We all know how important a light weight car is to its acceleration and handling ability, and for the track a light weight car is critical. But how about for the street?

I must admit that after coming up to an accident scene a few days ago, I have a new perspective. The two cars involved were an Audi S4 and a Porsche Cayman. The Cayman has a curb weight of around 2950 lbs and I believe the S4 is around 3800 lbs. Both cars were badly damaged but the driver of the S4 was on the side of the road talking to police whereas the driver of the Cayman was trapped in his car since the doors couldn't be opened and a helicopter had arrived to transport the Porsche driver to a hospital.

Saving a few tenths of a second is a good thing on a track, but maybe on the street the added protection offered by a larger car is far more important. Maybe I have a wimpy perspective, but there's nothing like seeing someone badly injured to change ones perspective.

 

I think that makes a lot of sense. I still think lightweight cars can be very safe (look at Smart), but weight definitely helps in an accident.

 

Good point, and I hope everyone from that accident is okay. But you also have to take into consideration where the hit occurred. If the Audi hit the Porsche on the drivers side, then that alone could account for the difference in effect to the drivers -- even if the cars weighed the same, it would have impacted the drivers differently.

Also, you are assuming the added weight is related to added safety, and that is a big assumption.

Heck, the Imprezza has the highest possible safety ratings and it's 3200# IIRC. I am sure there are better examples, that is just one that came to the top of my head.

Besides, I don't think many people are buying this car because it is safe. They buy it because it looks great and is fun to drive.

Also, now that you bring it up, I have to ask myself why the G35 hasn't been tested for crash safety:
http://www.automotive.com/2006/12/in...ety/index.html

That doesn't sound like Infiniti is all that concerned with safety ratings if it won't even get it tested. Not that it would perform badly, just that it doesn't sound like a concern, and therefore the weight is not related to safety.

 

I agree 100%- Caymans are just too small. Too many crazy, idiotic drivers down here in FL. The G is a safe car.

The G35 Sedan HAS been crash tested. See link below. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) didn't do a Coupe since they know the results would be very similar to the Sedan, and they don't test every possible variation of vehicles. They've already tested a 2007 G35 Sedan also.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=335

 

Good point, and I hope everyone from that accident is okay. But you also have to take into consideration where the hit occurred. If the Audi hit the Porsche on the drivers side, then that alone could account for the difference in effect to the drivers -- even if the cars weighed the same, it would have impacted the drivers differently.

Although I didn't witness the accident, based on the extensive damage to the front ends of both cars, it appeared that it must have been a head-on collision. Maybe one of the cars took a turn too quickly and went into the other lane. I couldn't tell who did what since both cars were on the side of the road when I got there.

Also, you are assuming the added weight is related to added safety, and that is a big assumption.

That's true but in a collision of this type, to use an extreme example, would you rather be in a Miata or a Chevy Suburban? Keep in mind that all I'm referring to is an inevitable crash, and not the accident avoidance capabilities of either car.

 

While yes... weight will always be your friend in a crash... a well-designed and safe vehicle is more important. But no question... all things being equal, weight is your friend as far as safety.

Another reason that when I have a family, the kids will not be regularly transported in anything less than 4000 pounds, and probably an SUV weighing more. Sounds selfish, but just the way I see it. Not because smaller cars can not be safe, but because there are too many dumbass bad drivers in 5000 pound suburbans... I have seen the collisions... it ain't pretty. Saw one where a soccer mom was applying makeup and lost control, crossed the median and rammed into a camry. Despite the smeared makeup, she was fine. I believe one child in the camry (all wearing seatbelts) didn't make it.

If you can't beat, join em. Unfortunately...

 

trebien - It's for the reasons you cited that I no longer buy 911s. I live in the country and some of the roads don't even have a center line. Almost all of the women in my area work and 75% of them drive SUVs. Most of the SUV drivers believe that the amount of road that they are entitled to is in direct proportion to the size of their vehicle. So it's not infrequent that I have to drive partially off the road to allow the SUV to get by. BTW the school bus drivers do a great job staying on their side of the road, so it's not that there isn't enough space. It may be simply a power move, where the SUV driver believes that they are bigger and everyone else will get out of their way.

On the winding country roads almost all of the drivers are attentive, but on highways some people must believe that there's an auto pilot feature on their cars. Many women believe that this is a good time to apply makeup. I've seen many men reading either a newspaper or book. And of course there's the ever present cell phone. When I use the cell phone when driving, I realize it's a distration and I work extra hard to focus on my driving. It seems that some people get completely distracted when using a cell phone and you can see their car weaving between lanes. It's almost the same behavior that you would observe if the driver were inebriated.

As a consequence the G35 is about as small a car that I would ever buy to be used on the street.

 

Thank you for posting that, I couldn't find it anywhere.

 

heavier cars arn't always better for an accident. look at SUV's.

 

So you rather be in a 1966 Caddy in a head-on crash with a wall than a porsche Cayman?

I think not. Safety is about engineering and R&D. IT IS NOT ABOUT GROSS WEIGHT!

 

I have to agree, I had a near fatal car accident amost 1 year ago today. I was driving an 02 Accord and while that car saved my skin, even the cops said had my impact been directly on the drivers side, I would not be here today, so a light car can be safe, but when it was time to replace the Honda, I decided to take the wife's car a 98 Maxima and I put her in an 06 Armada. Call it selfish, but my accident was caused by a complete idiot and if my wife and kids must be on the road with those types, hopefully, my family will be just a little bit safer....

 

I would much, much rather have been in the S4 than in the Cayman S. Let's keep our comparisons at least in the same century.

 

Its a vehicles structural integrity and ability to absorb an impact that is important in a crash, not weight. I was involved in a very bad accident last year in my C5 coupe. The other driver was driving a truck. I believe it was a Toyota Tundra. My vette probably weighed in about 1000lbs less than the truck. Yet I was able to WALK AWAY with no injuries other than a split lip and a couple of black eyes. If a car is designed to protect the occupants that is what it will do. The vette is designed to protect the driver and pasenger inside the outer frame rails of the vehicle. My car was totaled by the other idiot driver only one who got hurt was him.

 

I used an extreme example/comparison to only help you understand my point more clearly: Safety is dependant on engineering and R&D and NOT gross weight.

As per your request, I will rephrase my question so that it doesn't offend you.

Would you rather be in a Ford 500 in a head-on crash with a wall or a Cayman S?

Hopefully, this question satisfies your criteria (both are modern cars) as well as light highlight my point (stated twice now). If not please reply with your request/criticism and I will do my best to rephrase.

 

LOl - That's a Hobsons choice if I ever saw one, but fortunately deaths from cars colliding with walls don't happen very frequently. Keeping in mind the basic laws of Physics, if a head-on collision was inevitable between a Cayman S and a Chevy Suburban, would you rather be in the the Porsche or Chevy?

Hell, I know there's a lot more to safety than weight, and Porsches are one of the best at accident avoidance. But when an 8K lb vehicle collides with a 2900 lb vehice, the 2900 lb vehicle loses every time. More to the point and getting away from the theoretical to the actual, I actually came across a collision between a 2950 lb Cayman S and a 3800 lb Audi S4, and the driver of the Audi walked away, whereas the driver of the Porsche was flown to Shock Trauma.

To your point if both cars crashed into a wall at a high enough speed, maybe the Porsche driver would have walked away and not the Audi driver. But in the real world and not a test lab, collisions between cars happen far, far more frequently than collisions with walls.