magicharm

Ok, heres my next question to all you experts out there. I'm dead set on getting a tc - either the second my car dies, or if it keeps running, when I graduate college in the spring. My parents are die hard toyota fans (mom currently drives a highlander, and dad an avalon). They understand that I want a good car that's going to last me a *long* time (I'm planning on at least 10 years - and hoping that I can get through 6 years of graduate school with out having to worry about anything other than regular maintenence). However, my parent's are the ones that will be cosigning with me (I have no credit), and so they have to agree that I'm making the right decision. My dad's main concern with my choice of the Tc is that he's convinced that smaller cars are not as safe as full sized cars. The side airbags are a must. as he's read that side airbags are becoming more important than even front airbags, due to the number of larger vehicles hitting cars from the side. But, help me guys, what else can I say to him to convince him that the Tc should be safe enough for me????

He was looking at 2005 Altima's because he found a deal where they were 12,000 - and I nearly cried!!!! It's stupid to go with an Accord, because anything other than the base (which isn't anything compared to the Tc) is way more expensive. Camrey's are too much, even used, and I can't think of anything else he would even consider. I don't want a big car, I want a small car that I can have fun driving - I've been driving only station wagons since I got my license!!!! Help me out with some arguments guys - because I personally feel that a new Tc w/ side airbags would be just as safe as a lager car - I don't think either would be that great in a collision with a big SUV.

TC_means_TurboCharged

go with the 2005 corolla xrs its BADASS. does the tc come with side airbags? i know it comes with driver side knee airbag but i didnt know if it came with a side airbag or not.

JSVH

Yes, the tC has side air bags the only factory option (besides color and transmission).

Back to the point, Why does your dad think small cars are not safe? Find good safety ratings for other small cars (i.e. Civic, Corolla), and then find big cars with bad safety rates (i.e. GM, Ford ). Show him that safety is not about size, it is how well a car is desgined. Then remind him of all the safety features the tC has (knee air bags).

When they do get around to testing the tC for safety it should do well. That will give you good ammo. But that may be a year away.

hjane42

Yes, the tC has side airbags as an option. $650 factory installed.

As for helping you out with the safety thing...
I am a 24 year old female and have had a small car since I was 16 - a 95 Ford Escort. In March, I was involved in an accident. I rearended an SUV going about 45-50 mph. I had front airbags only. Other than a small hernia, some bruising, and a nasty bruise on my neck from the seatbelt, I walked away unscathed. Even though my car was tiny and maybe some would say "unsafe", it did exactly what it was supposed to do. The car was totalled, but the area in which I sat was untouched. The crumple zone in the hood of the car worked perfectly and the steering column stayed put.
I am getting the tC within days, although since side airbags aren't available on the cars coming in the early shipments, mine won't have them. I asked the dealer about the safety features of the car and he assured me that since Toyota is such a good name, proper safety measures were considered. The crumple zone is being used and the engine will drop if in an accident. The side airbags will also be a great addition to the car and will greatly add to the safety feature.
I wish you luck with your Dad. Try to convince him that the tC is the car for you, I think it's going to be an outstanding vehicle, especially for the younger consumers!

Keep us posted of your progress! :D

ASUgradinWA

couple reasons a small car might be better:

Gas mileage

Easy to control in tight spots, like city parking

For safety the knee airbag is good. Side air bags will be hard to find, out of all the Tc's I see or hear about I have not found one with the side airbags yet.

But turn signals on the side rear view mirrors is good.

Just let them know it is a quality car that is affordable that you want.

integsrtite

bigger cars being safer than smaller cars, whether or not true, is one thing. avoiding the accident altogether is another.

i switch between my moms 93 accord and my dads 2000 camry, depending on the time of day that i need a car, and i prefer the accord over the camry. its much smaller and as ASUgradinWA said, easier to control. accidents can easily be avoided if you're alert enough to watch out and quick enough to react, i.e. swerving away from a collision in front of you or something. when that's the case, the car that's easier to maneuver will have the advantage.

try that.

on a side note, any of you have any points to bring up with MY dad about a 5spd. his point would be compared to an automatic, there are more things to 'worry' about and in the event of avoiding an accident, for example, you really don't need more things to worry about.

haihengh

try this one, visibility.

i use to drove the white Sears van everyday, i know being big and tall is good on the road. but it will more than likely to get you in trouble just because it's harder to see around you. smaller car have a better chance to see more around you. talking about early accident prevention here, smaller car can do better than the larger car.

