you might want to check out some of the safety ratings of the newer smaller cars. they will probably suprise you. these little cars are pretty safe.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY
this video was in a post just a few days ago and it shows some of the features of the newer smaller cars vs the older larger cars.
I also have a father that is very set in his ways (about other stuff) I struggled with things when I was younger but I found that if I could find evidence to show my side of the arguement then he was much more apt to listen to me.
the reason it is so hard to get really good fuel efficiency out of cars these days is first off emissions but secondly is safety. the safety equipment weighs a lot that is the reason you rarely see a car under 2K pounds anymore. and yes I know that the smart is under it but they had to put 4 air bags in it before it was safe enough for the US. I think that a newer small car today is probably safer than the boats of cars from 10 years ago.
hopefully you can show your dad that smaller cars aren't the same as when he was a kid
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