Wondering if you should get VSC or side curtain air bags?

Smart by toyota to go one step further. I'm still a little miffed that my 96 maxima didn't come standard with ABS. In my mind saftey features should come standard. I don't appreciate that I had to pay to get the stability control and the extra air bags. I'm happy I got both.

 

I don't care so much that they don't come standard (if they did, you'd still be paying more for them, jsut not realizing it as the base price would increase). Instead, what is kind of annoying is how companies tend to insterrsperse safety and feature upgrades, so that if you want the top safety feature you're also paying for a bunch of other extras. IMO, extras and safety should be able to be upgraded seperately.

On the other hand, it is good business practice to intersperse them, because then you get to make more money from more people (if all i wanted was safety, then i still have to pay for the other stuff this way)

 

If you've seen the crash dummy video comparison and the resulting theoretical injury data, you'll quickly realize that side airbags in a Prius is a no-brainer.

 

I should ammend my above post with "I wouldn't get a car without them". i was just trying to make a point that, assuming you want them (which everyone really should), making them standard or not is really a moot point, as the price of the base model will just increase to where the model with them now is (minus any other extras, etc).

 

Even Ford chimed in. My advice to anyone is to get all the safety features you can. I have seen some horrific pictures of Prii that have been through a crash and their occupants lived. The Prius did not, but you can get a new car. I remember the 04 that was T boned at 60 mph by an 18 wheeler with a flat bed and a load of a big piece of earth moving equipment. Now the out come was not good. 3 died. They did not have seat belts on. 2 lived (they had seat belts on) however and given the forces involved that is truly amazing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas @ Sep 14 2006, 07:49 PM) [snapback]319795[/snapback]</div>

My sentiments exactly. And the safety features that seem "optional" today will be "standard" (required) tomorrow. (And cars that don't have them will seem unsafe, and therefore will be worth less.)

That's why I got the 2006 Pkg. 4, it was the lowest pkg. with all the safety features. But it's funny that the other things I had to get with it (smart key & backup camera), and that I never thought I'd use, are things I love to use all the time. I suppose I should include the backup camera in the safety features.

 

I avoided a car accident back in 2005 that I never would have avoided except in a car with VSC. Under no circumstances will I ever buy a car again without VSC. And I will not let my wife ever buy a car again without VSC, and I will never let my daughters buy a car without VSC.

And I'm willing to pay the difference for that VSC for my wife and kids. (Well, of course for the wife, but the kids are 25 so it's not automatically an "of course" for them.)

After what that car did back then, to avoid a major car accident without even a scratch, convinced me.

Never again will I not demand VSC. You shouldn't either.

Saving on VSC would be penny wise and pound foolish. (That's not a mixed metaphor, it's British.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04 @ Sep 14 2006, 06:37 PM) [snapback]319824[/snapback]</div>

Are there people in the States who havn't heard that expression?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Sep 14 2006, 08:43 PM) [snapback]319827[/snapback]</div>

Actually, it's a pretty common expression here. I was simply wondering if Americans had ever given the words any thought. But it's origin is apparently older than the $.

It was purely an aside.






www.mynaturals.com

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PA @ Sep 14 2006, 07:19 PM) [snapback]319818[/snapback]</div>

That perspective also true when the word "safety" is substituted by "hybrid".

It's not a matter of if. The only unknown is when.

The consumer electronics market will continue to push battery technology further and further. It just plain doesn't make any sense that the automotive market wouldn't be a part of that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04 @ Sep 14 2006, 05:37 PM) [snapback]319824[/snapback]</div>

My "Kids" are 24 and 28 but I will bagger (no disrespect to UOW) them when they get a new car!!

 

I know it isn't popular around here, but I'm not totally sold on VSC. The cars that I drove that have pushbutton VSC I much preferred without, and the mere thought of the vehicle taking over for me is not something I like. Already the traction control pisses me off when it accidently kicks on..... Good thing I bought an 06 I guess.

 

VSC reacts faster than I do so I am OK with it even though it is still odd as hell to have it engage. I would never have a car without side airbags! Incredible life saving technology!

 

I doubt that vsc will help much. It will make people feel safer and drive that much faster in bad conditions. Once they are used to it they will flip over again just like they do now.

Might help if it caused the horn to honk for 5 minutes or somethiing so they would drive such that it never triggered, because otherwise people will just ignore it and be even less aware of their cars actual limits.

 

Last week in the rain I was in an unfamiliar area and needed to take an exit ramp and the person beside me was determined to not let me in for some reason...I tried slowing down but they did too and eventually I ended up having to pass them, and got into a slide on the ramp because it was wet. I am convinced the VSC saved me from spinning the whole way around...I'll never buy another car without it. Then again maybe if the stock tires were better I never would have been sliding in the first place.

And I'm sure there are plenty of people who will say I should have slowed down more or gone to the next exit....but you can't stop in the middle of an interstate...and I had no idea how far the next exit would be.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 15 2006, 12:25 AM) [snapback]319925[/snapback]</div>

Nice clip, thanks for that. But I'm still convinced that I can drive the car better then the VSC can......

The assisted parrell parking was most impressive to me actually.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sl7vk @ Sep 15 2006, 10:33 AM) [snapback]320060[/snapback]</div>

Uh huh, I'm sure you can. Please tell us how you are able to independently brake and release braking pressure all four wheels in millisecond increments. In fact, you probably don't need airbags because you are a safer and better driver than most of us. I've actually heard this argument from people trying to justify not spending more on airbags. Seatbelts? Well, what if you drive off a bridge, your seatbelt gets jammed and you drown (they jam all the time, don't they?)? The litany of reasons goes on and on...

For the life of me, I can't figure out why one would get a package #3 when for a few hundred more dollars you can get a package #4 with VSC. VSC is has proven itself so well that the EU is considering making it mandatory on all autos sold in Europe. Most US automakers are now following suit.

Rick
#4 2006