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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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 Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:02 am Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
Koreans drive SUV's because they think they're safer?? We know that's not true. They're notorious for rolling. |
"Think" being the operative word. And there are plenty of people in the world besides Koreans, who THINK they'll be safer in an SUV than in a smaller car, and probably all the more so in places, like Korea, where there are already too many of them on the roads anyway. Ask car buyers whether, if an SUV hits them, they'd rather be in an SUV themselves or in a smaller car, and I'd guess a majority would THINK they'd be safer in an SUV.
Yes, they do have a reputation for rolling more than smaller cars. But stability control to reduce this risk is a much more common feature nowadays. Also, many people will associate rollovers as something that "doesn't happen to good drivers like me" and consequently worry about it less than something outside of their control, like another car hitting them.
| eamo wrote: |
Or because of speed-humps??? Any car with the regulation clearance can get over a speed hump no problem. Unless the speed hump was made by idiots who don't know how high to make them.  |
Of course, any car should be able to do this.....provided that they're going slow enough at the time, which in turn is dependent on them knowing the speed hump is there, having had some warning of it. I don't drive an SUV and, as I said, I was highly sceptical when I first heard this. But the more I've driven in Korea, the more I've found both badly made and badly located speed humps and some of which there's no warning at all. So, SUV fan though I certainly am not, I can accept this as one possible reason for someone deciding on an SUV here.
| eamo wrote: |
| It's funny how SUV drivers are never honest about their reasons for buying one. In any country.......we all know it's just to look rich! They're status symbols....pure and simple. |
I totally agree, and in many cases, I'm sure that is indeed the key reason for the choice. But there are other reasons why people choose them. It would also be fair to point out that in Korea there's a much narrower choice of cars available than in Europe or North America. If someone wants something with a bit more flexibility than a standard 4 door saloon/sedan, then in other countries there are a lot of medium to large sized hatchbacks and station wagons on the market to choose from. In Korea that isn't the case. |
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asmith
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| b-class rambler wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
Koreans drive SUV's because they think they're safer?? We know that's not true. They're notorious for rolling. |
"Think" being the operative word. And there are plenty of people in the world besides Koreans, who THINK they'll be safer in an SUV than in a smaller car, and probably all the more so in places, like Korea, where there are already too many of them on the roads anyway. Ask car buyers whether, if an SUV hits them, they'd rather be in an SUV themselves or in a smaller car, and I'd guess a majority would THINK they'd be safer in an SUV.
Yes, they do have a reputation for rolling more than smaller cars. But stability control to reduce this risk is a much more common feature nowadays. Also, many people will associate rollovers as something that "doesn't happen to good drivers like me" and consequently worry about it less than something outside of their control, like another car hitting them.
| eamo wrote: |
Or because of speed-humps??? Any car with the regulation clearance can get over a speed hump no problem. Unless the speed hump was made by idiots who don't know how high to make them. |
Of course, any car should be able to do this.....provided that they're going slow enough at the time, which in turn is dependent on them knowing the speed hump is there, having had some warning of it. I don't drive an SUV and, as I said, I was highly sceptical when I first heard this. But the more I've driven in Korea, the more I've found both badly made and badly located speed humps and some of which there's no warning at all. So, SUV fan though I certainly am not, I can accept this as one possible reason for someone deciding on an SUV here.
| eamo wrote: |
| It's funny how SUV drivers are never honest about their reasons for buying one. In any country.......we all know it's just to look rich! They're status symbols....pure and simple. |
I totally agree, and in many cases, I'm sure that is indeed the key reason for the choice. But there are other reasons why people choose them. It would also be fair to point out that in Korea there's a much narrower choice of cars available than in Europe or North America. If someone wants something with a bit more flexibility than a standard 4 door saloon/sedan, then in other countries there are a lot of medium to large sized hatchbacks and station wagons on the market to choose from. In Korea that isn't the case. |
SUV's are safer than small cars. Just like buses are safer than SUV's. The only ones who really disagree are the enviro-facists--who want us all to ride a bike to work. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:16 am Post subject: |
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Good points there B-class...
............the choice of family cars outside of sedans and SUV's is quite poor in Korea.
