[Wez]

http://www.bridger.us/2002/12/16/CrashTestingMINICooperVsFordF150

Whats that all about....? I thought i knew what id rather be in! But it seems i was wrong.

Wez

 

[EstorilBlue]

The Ford F150 is at fault, he was clearly following the Mini too close, causing him to collide with the back of the Mini when it breaked!

 

[craigGSI]

Quote: posted by EstorilBlue on 07/04/2005 10:29:40

The Ford F150 is at fault, he was clearly following the Mini too close, causing him to collide with the back of the Mini when it breaked!

[]

anyway i am with you on that i would have had money on the F150 being stronger

 

[Wez]

Nice one EstorilBlue! lol Perhaps its something to do with American cars not being designed for safety as there would be no one to sue!

Wez

 

[Chaddy_V6]

Nice post.[]

Any body got any from a MKiv Golf??

 

[Union Jack]

I don't intend to crash test my Mini.. I feel confident its as solid as a rock. Certainly feels very solid.

But its all just goes to show.. Big American tat is just that.. tat. And reading the posts on that site, some of em have no concept of smaller cars, especially god-forbid non American ones. And more disturbingly a car that can avoid a crash by being nimble!!! Surely thats better than ploughing in headlong???!

Its amusing when you read that cars like the Golf, 'Jetta' and Mini are classed as 'econo-boxes'.. sigh. Probably more careful safety design and technology in the rear wheelarch than there is in a whole yank-tank.

Not to mention our (and Japan's) ability to get more than 10hp from under 2 litres and get over 15mpg

I'm not a fan of Chelsea Tractors, but hey we even trump them there. The RangeRover, Disco and Tourag, 3 good reasons to buy a Euro SUV over an American one.

Maybe they'll make a good mainstream car one day []

 

[Royster]

Well said Union!

 

[MikeP]

That's surprising! Thought the mini would've come out worse...

Does anyone know if you can get the Lupo in America? Can you imagine people's faces when you overtake them in a Lupo with an 1.8BT engine transplant? Now that would be fun []

 

[djhorace]

Now there's no question what would win in a head-on collesion between the two

That is the unfortunate thing about people in bigger cars. They know this fact too and to be honest I would still feel safer in an F150 in the US than a Mini [/?0.02]

 

[vedhead]

Typically rubbish build from the Yanks.

 

[Union Jack]

Quote: posted by djhorace on 09/04/2005 15:24:53

Now there's no question what would win in a head-on collesion between the two

That is the unfortunate thing about people in bigger cars. They know this fact too and to be honest I would still feel safer in an F150 in the US than a Mini [/?0.02]

Sad but true. Got an American guy at our place at the moment.. he can't understand UK's (Europe's!!!) love with small cars.. just can't see why we like them. 'In the US we prefer to drive big SUVs because they're safer and better, why did you buy such a small car as a Mini? Everyone drives such small cars here!'

<sigh> Which is clearly an ever decreasing circle.. they buy em because everyone else does. I'd still have the small car, hey, at least it would handle out of a situation.. the trucks are frankly WRONG!

But in the US.. I agree with your point as having driven a Neon over there, it felt too small. []

 

[hmi1750]

it has the highest population of obese ppl.. and can you imagine getting those huge trucks down the streets here! Not to mention their cars are soooo much cheaper than ours... A mini for them is a toy by comparison to most owners here (?18K is a lot for a "small" car).

And i completely agree with what you say above Union.

Also the mini has lower centre of gravity and well in head on with each other, the ford would no doubt mount the mini! But into a wall, and the mini remains more stable and is soo mcuh better build and designed.

 

[andymac]

I may post this on vwvortex see what the yanks have to say

 

[djhorace]

Quote: posted by Union Jack on 10/04/2005 02:36:57

Got an American guy at our place at the moment.. he can't understand UK's (Europe's!!!) love with small cars.. just can't see why we like them. 'In the US we prefer to drive big SUVs because they're safer and better, why did you buy such a small car as a Mini? Everyone drives such small cars here!'

Typical yank by the sounds of it. Because of them, we are all paying a fortune for fuel such is the American demand for cheap oil. They have no regard for conservation or any other country/nation but the USA.

