IF there are cars on the left then there is really nothing you can do. You’re in a Volt which is a car that is a low roll over risk. You’re going 57 which is a safe speed. If the Avalon merged in front of you and hit you then the Avalon would spin out and you could apply brakes and watch the wreck in front of you. If the Avalon came in behind you then you would spin out to the right and go off the road to the right. On some highways there are steep drop offs and you could roll over. 57 is a fairly safe speed. If you get pushed sideways then steer left and apply full brakes and hope for the best. In old cars without front ABS an immediate full brake application and front wheel skid would prevent you from leaving the freeway.
There isn’t always a way to avoid an accident in such situations. Look at the pavement by highway entrance ramps and see how many skid marks are there. You can drive a car that is a low roll over risk and drive at a safe speed when in situatinos like this. Then you can come out of the wreck okay.
The interstate has about 4 to 5 lanes and winding. At office hrs (this is why I was on freeway) perhaps there is more to pay attention in the front and sides coupled with sunlight!
I guess Avalon could have made eye contact and merged - believe Avalon was on the HOV lane and worried about the Police and made a sudden merge at high speed.
Need to bring food to the table so was returning from work - need to work so need to drive.
Advice on which to purchase:
2005 Nissan Xterra rwd 170,000 miles
2009 Ford flex AWD 161,000 miles or
2002 Mercedes e320 wagon AWD 281,000 miles
Thanks
You need to start your own thread instead of tagging onto threads that have nothing to do with your question . On the main community page you will see on the upper right a box with new topic on it . Click on that .
I wouldn’t touch any of these with a 10-foot pole connected to another 10-foot pole. Nissan reliability is poor. The Ford Flex engine has an internal water pump driven by a timing chain, guess where the coolant goes when it starts to leak (which is very common by 150,000 miles)? A Mercedes with almost 300k miles??? How much are they paying you to tow this thing away???
I can’t count the number of defensive driving courses or gatherings I have taken or attended. When my agent quit giving these, I took the aarp on line course to continue my discount. It was interesting that they spent one or two episodes on identifying family members or others who should have their keys taken. Very confusing narrative for seniors trying to refresh safe driving techniques. Such as report your neighbor if they back over their trash cans in the driveway (sarc).
25 years ago our fleet manager put on a defensive seminar that I still think of today while driving. That plus the army film and discussion were better than any of these other courses. I can’t comment on the one from aaa though. Keep a safety margin all around your car and avoid a head on at all costs unless you can’t swim.
Let’s not forget this old bit of automotive/financial advice…
Q: What is the quickest way to accumulate one million dollars?
A: Start with two million, and then buy an old Mercedes-Benz.
Of those three, w/out seeing eany of them and no test drives, I’d choose the Nissan. Mercedes definitely a no-go, gonna cost too much to keep on the road. The Ford Flex might be an ok choice too. I’d decide after taking the Nissan and Ford on test drives.
Hi Mitchell:
It’s possible one of these could be a reasonable vehicle, but more than likely all three of these could be very costly for you to own.
Normally I’d say make sure you get a good pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic, but in this case, it may be better to walk away from all three of these.
That’s often my initial view. But then as the quote goes, once I walk a mile in their shoes, it becomes pretty clear. And I often become embarrassed for my initial judgement.
And I can show you people that have smoked for over 50 years and never got cancer. That is NOT proof that smoking doesn’t cause cancer. In fact, it’s the leading cause of many cancers.
Since most vehicles on the road are SUVs. It’s also better to be in an SUV in any crash with one.
The greater weight of the SUV means are more likely to be at a similar weight as the other vehicles.
Being in a sedan means you’re more likely to be the lighter vehicle. And if that vehicle that hits you is substantially heavier than you are, you’re going to take the brunt of the impact forces.
This is only going to get worse in the near future as more and more vehicles become electrics.
EVs weigh 35% more than a comparable ICE vehicle of a similar class and size.
Case in point the upcoming EV Hummer from GM will have curb weight in excess of 9000 lbs. And that’s before you add people and their cargo.
Like it or not, it’s an arms race you may as well.
I wonder which scenario would be safer for a driver?
Case 1: All vehicles on the road, including driver’s, are larger SUV’s.
Case 2: All vehicles on the road , including driver’s, are compact sedans.
Case 1, you’re in a large vehicle, but would tend to collide with another large vehicle. Case 2, while you’re in a small vehicle, but you’d tend to collide with another small vehicle.
Dang angled parking. I backed into a pickup truck downtown with my little g6. Or he backed into me, who knows but you can’t see who is backing across the street. Maybe 1 mph. My bumper held up fine, not a scratch and his was fine too. I felt safe even taking in a big truck. He was a big guy though so glad there was no damage. Who says those plastic bumpers are no good?
