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  #1  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:38 PM
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Chevy Better Than Mercedes?

So I went out last night drinking with a friend. He proceeds to tell with authority that his 2008 Malibu is a much safer car than my W126. He said my car didn't even have air bags and his has like 47 so it was safer, and newer with a 5 star crash rating.

I told him he was high and that my car did not need airbags because it was safe enough on it's own merits. We ride in his car a lot because of that ice cold AC but I feel like I am riding in a huge chunk of plastic.

So are the new cars(ie. KIA) safer with all the air bags??
I think I already know the answer

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  #2  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:47 PM
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Have his car go head to head with your car and compare collision estimates.

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  #3  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:48 PM
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safer is a relative term. does more air bags mean safer? who knows.... people have died in every brand and make of car including mercedes. people tend to like to brag about the brand and model of car that THEY are driving. doesn't mean they know what really makes a car safe.

mercedes and volvo have been performing safety testing for a long long time. does that mean they are the "safest" cars? that idea is still being tried out each and every day people drive mercs and volvos.....

with the right tires and brakes, I've avoided some serious traffic situations with the mercedes. once, a semi flipped some tire treads on the highway. I was at 75 mph and only saw the tires about a 100 to 150 feet before I hit them. I pulled the wheel hard to the left (checked the rear view first). the car handled like it was ON A RAIL which allowed me to avoid hitting the tires.

another time, I was forced to make an emergency stop from around 40 mph. felt the ABS pulsing, the seat belts tightened and the car came down so fast I thought my heart was going to stop. it would have been interesting to see a chevrolet attempt the same thing.

note; the foregoing was while I was in the 560SEL.
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  #4  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:51 PM
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I'd be careful.
Wasn't it posted up here, the 50s chevy against a modern Mailbu.

The malibu may have had more damage.
But the DRIVER walked away, the old chevy the driver did NOT walk away.
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  #5  
Old 06-10-2010, 11:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HuskyMan View Post
with the right tires and brakes, I've avoided some serious traffic situations with the mercedes. once, a semi flipped some tire treads on the highway. I was at 75 mph and only saw the tires about a 100 to 150 feet before I hit them. I pulled the wheel hard to the left (checked the rear view first). the car handled like it was ON A RAIL which allowed me to avoid hitting the tires.
Only a German (european) car can pull that move off. It's what keeps me from driving anything else. I had to pull many similar maneuvers at 75- 80mph. Last one was to avoid a very large roadkill late at night. Car did truly feel like it was on rails. I do hear that BMW's, have a nasty habit of flipping during high speed lane swerves that the Benz can handle easily....
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  #6  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:15 AM
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Is a 2008 Malibu better in a crash than a W126? Oh heck yeah, they havn't been sitting on their behinds for 30 years. The W126 is 1970's technoligy.

Is it better than a 2008 E or S class, no.
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  #7  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:15 AM
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I've had to do a 75mph swerve like that in my W126, and it handled it beautifully. If I did that in one of our PT cruisers at work I'd be rolling off the roadway in flames.
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  #8  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:16 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
Is a 2008 Malibu better in a crash than a W126? Oh heck yeah, they havn't been sitting on their behinds for 30 years. The W126 is 1970's technoligy.

Is it better than a 2008 E or S class, no.
The W126 is still built stronger, in a real life accident I bet a W126 driver would sustain less injury. Especially in a side-impact crash, which is where american cars really suck.
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  #9  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:22 AM
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No its simply not. You can't compare a car designed in the late 70's to one of today.

You would sustain a lot of injury in a side impact in a W126. Modern cars have side impact airbags which prevent your head from busting open like a melon on the glass or pillers.

Saying a W126 is better in a crash than a modern car is like saying a carb engine is better than fuel injection. Or drums are better than disc brakes.


If you want to compare apples to apples, the question would be is an S550 safer than a Malibu in a crash. Then the answer would be yes, as in the past the S class is at the cutting edge of safety technoligy. Mercedes has the "pre safe" system now which puts the car and passangers in the best position for an accident.
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  #10  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:23 AM
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You can have all the airbags you want, but if they end up in your chest along with the door, they aren't going to help very much.
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'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
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  #11  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:24 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pawoSD View Post
You can have all the airbags you want, but if they end up in your chest along with the door, they aren't going to help very much.
The safety cages on modern cars is stronger.
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  #12  
Old 06-11-2010, 12:46 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
The safety cages on modern cars is stronger.
Not based on the numerous crash test video's I've watched.....some do very well, but a ton do horribly.
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'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
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  #13  
Old 06-11-2010, 01:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
The W126 is 1970's technoligy.

off-topic...


but thats super, rally.
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  #14  
Old 06-11-2010, 01:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
No its simply not. You can't compare a car designed in the late 70's to one of today.

but I do think you are right.
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  #15  
Old 06-11-2010, 02:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatterasguy View Post
The W126 is 1970's technology.
The W126 was at least 30 years ahead of it's time and in some aspects General Motors still hasn't caught up to it's level of quality.

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