To heck with any world treaties all other developed nations have signed to - We are the good ol US of A and we will kick all yo asses if you try to change our ways. We need huge vehicles to drive about in with engines the size of yo cars in the UK......

 

[Union Jack]

Quote: posted by djhorace on 10/04/2005 21:24:09

Quote: posted by Union Jack on 10/04/2005 02:36:57

Got an American guy at our place at the moment.. he can't understand UK's (Europe's!!!) love with small cars.. just can't see why we like them. 'In the US we prefer to drive big SUVs because they're safer and better, why did you buy such a small car as a Mini? Everyone drives such small cars here!'

Typical yank by the sounds of it. Because of them, we are all paying a fortune for fuel such is the American demand for cheap oil. They have no regard for conservation or any other country/nation but the USA.

To heck with any world treaties all other developed nations have signed to - We are the good ol US of A and we will kick all yo asses if you try to change our ways. We need huge vehicles to drive about in with engines the size of yo cars in the UK......

Yes he did find it amusing when I told him the engine was a 1.6. He said it must be 'puny' Which is a tad ironic really.

Anyone remember the episode of top gear where they were laughing at yank engines.. "This one 3.2 litres.. 160hp" or something. I did remind him that the 'puny' 1.6 did kick out 170hp and a bucket load of torque and he shut up. Could have rubbed salt into the wound by pointing out its actually capable of dealing with 170hp round a tight corner.. but I didn't.

He said 'Don't know why, but Minis are becoming quite popular in the States' I'm thinking.. its probably because, same with Golfs over there, the sensible public suddenly has the chance to own a car that isn't a tank, looks great, goes great and is quality.

Maybe if the yanks learned to build proper engines they would find oil was relatively more plentiful. Think about what Europe and Japan are capable of. VAG 1.8T 225hp stock. Honda 2.0Vtec 200hp stock... and relatively speaking they don't use that much 'gas' compared to the 5.7litres they need. Don't get me onto VW's 1.9TDI 150hp+ STOCK!

Hey, lets not slate their pushrod engines.. they get a bit defensive about it.. wonder why

 

[djhorace]

To be honest, all the stuff we have here (pretty much) is available in the US. They have the Integra Type R we don't have (Civic CTR in the Integra body), S2000, Evo's, R32's, GTi 1.8T's etc etc.

They just don't know it or are not interested in it. I have to say though if our fuel cost the same as the fuel in the US does, I would not be driving a diesel unless it was V10 or something similar. And that is the problem. They can afford to run these bohemiths so they do.....

 

[Milkfloat]

Those tests were done by driving into a wall. Now lets think a minute, what would happen if the Mini hit the F150. I bet the Mini would come off worse, the F150 sits a lot higher and would hit the Mini mainly above the Mini's crash protection. It is all well and good driving a safe small car but if you get mullered by a bigger higher truck then you are in for a lot of trouble.

 

[djhorace]

Quote: posted by Milkfloat on 11/04/2005 10:44:49

Those tests were done by driving into a wall. Now lets think a minute, what would happen if the Mini hit the F150. I bet the Mini would come off worse, the F150 sits a lot higher and would hit the Mini mainly above the Mini's crash protection. It is all well and good driving a safe small car but if you get mullered by a bigger higher truck then you are in for a lot of trouble.

Yep - It actually said that on the site and was mentioned above a few times. I would still feel safer in the F150 if in the US as at least you have more chance with another vehicle. Saying that th F150 is a relatively small pickup!

 

[Shane GTI]

Mini's are solid cars. They've come out on top in a few safety polls. I drove a Cooper S for a few months, my girlfriend has it now but before that she had a Cooper which she drove up on to a traffic island and partially against a wall at around 40mph (She was driving under a bridge but lost concentration and missed the tunnel entrance by about 3 metres)

The amount of impact the cooper withstood was pretty amazing. She walked out of the car without a scratch too.

 

[Stevoraith]

Quote: posted by Shane GTI on 12/04/2005 10:20:33

She was driving under a bridge but lost concentration and missed the tunnel entrance by about 3 metres

[:O][:O][:O]

Not really much you can say to that is there![]