There are 1 or 2......like the car I drive. Kia Carens.....LPG.....crossover-style car........it's supposed to be like a small mini-van.........basically it's just a fat hatchback. But as a family car, it's damn near perfect.
Good space, good economy, cleaner emissions, low enough to the ground for small kids and dogs to get in and out. A choice of a 3rd row of seats to carry 7 passengers, or fold down the 3rd row for a pretty big trunk.
Downsides? Basically no performance and fugly looks. |
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earthbound14
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| asmith wrote: |
But with a family, you need one. Before the Santa Fe, we had an SM3. Nice car. But it would never survive a car. |
I think you are missing the point. Crash with what? Smaller cars have been demonstrated to be able to survive crashes if well designed and are clearly capable of handling better (while also being better on gas...a great bonus). The Smart car performs really well considering how small it is. However, a Smart car against an SUV...well the SUV would win no matter how well the Smart car was made. A simple issue of mass. Of course we could get into debate about who would actually survive...but that could go on for ever. If no one drove such big beasts, then our small cars would be very safe. It is all the big trucks and SUVs that make the roadway dangerous. Not to mention, they roll easily....this is still a problem.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/unsafe/theme.html
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0226_safe_suv/index_01.htm
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060103/SUV_safety_060102/20060103/
SUVs are a trend in fashion, not safety. There are still mostly what they started out as being, off road vehicles. They are now just made to ride on roads a little better, but from an engineering stand point, you can't make it look like an SUV without it at least being partly like one...so they are still not as adept at handling speeds. That is just the nature of the beast. I should know, I drove a truck for 7 years. Love em, but they are what they are, and great handling road machines they are not. They are bigger, have a poorer turning radius, harder to park, have less visibility (since they are so high, it's hard to see small things like children around the vehicle...or small cars when shoulder checking), sloppy in corners, and without 4x4 these rear wheel beasts have horrible traction control, they also have larger mass to stop and thus take longer to stop. You are also more likely to crush people under the vehicle rather than have them go over the hood or run up onto other cars when you collide with them...not pretty. |
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Chamchiman
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Location: Digging the Grave
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| asmith wrote: |
| SUV's are safer than small cars. Just like buses are safer than SUV's. |
In general, you're probably right. But a lot of claims about safety have been made on this five page thread without a single crash test link. There happen to be several small Korean cars that are safer than a 2006 Santa Fe. |
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earthbound14
Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:06 am Post subject: |
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| Chamchiman wrote: |
| asmith wrote: |
| SUV's are safer than small cars. Just like buses are safer than SUV's. |
In general, you're probably right. But a lot of claims about safety have been made on this five page thread without a single crash test link. There happen to be several small Korean cars that are safer than a 2006 Santa Fe. |
So what are they? I'd be interested in knowing. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:10 am Post subject: |
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| I want one of those Korean trucks with the quad cab. They have a quad cab and the bed looks big enough to hold a sheet of drywall. Plus they look easier to handle in tight spaces than an F350, though they lack the torque of course. |
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asmith
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:14 am Post subject: |
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| Chamchiman wrote: |
| asmith wrote: |
| SUV's are safer than small cars. Just like buses are safer than SUV's. |
In general, you're probably right. But a lot of claims about safety have been made on this five page thread without a single crash test link. There happen to be several small Korean cars that are safer than a 2006 Santa Fe. |
I don't have a 2006 Santa Fe. I've got the 2009. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| asmith wrote: |
| Chamchiman wrote: |
| asmith wrote: |
| SUV's are safer than small cars. Just like buses are safer than SUV's. |
In general, you're probably right. But a lot of claims about safety have been made on this five page thread without a single crash test link. There happen to be several small Korean cars that are safer than a 2006 Santa Fe. |
I don't have a 2006 Santa Fe. I've got the 2009. |
The Santa Fe presently available is the model that was launched in 2006.
It's probably true that in exactly the same kind of collision, the bigger the vehicle you're in, the safer you're likely to be. But the overall safety picture is not that simple. The trade off is that the bigger the vehicle, the more cumbersome, the less easy to stop, the more likely to roll over if you suddenly swerve at high speed to avoid something etc, etc. Sometimes, in a smaller car you'll have a better chance of avoiding the collision in the first place. Obviously, it depends on the particular car though. There are some cars I'd NEVER want to be in in even a minor crash.
