A New Car Versus a Used Car

[rh77]

No offense as well, but size doesn't matter.

I'd rather drive kids around in a newer sub-compact than an SUV or larger sedan. Accident avoidance, ABS, Stability Control, Crumple Zones, Airbags, etc... it all makes cars safer.

I'd even put kids in the back of the Integra, and it just has ABS and some frontal airbags.

Significant Mass-to-Mass collisions of large to small vehicles are more than likely because of personal decisions by people to have large vehicles despite anything but vanity. And the cycle continues.

I choose to break the cycle.

I've worked as Medic and Firefighter in the past. Many of my calls were to MVA's (motor vehicle accidents) as I had medical and extrication certs. A bad accident is just that -- bad. After several accident scenes, it didn't matter what kind of vehicle someone was driving: unless it was Motorcycle vs. Semi -- stuff like that.

Long story short, the engineering of newer cars in the physics of minor-to-moderate collisions, despite the size or brand, will generally protect passengers if properly restrained. If you're worried about the Hummer vs. your vehicle in a side-impact, research the odds of that kind of collision, and then ensure you have side-impact airbags. A Corolla is safer with side-bags than a Crown Vic without.

Food for thought (from experience, and what the "Jaws of Life" have spoken out loud over the years).

RH77