of course, a safe driving habit is a must on any car. you can ger yourslef kill even you are diving a M1A1 if you don't drive safe. i think most of mordern car do their job in term of safety.

iZero

Safety ratings are only based on what other cars in the vehicle's class achieve. As such, you can not compare a rating for one vehicle type to another.

iZero

I'd respond some more to this thread, but who in their right mind would pass up a 2005 Altima for a tC...

magicharm

Thanks guys, you basically confirmed my feelings on this subject. I will be waiting for the tc to come with side airbags, that's not something my dad will let me compromise on. I will try to lay on the accident prevention pretty thickly, as well as the visibility. I consider myself a pretty good driver, I put nearly 2k miles a month on my car driving in NYC traffic, as well as highway driving, and haven't had an accident in 5 years - and I don't trust any other car out there. However, I don't feel safe in my current car, because for me the visibility sucks, and my car likes to go sliding the second so much as a drop of water falls. I'm going to go get myself some reports of other small car's safety ratings, and take it from there. Thanks guys!!!

fearturtle44

Several weeks ago I posted that the intial shipment of tCs will NOT have many side air bags installed. The will begin to roll out this option in the 2nd and 3rd phases.

Kevin

JSVH

Oh, I didnt know that. :oops:

But the real question is does his Dad know that. :twisted:

IceCold

Try this: the Mini Cooper was tested and rated as the #1 safest car on the road last year.

djct_watt

A matter of physics. . . point 1: the most powerful, and most lethal impact in an accident is what is called the second impact. Primary impact is the initial collision. Your body is still moving at 65+mph, or whatever speed you were going. The second impact is you against the inside of your car. This is where most larger vehicles fail, even SUV's. It doesn't matter how big your car is, once it has slowed down(which is inevitable in an accident) you will collide with your seat belt, and whatever items inside the car, and if there is cabin intrusion, that's REAL bad. In the Scion/Toyota, seat belt impact is good, as it has a sophisticated technology that allows it to "give" reducing the force of the second impact, but still restraining you from becoming a projectile. Cabin intrusion in almost all Toyota's is superior, so I don't think it will be an issue. . . there are a good number of structural elements that keep the cabin from caving in. . . but you have to wait for official crash results to see. On the Echo, it did very well, as did the xA and xB, better than the Ford Focus, which is in the same class, and better than the larger Mazda 3.
Point 2: The Scion is a rather soft car, and is actually a lot safer than you think. The hood, engine, and rears, are designed to be crushed in an accident(if you see car that was severely mangled in an accident, the car did what it was supposed to do). By crushing, it absorbs impact. . . imagine dropping a glass of water on a wood floor, it breaks, and on carpet it doesn't. That fraction of a second in impact absorbtion makes the difference ON GLASS, not bone, so imagine the effect on humans. The suburban had a problem with this, having a lot of steel components, the front end would not collapse and drove itself into the cabin, crushing the front occupants front legs! Hence your worst enemy in an accident may just be your own car! Lighter cars, with good impact absorbing materials, will slow down the rate of acceleration(deceleration) in an accident by a matter of milliseconds, and WILL save your life. . . its been proven, argue all you want I won't respond. You are all smart enough to do research, and if you are ignorant enough to argue without acquiring non-biased, independent studies, like from insurance agencies which care most whether or not you die because of cost to them. Now it is true that larger vehicles with more impact absorbent materials will be safer, but in this price range there aren't many options, unless you go used. But just because it is small doesn't always mean it isn't as safe.

The best example was in LA during a police chase, true story. A speeding Honda Civic was going in excess of 100mph on the wrong side of the freeway and hit a Toyota Camry head on. The civic collided and flipped into the air, landing and rolling several times. All occupants survived without major injuries. Do a search on the net, and you'll probably find the video, this is a TRUE STORY. I remember seeing it on the 10 o'clock news a few years back.

jlaznlover

[quote="magicharm"]Ok, heres my next question to all you experts out there. I'm dead set on getting a tc - either the second my car dies, or if it keeps running, when I graduate college in the spring. My parents are die hard toyota fans (mom currently drives a highlander, and dad an avalon). quote]

just tell them its a toyota. because it is in my book, just a different logo on it. and with all the those standard features and the price. there shouldn't be much of a debate with your parents. :D

integsrtite

just pop the hood and show them the toyota engine. that'll prove everything right?

djct_watt

Ask them what they think of Lexus, hahahaha