Safest Four Wheel Drive SUV/Crossover?

[TooFrugal]

We were looking at new SUVs and crossovers last weekend. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has the Subaru Legacy (small SUV) and Outback (midsize car) rated as two of the safest cars in their classes for 2010.

However, an older article from the IIHW notes that drivers had the least risk of death in driving cars that weighed the most.

So my question here for all of the savvy shoppers here is, what car do you think would be a safer car to drive, a Subaru Outback at around 3700 pounds on the IIHW safest cars list for 2010, or something like a Toyota Highlander not with the highest IIHW rating for its type but weighing more at around 4500 pounds?

Also, would the recent recalls on run away Toyotas and the initial somewhat less than honest reponse from Toyota regarding the cause prevent you from buying one new right now?


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[brewer12345]

I think you would be fine with any best pick from the IIHS. Another stat to look at is the bodily injury losses incurred by insurers on specific models. Less is better: HLDI: Insurance losses by make and model

 

[kumquat]

I suspect that all current models have enough safety features that the one that counts most is the nut holding the wheel.

 

[aaronc879]

We were looking at new SUVs and crossovers last weekend. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has the Subaru Legacy (small SUV) and Outback (midsize car) rated as two of the safest cars in their classes for 2010.

All Subaru's except the WRX/STI are on the top safety list. However, the Legacy and Outback are both midsize cars not SUVs. The Forester is their small SUV and is a top safety vehicle in that class. If you're looking for a small SUV that would be my first choice and that is what I currently have and likely will have next.

 

[TooFrugal]

All Subaru's except the WRX/STI are on the top safety list. However, the Legacy and Outback are both midsize cars not SUVs. The Forester is their small SUV and is a top safety vehicle in that class.

Sorry, my mistake. We test drove the Forrester SUV, not the Legacy. The Outback we drove I thought looked like a station wagon. My husband said it was a crossover.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

However, an older article from the IIHW notes that drivers had the least risk of death in driving cars that weighed the most.

Other things being equal, I am afraid that is still true. Still, there will always be somebody bigger than you no matter what you buy. I second brewer, though.

 

[TooFrugal]

Brewer12345, thanks for the suggestion on the bodily injury chart. I guess I'll just have to make a spread sheet with all of the different considerations for each car that makes it to our short list.

 

[brewer12345]

There are lots of considerations. But once you are in the realm of well designed vehicles with modern safety gear that weigh 3500# or better, you are in the realm of very safe cars and the differences mean less. And there are other considerations besides safety once you are in the upper quartile of safe cars. If you wanted the safest thing out there, a full size minivan is probably the bee's knees.

Having driven a Subaru for years and seen all the data, I think you could confidently choose a Forester for safety if you like the car. In addition to good design and gear, Subarus have what amounts to a cage of rebar around the passenger compartment. I read an article a few years ago about a rescue crew that had to cut around the cage to get someone out of the car (the passenger was fine, but could not open the door). They had never found anything on a car that their cutter could not go thru, so the next day some of them took a gas powered cutter to the junkyard to go check it out. They found (and cut) the rebar.

 

[TooFrugal]

If you wanted the safest thing out there, a full size minivan is probably the bee's knees.

I actually drive a minivan now, but my kids and husband want something a bit sportier for the next new family car. I liked the Subarus a lot, but after having driven minivans for years the change to a smaller vehicle is somewhat of an adjustment for me. But I suspect the new Subarus with up to date safety features may actually be safer to drive than my aging minivan.

 

[Charlotte]

I actually drive a minivan now, but my kids and husband want something a bit sportier for the next new family car. I liked the Subarus a lot, but after having driven minivans for years the change to a smaller vehicle is somewhat of an adjustment for me. But I suspect the new Subarus with up to date safety features may actually be safer to drive than my aging minivan.

I actually just got rid of the family minivan and got a new Honda CR-V. I think I might just love everything about it...

 

[harley]

I've been driving a Highlander for 5 years. I can't speak that much to the safety issue, since I haven't hit anything yet. But it handles pretty well, hauls a fair amount of stuff, and also manages the fire roads well when I go camping in the mountains. I've also towed some fairly large U-Haul trailers with it. I'm very satisfied. I'd like to get a bigger SUV or truck for off roading, but I can't until I wear this one out. Many years to go before that happens.

 

[LARS]

Don't know what your budget is, but we have a BMW X5 which is fantastic. It provides active safety (handles extremely well, great braking ability) and passive safety (once you are a passenger "along for the ride").

 

[Bimmerbill]

I have a Honda Pilot and its nice, but MPG isn't that great.
Looking at the IIHS charts, my other truck, a HUGE Ford F-250 does pretty well. I worry about it, since it doesn't have many safety features, but I guess the sheer mass of it offsets that.

 

[FinanceDude]

Tough to beat a Honda Odyssye or Toyota Sienna for overall safety. Both weigh over 4000 pounds, you sit up high, have side curtain air bags, ABS, etc.

Why do you need 4WD? On the Sienna,you can get AWD.........

 

[Zero]

Escalade!

 

[FinanceDude]

Escalade!

Yeah, even if the aribags don't go off when you hit something, the only injuries will have is from your wife hitting you with a golf club........

