I was interested in the recent post about long distance commuting, as my commute is 115 miles round trip. Fortunately not every day as I work at home and travel overseas quite a lot as well. However I clock up 25k or so each year. A year ago I swapped a venerable but ageing E class for a modern Corolla diesel with all the attributes of being good on the country lanes around where I live but with the legs, economy and reliability for longer distances. In nearly 20k it has proved an excellent car, but last week I had cause for thought. The M40 between 10 and 9 early morning is often very congested with traffic from the M1/A43 going down one exit to the A34 Oxford/Southampton road - lots of HGVs of course. Thoughtless, pennypinching road design leads to long queues at peak time to get onto the A34, backing up onto the motorway. Inevitably there are those who cruise lane 2 in the hope of cutting in at the last minute to save queueing. However if they cant they slow down and even stop causing a severe domino effect with sometimes heavy braking and stop start motoring. Last week this happened and I stopped safely in a blaze of sudden brake lights as everybody jammed the anchors on. I looked in the mirror to see an HGV bearing down on me at speed, swerving at the last minute into lane 1 when a gap miraculously appeared, I was very shaken as my life flashed before me! Later last week coming across country in the dark a large stag, with full antlers and a really big animal, ran out in front of me. Fortunately I was not going fast and just clipped him as he turned and ran over the fence but smashing a headlight in the process.
These two incidents, particularly the first one, rather made me think. Economy and reliability is all very well but my Corolla did seem very vulnerable and whilst accepting the risk that if your number comes up and all that, is there a chance to reconsider the balance of economy, reliablity and safety? I would happily forego a few mpg, the Corolla does around 46mpg, in return for enhanced safety and protection. A big diesel volvo for example loks to return 40+. A quick look on autotrader suggests that a very nice S80 can be had for around 8k which is what my toyota would be worth. Not so nifty around the lanes perhaps, but brick outhouse style construction. Any other candidates that swing a little more towards safety whilst ticking the economy and reliability boxes?
Thanks MGs
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I know the junction well and I can easily picture the situation you describe.
Going for a bigger car will in most cases afford you an extra (albeit small) degree of protection and a Volvo will be as good or better than many, although if you're run over by an HGV I'm not sure sitting in a Volvo means you'll survive any more than in a Corolla. You could look at NCAP ratings but any new'ish car will have 5 stars so you'd theoretically be no worse off off in a cheaper to own Laguna than a more expensive Volvo. Most car accidents are side impacts so a 4x4 or higher riding vehicle will mean your vital organs are at less risk than a "normal" lower riding car.
Notwithstanding this, I think the key point you've made and at the same time maybe missed is that you were acutely aware of what was threatening to happen to you and you took the correct evasive action. Maintaining that level of general awareness and ability to react will continue to serve you well whatever vehicle you drive.
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I'm sure you feel more vulnerable because your Corolla is smaller than the Mercedes you had before, but with modern passive safety in the Toyota, I'd say not by much. And the 'brick outhouse' is through sheer size more vulerbale to damage in the narrow country lanes you say you use.
Maybe a diesel Golf or Audi A3/A4 would feel more solid without being much bigger?
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Maybe an estate - plenty of crumple zone behind you.
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If you are pleased with yours, how about another Toyota - an Avensis diesel. My 2.2 D4-D returns high 40s/low 50s mpg and has a bit more metal surrounding you than a Corolla. 9 airbags at the last count - thankfully none have fired in the two low-speed prangs the car has had.
24k in, and the Avensis has not missed a beat.
Edited by bristolmotorspeedway {P} on 14/01/2008 at 22:28
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Compare the actual NCAP test reports for the venerable E class vs. the Corolla - you'd have come off worse in either situation in the Mercedes.
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My in-laws were extremely lucky not to be killed at this junction last year when they were rear-ended by a dozing lorry driver. Their car, a mkIV Golf, saved their lives. There is absolutely no doubt that had they been driving something with less bodyshell strength, they would not be here. And that was according to the traffic officers who attended the scene. So, regardless of its NCAP score (I couldn't tell you), I can recommend the mkIV Golf in the kind of rear impacts which locals tell me are an almost weekly occurrence on this dangerouns road layout.
Actually, does NCAP test for rear impacts?
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You cannot easily compare of different sizes as the * ratings are measured differently. But I'd take into account the report and the pictures on the NCAP website.
I am glad to hear the original poster was only shaken. I got rear ended by an HGV in a modern Fiesta and that did nearly kill us. The Fiesta stood up well but I drive a Mondeo size car in the UK and probably always will.
Not sure if I'd opt for a large but old car. I'd want large and modern.
