Depressing Stats....does the weather really matter that much

[SVOboy]

The new camry has a few bugs in it and has caused toyota to slip to 3rd on new car reliability, honda is now first, hence my suggestion of the honda over the toyota,

Anywho, if he's not shopping new then that opens up a whole new can of wurms.

[1993CivicVX]

Wel, I'll find him the right car for his needs if he gives me budget and purpose.

[DarbyWalters]

I think maybe you are jumping the gun a bit...more testing over a longer period of time/distance is needed. A paid for vehicle is already running much less $/mile that even a new/used not paid for economizer...or close to it.

I was wondering if the Air Tabs hurt in wet weather because they are now not only directing air but also water...which is much heavier? Just a thought. I think you were on the right track and just need to stick to it for a while longer. Perfect your driving techniques and don't expect miracles. I like the idea someone had about magnets on the bottom of the Air Tabs to make them easy to relocate and test.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by jeffreymccoy

Since the above is true, and while I do care about other people, I naturally care more about my wife and kids. If it comes down to me or them, I'll choose them to loose that battle every time...

It's kinda sorta true and depends on your driving conditions. Trucks/SUVs are a double edged sword in that they are safer in collisions with smaller vehicles, but more dangerous in solo run off the road accidents or accidents involving something bigger than they are. So, overall, larger vehicles do little for occupant safety since they are as dangerous in some accidents as they are safe in others, but overall increase the risk for everyone else. That being said, if ya drive the vehicle in mostly crowded/slow city, then it may be safer than a smaller vehicle, however if ya use it for open highway, it may be more dangerous. Like everything else, YMMV.

[1993CivicVX]

Your truck is not necessarily safer for your kids and family because of it has a high center of gravity. The reason I recommend a Camry or Accord is because these cars are not likely to flip - much less likely than your F150 - and they are big enough to be safe while still maintaining decent FE. I think the whole safety thing with big cars is more a perception thing than anything else. You feel safe in your F150 --and have become accustomed to the dominance over the road it has given you, and going into a lower to the ground car will make you feel less safe. But the reality and the perception do not correlate.

[jeffreymccoy]

Thanks for those words of insight regarding the safety issue. Will see how this goes. Im in deep contemplation at the moment.

[ajohnmeyer]

I can personally vouch for the safety of medium/large cars versus SUV's/Trucks. A few years and a few cars ago, I had a '94 Olds Cierra that died rather violently when I got T-boned in the driver side door by an Explorer doing about 35 (I was doing about 40)
By all accounts it should have been a really bad accident, but I got out without a scratch thanks to the side-impact beams in the doors. I know it's kinda hard to take comfort in the fact that all that lies between you and the steel bumper of a 5000lb behemoth is a strategically placed steel tube, but I now know that that little steel tube works like a charm. I feel very safe in my little civic now that I know it has side-impact beams in the doors.

[DarbyWalters]

I just have to add the safety of a vehicle is directly proportional to the temperment and skill of the driver...

[brucepick]

For some real-world safety information see www.iihs.org.
International Institute of Highway Safety.

Among other things, they rate safety by actual stats of numbers of people killed in accidents in different models/years cars. They measure deaths per millions of cars so a model selling ten times as many cars gets rated on an even playing field with other models.

Not the thing to read if you get all upset over turning highway deaths into statistics. But you really see which models win and lose.

[cfg83]

jeffreymccoy -

Originally Posted by jeffreymccoy

Thanks for those words of insight regarding the safety issue. Will see how this goes. Im in deep contemplation at the moment.

I find the "regular driving" tests make it hard to quantify mods because all the other parameters add up (weather, traffic, cargo weight, me, etc ...). Over time I think I have gotten my normal commute "down". The problem is, for certain mods that have only a 1-3% effect, normal driving can't give a clean answer because they are overwhelmed by everything else.

Question for someone else (basjoos?) : What's the cleanest MPG test you have seen on this site? For aero mods, it's the "coast-down a hill to a stop" test that is best, right?!?!?!?

CarloSW2