 

[TooFrugal]

Why do you need 4WD?

I don't know the difference between 4 wheel or all wheel drive, but we would like something to go to the ski resorts in the mountains in winter and not have to put chains on the tires. Plus we belong to a couple of outdoor type clubs where you need a 4WD type vehicle with high clearance for some of the trips.

On the Sienna,you can get AWD.......

Have you ever seen the commercial where the guy is at the gym and someone over the loudspeaker announces that there is a minivan in the parking lot with its lights on? The guy who owns the car doesn't want to leave to turn the lights off because he doesn't want the other people at the gym to know he drives a minivan. Well, my kids and husband feel the same way as the guy at the gym.

So eventually I will get another minivan for me, most likely an Odessey, but we have agreed that for the next family car will be something a bit sportier.

 

[TooFrugal]

Don't know what your budget is, but we have a BMW X5 which is fantastic.

I'm sure it is nice, but I don't think a beamer is in the budget for us this year.

 

[Rustic23]

You know, it may depend on where you are going to drive this vehicle. If you are going to drive it in Texas, then the probability of being hit by a larger Suburban or pickup truck is more likely then in New York City. So not only are there bigger cars and trucks around, but how many depends on the state. Also if you drive it a couple of miles a day and never get over 35 mph, maybe it does not make that much difference. If you plan on being smacked at 85 mph, it may also not make much difference. In the long run it is what makes you feel safe. We use to have a Volvo. It may have been the ads but it we never felt safer in any other car.

 

[Bestwifeever]

We have an Acura MDX that isn't the mileage winner but handles nicely and I believe like all the Acuras is extremely safe (at least Acura says so in their ads ). Son in law has an Excalade that I find very, very difficult to drive and it is expensive to maintain.

 

[aaronc879]

I don't know the difference between 4 wheel or all wheel drive.

Part-time 4WD: No centre differential. Cannot be used on dry/wet, semi-slippery roads due to the lack of the centre differential. When activated, both front and rear axles are physically locked to each other and have to spin at the same rate. This becomes a problem when turning on sufficiently high friction surfaces. Examples: Suzuki SUVs, most 4WD pickup trucks, cheaper SUVs.
Permanent 4WD:. No two wheel drive mode. System is equipped with a centre differential, and hence is safe to use on all surfaces. All four wheels are powered all of the time (usually 50/50 front and rear axles). This is arguably the best system since the torque split ratio does not change and is the most predictable. All wheels "help out" all of the time and this stabilises the vehicle + improves handling. With the extra two drive wheels, the vehicle has twice the amount of traction all of the time (even in no-slip conditions) vs. a 2WD vehicle. Examples: MB M-class SUV, the Range/Land Rovers.
Full-time 4WD: Basically permanent 4WD but with a 2WD mode. This was born out of customer demand (for a 2WD mode). Examples: Toyota Sequoia, Mitsubishi Montero.
Permanent AWD: Basically permanent 4WD but without low range gearing. Examples include the Audi Quattro AWD system, the MB's 4-matic AWD system, Subaru's manual transmission AWD system.
Full-time AWD: System is active at all times, however in most cases, the one set of wheels (usually the rears) only receive 5-10% of the engine's power unless slippage occurs. At that point, power is progressively transfered to the opposite axle to help out. Some systems can transfer power to the rear upon acceleration to improve traction. However, they revert to 2WD mode when coasting.

 

[F4mandolin]

When we quit in 1.5 years we are looking at either one decent sized SUV vehicle (like the Honda) or getting a smaller good gas mileage car like the Fit (or similar) and then adding as small a pickup as we can find to use for hauling yard stuff/bikes etc. Now.....maybe not exactly the safest vehicle....but if they ever start making small cheap pickups again I will be all over them in a heart beat. My old Datsun/Nissan pickups from the 70's got 30mpg even back then on the highway.

 

[lets-retire]

Part-time 4WD: No centre differential. Cannot be used on dry/wet, semi-slippery roads due to the lack of the centre differential. When activated, both front and rear axles are physically locked to each other and have to spin at the same rate. This becomes a problem when turning on sufficiently high friction surfaces. Examples: Suzuki SUVs, most 4WD pickup trucks, cheaper SUVs.

Are you sure about this? It says the 4wd feature can't be used on semi-slippery surfaces or high friction surfaces, that seems contradictory.

 

[FinanceDude]

We have an Acura MDX that isn't the mileage winner but handles nicely and I believe like all the Acuras is extremely safe (at least Acura says so in their ads ). Son in law has an Excalade that I find very, very difficult to drive and it is expensive to maintain.

An MDX is a fine vehicle.....and it has Honda reliability........

 

[barker]

the part-time 4wd is like my Jeep has. You don't run it in 4wd on non-slippery surfaces or you wreck it. So you need snow or dirt roads or ice to run it in 4wd. Makes it kind of difficult to use if you often times have mixed road conditions. But put it in 4wd and it'll pretty much crawl anywhere.

On the clearance, if you really need high clearance for off-road travel, you might need to start looking at vehicles like jeeps or land rovers, etc. Cars with 4wd are not designed to go off-road in any difficult terrain.