[evil_grin]

If you ask me, I'll give some rubbish intellectual answer about acceptable levels of safety and reliability.

But when I was out looking for a car I didn't really care about these two points. My main criteria were
1. Fun to drive
2. Automatic

That itself disqualified the vast majority of cars out there.

Then when I took test drives, I started rejecting cars because of
1. Less space
2. Bad AC
3. Uncomfortable seats

Where is safety and reliability in the in the list? Nowhere.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by evil_grin

Where is safety and reliability in the in the list? Nowhere.

Very pragmatic response. If you observe the recent threads, even I have started getting a feeling that all these threads and polls are just theoretical in nature. We select some option based on our mindset at that point of time and while in market, we throw all the thoughts and opinions into trash and go with what REALLY matters to us.

Sorry for the OT.

[Kosfactor]

A reliable fuel efficient car will enable you to use the vehicle more often. So in that way, a reliable & fuel efficient vehicle is much safer by sheer numbers.

I know folks who research for 100 days online , buy whatever the internet told them and then realize it will burn their pocket (& clutch) to drive to work everyday and then use their activa as usual or buy a Maruti with AMT

When all the IT folks go back to work eventually, it is going to be a reality check if they have made the right choices in the last 1 year with their car purchase.

[7000plusrpm]

I had spent the better part of a year finding a car with safety and reliability in mind. Bought home a KIA Sonet GTX+.
Turns out, it's neither safe (going by Seltos' NCAP rating) and nor reliable.

However, in an ideal scenario, I don't want choose between these. I want both and I'm OK to pay for that.

[RoadMonkey]

Originally Posted by evil_grin

Then when I took test drives, I started rejecting cars because of
1. Less space
2. Bad AC
3. Uncomfortable seats

Where is safety and reliability in the in the list? Nowhere.

Not everybody follows that checklist. Despite my requirements for a family car, I compromised on space in order to get a safer car with a proper AT in my budget. The seats aren't the greatest either. Again, it also depends on your conditions, where you live, the state of traffic around you. Where I live, compromising on safety is as bonkers as it gets because sooner or later - your car will be called into action.

If I was living in Punjab with those cushy open roads, maybe I would have considered something else. I gave up the car everybody LOVES in favour of a safer, less reliable car. A Polo for a Baleno, many people make such choices every day. Tata's stock is on the rise and it's not their wonderful engines or reliability that's getting people to their showrooms.

I understand your point but if people did put their money on safer cars, more manufacturers will move towards safer options. Maruti's share has gone down from 50+% to ~46%, it may seem marginal to us but it's HUGE for MSIL which aims to continue dominating. Given the widespread criticism, I expect their pricier products to be reasonable at safety going forward. (Read - Brezza, SCross replacements).

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

A reliable fuel efficient car will enable you to use the vehicle more often. So in that way, a reliable & fuel efficient vehicle is much safer by sheer numbers.

I know folks who research for 100 days online , buy whatever the internet told them and then realize it will burn their pocket (& clutch) to drive to work everyday and then use their activa as usual or buy a Maruti with AMT

I do not like this argument. That people in tin cans are safer than 2 wheelers. People do different speeds in cars, drive longer distances, drive on highways which they otherwise might not. I would not take to the NH-44 on my activa or gixxer. I can understand those buying Altos and Kwids and why their choice is limited, but somebody choosing between a Ciaz and a City/Vento can definitely afford to put safety first, especially over FE. Better to keep your chances of living longer on the higher side than a few extra rupees in your wallet.

Then comes the perpetual "safety depends on the driver", yes so it does, but it also depends on other drivers. A safe car is also supposed to save you from idiots driving at 180 on public roads. A safe car is not supposed to be a license to drive faster or in a riskier manner. Defending unsafe cars above 7L price bracket is disingenous and borders on malice.

[vikred]

Honestly, I don't understand why people (even some of us Team BHPians) equate safety with crashworthiness (the so-called star ratings). Safety has many aspects besides crashworthiness.

1. Three-point seatbelts
2. Airbags (supplementary restraint systems)
3. Automatic braking
4. Tubeless tires
5. Child safety seats
6. Wipers
7. Or, to exaggerate, I would even call headlights as a safety feature. How else would we drive in the dark safely without them?

Given a choice between a more crashworthy but less reliable car and a less crashworthy but more reliable car, I would any day pick the latter. In our city driving conditions, I believe, crashworthiness is not as big of a deal as it's made out to be. It's a different story in the western countries though. On the other hand, on our highways, I would rather have a car which doesn't break down in the middle of nowhere endangering the occupants' safety and security.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by RoadMonkey

I do not like this argument. That people in tin cans are safer than 2 wheelers. People do different speeds in cars, drive longer distances, drive on highways which they otherwise might not. I would not take to the NH-44 on my activa or gixxer.

Maximum accidents happen in the City. Majority of those killed are two wheelers followed by pedestrians, you don't see many pedestrians on the highway.

Someone I know had a 6 airbag all guns blazing SUV, one day he stepped out in his Activa to the grocery store nearby and got killed in city traffic. Probability wise he would be likely alive if he had walked and almost certainly alive if he had taken his car.

Therefore small, affordable, light , fuel efficient, reliable 4 wheeled machines contribute to safety much more than more expensive vehicles that very few can afford to buy or run and then have to rely on a more reliable Activa instead.