I was terrified in my 1993 Subaru Legacy sedan, but I lived on the wide open side of a large hill (some Cali. visitors have called them "mountains") on which a stretch of the highway winds, with a blind driveway :dizzy: I thought I felt better being taller & heavier in a 1999 Chevy Blazer. Until I saw more comprehensive crash results. Then I got a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid full of airbags. (Bummer is that the dealership, of all people, did the oil change wrong & they declined to refund me my $)
one older car that has continued to impress me for its advanced safety is the 1998-2001 volvo V70 and S70 series. this car, despite being an older design, still earns top ratings for frontal, offset frontal, side and rear impact, even by today's standards. it has seat-mounted side airbags, not side curtains, yet it still gets great scores for head injury. these cars can be found on the cheap, but they often have high mileage and the maintenance can be very costly.
I'm a pedestrian now for almost 2 yrs, but was sooooo relieved when THIS was the car my other (formerly) pedestrian single mom friend/neighbor's father bought her :2thumbsup: Because, really, it's for her to share errands and/or trips with all the rest of us pedestrian single moms
Luckilly, too, she has a parts car & also, I believe, a contact for cheap/free repairs.
(shout out in congrats on her 1st day at the new job, lol)
I'm (obviously) in Jenny's poor folk camp
I can barely afford my own shoes right now --in college-- let alone gas, etc. :blah blah blah: My friend found her Volvo for almost $5,000 but my parents' budget is more like $2,500 or less. I'll be lucky if the front passenger seat has an airbag. However, as long as there are 3 seatbelts in the back & I can retrofit a tether anchor, I'll be happy. Grandma & Grandpa can help fund a safe enough restraint system option (ideally for the center seat) more easily than they can a newer car.
Regardless of any vehicle I get, I will still be primarily a pedestrian. It's cheaper & safer. I just need a car for emergencies (especially in the winter) & to avoid the wasting of daytime while waiting for the hour-long bus loops. Ugh, forced boredom when faced with looming deadlines is so frustratingly stressful. And yet, enjoying overheard conversations with eyes shut during the trip makes the bus oh so worthwhile
My biggest worry is *my babygirl needs her mama*
As much as I prefer the city bus & no matter how much I might feel the need to pray through white knuckles wrapped around the steering wheel, my hypothetical car would simply fall into a different category than it does for many: mere mode of transportation vs. luxury features. I do think praying through a white knuckle wrapped steering wheel will play a large roll in my future vehicle :duck:
The best carseat is that which fits the vehicle, fits the child,
fits the budget & is always used correctly. I guess the best car is that which has the most safety features & is comfortable physically as well as financially. If you can afford rear side curtain airbags then get them, but if you can't then brush off that uncontrollable worry & focus on what
is within your control :twocents:
