of cash on marginal passive safety increases.

Unless you currently drive a rusting, broken, barely road-legal hulk, then anything within a certain budget is arguably just as safe as anything else.

bob and john > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:04

later ones werent bad, just look for one thts been reasonably maintained.

BigBlock440 > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:05

I’ve heard the Model S is safe. There was a story of a Mexican guy hitting a brick wall at 100 mph and he got out of the car and ran IIRC (maybe not, but still lived).

dogisbadob > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:05

Most cars from the past 10-15 years are safe, as modern safety standards have gone through the roof. Volvo is still a good choice in terms of safety. I’d take the 01-04 V40 or the newer V50. The V50 is basically a Volvofied Mazda 3. There’s also the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo.

Just avoid the salvage titles. Because they ALWAYS cut corners.

The safest thing you can afford? Well, how much can you afford? You forgot to include your budget :)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:06

If you’re on a budget, the GM G-body cars (such as the Aurora or the Bonneville) are your best bet. Their frames were so strong that GM had to use a frame crusher designed for trucks to find their failure point.

Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:07

There is more to being safe on the road than just sitting in the car with the best crash test ratings. The best way to survive an accident is to not get into one. Don’t cheap out on tires for example. Get a dedicated set of winter and summer wheels and tires (depending on where you live ofcourse) and don’t take the cheapest ones. People don’t realize how much of a difference good tires make until they have to panic brake and they just can’t stop in time.

jariten1781 > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:07

Safest as in it’s structurally sound in a wreck or safest as in it has features that helps avoid a wreck? Like folks said, XC90 is a combo of both. IIHS tests for the former. You have to look car by car for the latter and there’s a fair premium for those features on some vehicles.

shop-teacher > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:08

Probably the new XC-90, but I can’t afford it either.

It’s amazing how a family changes your perspective on the world and everything in it. I saw a demonstration of a room lighting on fire at our local fire station a couple weeks ago, and it scared the shit out of me. It’s actually making me want to sell our house and buy/build a ranch house.

duurtlang > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:08

Get something that’s modern with great sight lines, so it’s easier to avoid an accident. All modern cars are safe, some a bit more so than others, but all are safe. Get something that isn’t too small or too big.

If you’re so hyper afraid of safety and reliability the best thing would be to stay at home. That’s not realistic obviously, but being overly paranoid is just not a good way to move through life. Breath, lighten up a little.

bob and john > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
10/22/2015 at 14:08

i dont knwo if i would those safe...sure the car will last in the crash, but all of that energy tht WOULD have been absorbed by the frame now goes to you.

plus GM...ignition recall, something something or other

Alex from Toronto > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:10

I would go with Subaru Forester. Reliable and it’s just as safe as acomparable Volvo. Subaru’s Eyesight system is good as well.

Top safty pick plus too.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/v…

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > bob and john
10/22/2015 at 14:10

All I know is, I’ve ridden in a Bonneville before and it felt like I was in a bank vault.

boxrocket > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:16

Volvo.

The first generation XC90 - which came out in 1999 - was still acing modern crash tests last year. It’s smaller siblings are also quite competent.

Also, best seats in the automotive world.

Buy from CarMax and get their near warranty and a $0 deductible and h have no worries.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:17

Don’t go too old. They updated the crash test a few years ago so anything before that is not comparable. If you’re worried you could go something with active safety like a newer Subaru.

Or go roll cage, race seat, harnesses, helmet, and neck restraint.

Really just wear your seatbelt at all times. Make sure there’s no loose objects that could hit you in a crash.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:19

Seeing the new XC90 rollover tests, I agree, definitely Swedish. My mom’s coworker had a really bad accident in a Forester that involved 3 to 4 rolls in Yosemite where the roof caved in, he didn't have a scratch and drove the thing safely out of the park. He's definitely a Subaru man for life. Car he got after that was a fully loaded Forester.

Slant6 > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:21

What’s your budget?

MultiplaOrgasms > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:27

Volvo or Benz (hint: maintenance).

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 14:40

I’d say to get a Subaru. They’ve got Volvo levels of safety tied together with Japanese levels of reliability, and affordibility.

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 16:00

Honestly, Honda accord or Ford fusion. Both are reasonably priced and very safe. Any used car from the last 2-3 years will be Very safe.

All newer Volvos will be safe, but perhaps not as safe as a brand new Ford Fusion, or a new Nissan, Subaru or Toyota.

Get something designed in the last 5-8 years, and isn’t tiny and crazy cheap, and you should be fine.

JustAnotherG6 > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 16:22

Safest thing to do is to stay home. Barring that, don’t crash. Other than that all cars are coffins on wheels, motorcycles are worse. Oh, and the safety ratings are setup as such that auto manufacturers design and build their cars to pass the test not to protect their customers in the real world.

wafflesnfalafel > G. Homer
10/22/2015 at 22:42

Most of the time a driver has at least some ability to affect the outcome of even a completely not at fault accident. Buy a decent, fairly modern car and aggressively drive defensively.

lunr > duurtlang
10/23/2015 at 21:42

This.

Late model Subaru’s are very safe cars and Foresters have awesome sight-lines. That greenhouse effect they talk about is real (‘13 Forester). I’ve checked out a few videos and docs on their passenger compartment shells. Was particularly impressed by the multi-layer design of alloys that make up the B-pillars in the Forester. So strong, a lot of FD cutters (Jaws-of-Life as the public calls them) can’t even cut through them easily, if at all. Then I’ve seen other videos of side impacts against full-size trucks with child car seats on the impacted side, and there was so little intrusion into the compartment the seat was still in its original place.

I had a Chevy Trailblazer, a big, strong SUV, as my family hauler, but I feel much better with my family inside a Subaru.