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Many thanks for your comments everybody. As we can see this is a terrible piece of road. I also had in mind a press report about a lorry driver travelling north on the A34 towards J9 who only a week or two back got jailed when he fell asleep and ploughed into the back of a 307, killing all four occupants. At the extreme nothing is going to stop an artic at any sort of speed but modern cars with high NCAP ratings etc may well perform better, and the Golf example suggests that the odds can be optimised or at least slanted. I do recollect a posting here a while back from a fireman/police officer who suggested, froma very practical point of view, that VW products tend to do well in motorway smashes. I did go on a defensive driving course some years ago and the lessons from that have stayed with me, drivers in adjacent lanes often cram two or three cars in the equivalent of the gap I leave, and I do "live in the mirror" as I was taught, so trying to avoid an accident is the first and best thing. So perhaps the large/modern suggestion of rtj70 does the best that can be done. I think I will keep the Corolla for a while longer rather than rush out and change my car again, but perhaps go up a size category and select carefully next time round
Cheers, MGs
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I agree with DP & rjt70, I have been a long distance commuter for some years & size of car & construction is important. I was rear ended whilst stationary at the end of a traffic queue in the outside lane of a motorway by a car travelling at great speed!. My car travelled some 600 yrds ( 2 lots of marker posts) devouring cars on route & I was impressed with the structure of a 2.0d xtype. The most impressive part was the strenght of the roof & doors. the passenger side took a massive hit ( enough to shear the wheels off the car that hit the side ) but my doors stayed intact & just managed to open. the crash bars worked a treat!. I was thrown out the seat, even with my belt on hence why it travelled so far as I couldn't find the handbrake in the dark & smoke from the protection system. It wouldn't of stopped a lorry but it held up well against another substantial car. Saved my life & I do feel safer in another one. 45+ mpg & cheap to run. very good value secondhand. life is an opertunity enjoy every day of it. I am Extremly respectful of road conditions now!
Doc
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Motorbike so you can filter dart up in between the lanes and let someone else be the crumple zone. ;-)
The one area where as long as you are as observant as you were, a bike wins!
Or just leg it out of the car.
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In response to Injection Doc - there goes someone else on this forum recommending a Mondeo (albeit with a different badge on) ;-))
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I have no idea how strong the door's are on a Mondeo! Floor pan is very good & even the insurance guy said you won't get a lot stronger £ for £
Doc
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Until recently I was doing a 120 mile round trip commute in a BMW 118d Sport and was averaging a 48mpg. I was doing that commute for almost 18 months and the car never missed a beat. I used to look forward to driving the car every day which should also possibly be a consideration if you're spending so much time in the car. It turns in a good NCAP score too: 5*. Ride was a bit on the firm side but I'm told this is typical of BMWs fitted with run-flat tyres. Also, despite the criticisms the 1-Series tends to get, it's more practical than it looks as long as you're not carrying four tall adults.
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Interesting thread that parallels some of my own recent thinking. My round-trip is 170 miles - not every day, thank goodness - and takes in most of the M40. I do it in a 52 Volvo S60 D5, which is so perfectly suited to the job - great seats, excellent audio system, 45-48mpg and it's paid for - that although it's getting on and becoming a bit tight as a family car, I'm seriously considering keeping it another couple of years purely as a drive-to-work car. (After that, I'm planning to look for an S40 with the 1.6D engine - I don't really need 2.4 litres for a steady motorway trundle.)
Like others here, I'm appalled daily by the standard of driving I see around me, especially the nose-to-tail parade in lane 3. Most of them get away with it most of the time, but there have been six serious accidents on the High Wycombe section alone in the last two months - and that's just on days I've been travelling that way - which just makes me even more willing to leave the me-firsts to their games.
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In an idle moment I went to have a look at an S80 in a car supermarket as I was driving past the other day. Lovely car, beautifully equipped and clearly a mile eater. However a big back end and poor visibility as to where the rear bumper is which would make parking and tight spaces difficult. But a lot of car for the money, they seem cheap compared with BMs and Mercs, and mpg of around 40 with the diesel. I think 45-48 from the S60 is very good, my own Corolla 2l diesel did 45 on its last tankful and I am not a particularly hard driver. It needs a sixth gear to improve economy. We are off for a day out with friends shortly who have an S60 so an opportunity for a closer look. I was interested to see the comments about the X type, but living with those already outdated looks would be a problem for me. My head tells me the Corolla is fine - NCAP etc - and it is utterly reliable but I will continue to keep my eyes open and will certianly take a look at an Avensis in due course.
Cheers, MGs
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Just to agree with a previous poster about the new shaped avensis.
Couple of years ago saw an accident just happened when said avensis was side swiped and when stopped was hit on the o/s/r corner very hard by a truck, considerable impact speed, but the boot and corner area did its job, and there was no deformation of the passenger area whatsoever, no movement of the door shuts either.
Must say was very surprised and impressed by the strength of the car.
I drive hgv's and i understand fully your feelings about this junction, similar being the M6/A14 junction, what fool decided that a major road junction like that could funnel into a single lane as it goes under the M1 is beyond comprehension.
I bet the designer is living the life of reilly on his index linked pension though.
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