A very interesting article and comparison for those who buy a pickup thinking it is safer.
Crash Testing: MINI Cooper vs Ford F150
Now the new Ford F-150 is significantly stronger (although one must wonder why it took Ford this long to do anything about it).
Now, as stated, there isn’t much doubt what happens when the 2 meet, but what happens when the pickup meets another, or a wall or even a larger car like a Camry or Accord? The pickup isn’t providing much protection.
Here’s another interesting link on a similar topic. Big and Bad
This one also discusses the lack of control and stopping distances of these large vehicles. They’ve taken it to extremes by comparing a Boxster to a Trailblazer, but the point is applicable to a regular passenger car too. Electronics are helping trucks now with dynamic stability control systems, but the manufacturers only put those on because the NHTSA has started doing rollover tests.
Seems like a car isn’t such a bad option after all. The safety of trucks and SUVs is more in the mind than in reality. A car is more likely to avoid a collision in the first place, and if it’s a single vehicle collision, a car seems to be better protection. Even against the pickup or SUV, a full size car will still do well due to its strong body structure (obviously each car varies in this regard). The latest tests by the IIHS
Obviously these are generalizations. Noone can predict what will happen in any given collision, and vehicles keep improving.
Also, more and more SUVs are based on a car, thereby providing better handling and a stronger body structure. They still don’t have to meet the same safety standards, but I believe they are.
The bottom line in my opinion is buy the minivan or station wagon and get past the concerns over ‘image’. The majority of new SUVs don’t have all that much storage space, and don’t have a very high cargo capacity either. A Toyota Camry’s trunk can carry almost as much as most new SUVs (Full sized truck based SUVs excluded), has a similar cargo carrying capacity (on a weight basis), and usually costs less. It will also use less fuel, and with recent fuel prices, this becomes a concern too.
Just one person’s opinion.