Honda Fit, Or Yukon XL ? - Deathtraps and Frisbees!

Although I see your point and your husbands. I own a Prius and have driven it for the past several years. I do like his thinking for the environment and the expense of fuel. To resolve the issue around here, I have both a SUV and an economy car. Side impact air bags help. Just as many people get killed in larger vehicles due to roll over as being squished in smaller cars. All in all, our lives are in the hands of God and when He says come home, well there ain't no arguing with Him...

Lorena,

I had a Yukon Denali and was rear-ended while waiting at a red light. The guy who hit me was in an older Chevy Blazer....his truck was totaled and I had about $3000 in damages and a sore neck for about a week. If I was in a smaller vehicle I know I would have been severely hurt or killed. The big vehicles are a pain when you pull up to the pump but I feel it's just another form of paying life insurance (plus you can't beat the room inside and the nice ride!).

Good luck convincing hubby!

Howard Tennyson

www.acehomeinspection.biz

Lorena,

I know it's hard to believe but a bigger car doesn't mean you'll fair better in accident.  The smaller cart are built to crumble, that may sound odd but it the car absorbs the energy of a crash you don't. 

I've seen idiots driving large SUV's and thought "there's a death missile."  Driving a bigger car makes some people more dangerous.

We are in the same deli-ma. I love my Suburban as it fits our life and my business needs with clients. But the economy Is killing me. 1200.00 last month. Im thinking a used corolla or something but I wont get rid of my SUV!

This reminds me of last time I researched buying a family car and noted on the crash test sites that the ratings were relative to the vehicle's wiehgt.  ie - a 2800 lb 5-star rating car vs. a 6000 lb 3-star SUV rating equates to a dented SUV.

Not as extreme an example, but my Oldsmobile Alero was demolished a couple years ago by a heavier jeep.  No comparison of the damage.  It's kinetics, weight is a big factor in the force equation.  The smaller car is at a disadvantage.

Nonetheless, I purchased a smaller car w/lots of airbags - thought gas prices would rise.  One of my few prophetic moments.

There will be less SUVs on the road now I think.

Make sure you have enough space for a max load.  We just out grew our car!

              2008 Honda Fit Sport                   2008 GMC Yukon Base                    

MSRP	$15,270	$49,480
Destination Charge	$670	$900
Invoice Price	$14,735	$45,274
Total List Price	$15,940	$50,380
Available Engines	109-hp, 1.5-liter I-4	380-hp, 6.2-liter V-8
Available Transmissions	5-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual 5-speed manual w/OD	6-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
Fuel Economy City	28 mpg	12 mpg
Fuel Economy Highway	34 mpg	18 mpg
NHTSA Crash Test Data
Front, Passenger's
Front, Driver's
Other, Rollover Resistance
Side, Rear Seat
Side, Front Seat
IIHS Crash Test Data	N/A	N/A

Sorry, can't get photos to line up with the vehicle statistics.

These crash test results are suprisingly close, apart from the Side/Rear Seats.

The only other fact that is not displayed here and is relavent would be the stopping distances. I would expect the Honda to be far better than the Yukon.

The only other point I would add is, small vehicles are not necessarily worse than larger cars in crashes. Have a look at this YouTube video from Top Gear - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

The answer to most of the crash test information is, as highlighted in the video, the cars can survive large impacts but the human body can't.

I prefer not to go with super small vehicles.  Perhaps your husband will consider a "compromise" for fuel efficiency AND safety.  I also have to wonder about all the people buying new cars and getting rid of their old "gas guzzling" SUVS.  Many are taking financial hits on those vehicles, buying another car (probably with payments) and then claiming that they are saving gas.  If you really do the math -- cost of ownership for your existing (maybe even paid off) SUV and the cost to buy and cost of ownership of the new vehicle (be sure to factor in insurance and everything else for that new car) you probably aren't really saving any money over the next 10 years.  Do the math first if that is the reason for the new car.  If you are just getting a second car, then get a car that makes sense for fuel economy and safety. ~ Evelyn

We all love the quality of a Honda, we all love the fuel efficiency of a model like the "Fit" and we all love the safety that comes with the size and weight of a Yukon XL. Valid points to consider all-around.

However, anyone who truly believes the little "4 star" or "5 star" safety rating system means that they'll be equally safe in a Honda Fit versus a Yukon XL is simply delusional!

If you compare the Fit to what was available 15 years ago, you would be amazed at the safety improvements. While you will never overcome the sheer mass of a Yukon, even these small vehicles are much safer than anything we had from the 1980's and early 90's. If you get a chance, go down to the dealership and find someone who really knows about these features or go to the body shop and see if someone will spend a few minutes and walk you through their back lot (where they keep the wrecked cars).

Crash test results are misleading. They take the vehicle, at a specific speed and drive it into a wall, or send a medium sized impact unit into the side of it at a relatively slow speed. They really should send a Yukon XL or a Ford Expedition into a small car, at about 60+ miles per hour and then you'll have a realistic idea of whether or not a small vehicle will be safe to drive.

The other guy made a good point! We should look at the crashed cars in the back-lot of dealerships and see what the cars look like when they get in an accident.

Forget the Fit! I just posted a blog with a photo of something called a "Smart Car". Amazingly small, yet quite interesting to look at. I wonder what the gas mileage is like with a Smart Car.

The Smart Fortwo does 33 mpg city and 41 mpg hwy.

The smart car is designed with a safety cell so it is quite good in a crash, see the YouTube link in my earlier comment.

The hurricane has spiked gas prices. It's over $4 a gallon here in Greenville! It's times like this that make it really tough to hold on to the Yukon XL.