That said, I think someone choosing a Santa Fe because it makes them feel safer isn't being unreasonable at all. From what I've read, it's performed decently enough in crash tests. Additionally, in Korea, where there are so many SUVs and other taller cars on the roads, drivers wanting to also be in a higher driving position to get a better view of the road ahead is something I can understand, even though I don't see it that way myself. |
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Bloopity Bloop
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul yo
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
Better for your pocket, better for the environment. A no-brainer..............
.................unless you're a redneck or have the mind of a 12 year-old boy and need to drive a gas-guzzling monster. |
Seriously... I still see people driving H2s  |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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What do you call a convertible Hyundai? - A skip!
What do you call a Hyundai with two exhaust pipes - a wheelbarrow.
What do you call a Hyundai up a hill - a miracle.
What do yo call two Hyundais up a hill - a mirage.
What do you call a Hyundai with a long radio aerial? - A dodgem!
How do you double the value of a Hyundai? - Chuck a dollar into it.
There is a big competition at my local 학원 the first prize is a Hyundai,
........the second prize is two Hyundais!
You don't have to think up any Hyundai Jokes,
.........Hyundai is a Joke ! |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| stevieg4ever wrote: |
What do you call a convertible Hyundai? - A skip!
What do you call a Hyundai with two exhaust pipes - a wheelbarrow.
What do you call a Hyundai up a hill - a miracle.
What do yo call two Hyundais up a hill - a mirage.
What do you call a Hyundai with a long radio aerial? - A dodgem!
How do you double the value of a Hyundai? - Chuck a dollar into it.
There is a big competition at my local 학원 the first prize is a Hyundai,
........the second prize is two Hyundais!
You don't have to think up any Hyundai Jokes,
.........Hyundai is a Joke ! |
I first heard most of those about 25 years ago in reference to the Austin Allegro (a.k.a. "the Austin All Aggro"), made by our then leading car maker in the UK, British Leyland. The answer to the double the value one was 'fill up the tank' though. I've also heard the same jokes in the UK about Skoda and Lada quite a lot, probably occasionally about Hyundai too.
Although not for a long time, as Hyundai are pretty successful in Britain now, as they seem to be in quite a lot of countries. There'd also be a rather massive irony in somone from Britain making jokes about Korea's leading car company, given the respective state of the 2 countries' car industries and the completely opposite directions they've travelled in.
Last edited by b-class rambler on Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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Jeremey Paxman would concur
| b-class rambler wrote: |
| stevieg4ever wrote: |
What do you call a convertible Hyundai? - A skip!
What do you call a Hyundai with two exhaust pipes - a wheelbarrow.
What do you call a Hyundai up a hill - a miracle.
What do yo call two Hyundais up a hill - a mirage.
What do you call a Hyundai with a long radio aerial? - A dodgem!
How do you double the value of a Hyundai? - Chuck a dollar into it.
There is a big competition at my local 학원 the first prize is a Hyundai,
........the second prize is two Hyundais!
You don't have to think up any Hyundai Jokes,
.........Hyundai is a Joke ! |
I first heard most of those about 25 years ago in reference to the Austin Allegro (a.k.a. "the Austin All Aggro"), made by our then leading car maker in the UK, British Leyland. The answer to the double the value one was 'fill up the tank' though. I've also heard the same jokes in the UK about Skoda and Lada quite a lot, probably occasionally about Hyundai too.
Although not for a long time, as Hyundai are pretty successful in Britain now, as they seem to be in quite a lot of countries. There'd also be a rather massive irony in somone from Britain making jokes about Korea's leading car company, given the respective state of the 2 country's car industries and the completely opposite directions they've travelled in. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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I should've also mentioned the other Allegro joke that you missed.
Why does an Allegro have a heated rear window?
- To keep your hands warm when you're pushing it! |
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Goon-Yang
Joined: 28 May 2009
Location: Duh
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| Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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My ride is totally pimped out.
We have a bad-ass Trajet, one of those ugly sky-blue vans. I've never seen one that wasn't blue.
But with a family of 4...what else can I ride? Like someone said, there is a horrible selection of vans in this country. |
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