Bigger does equate to safer within the same type of vehicle. Pick-ups are not as safe as any other vehicle of the same size and mass (e.g., SUV), but if you run a Yaris into a Tundara, the Yaris will be destroyed. The Tundra will not be nearly as damaged. If you run a Silverado into a Suburban, the Suburban will always fare better.
No convertibles because of friends standing up while the car is in motion. The Sebring could be a reliability problem as the others have stated. John McEnro would say…
On which car would you bet in a panic stop or a swerve?
Also:
Better engineering equates to safer, and it is easier to do when you have more weight to work with. A well engineered small car is safer than a badly engineered large one.
And larger usually equals poorer handling. The less weight you have to maneuver, the easier it is, and the safest crash is the one you never get into.
It is a trade off, and unless you’re willing to spend a LOT of money you cannot have everything.
The thing is, you can’t engineer your way out of the laws of physics. The smaller vehicle will almost always lose against against a larger vehicle in a collision.
“…you can’t engineer your way out of the laws of physics.”
I agree. Big Mo always wins.
A fair amount of SUVs go over the bank around here in a winter storm,good tires,good tires…!-Kevin
Agree; not a great choice of car for an adult who knows how to drive on ice already. It’s a disastrous choice for a 16 year old, and almost guaranteed to get him into trouble.
Kids should first learn to drive well with a normal 2 wheel vehicle that is equiped with good WINTER TIRES. There are only a few places in North America where I would buy AWD.
The lack of mechanical reliability has been mentioned by others as well. In addition, the future of Chrysler is uncertain still, and Fiat, the new owners, want to get rid of the entire current car product line. That spells bad news for service and parts.
Most of my colleagues buy simple econoboxes, such as Hundai Accent, Hond Civic, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, etc. for their kids and equip them with good winter tires.
I’m assuming the main reason you are interested in this car is the price and that it has AWD.