I sucked in college physics- so this is really confusing me.

Let's say I was in a Sherman tank going 30 mph, and collided with a Mini heading towards me at 30 mph, the tank wins and would barely feel the Mini, no? Why does the same not apply to an SUV if say the SUV was twice the mass of a mini, then the SUV's speed would be reduced by 1/2, while the mini would end up traveling in the opposite dir? Is that right?

Oy- you can see why I failed... LOL Help me understand?

 

yes the larger one wins but the smaller one also bounces... I'm just saying wouldn't it be better to have less input energy in the equation regardless of the massive proportions?

Cars have crumple zones now, I'd much rather get hit in my mini than a boat from 1968. There would be much less energy impact on me. The big old car would just plow through, and all the energy would transfer to the driver and not be absorbed by the crumple zones.

 

I went from a '92 Alfa Spider (which I sold in '01) to a '92 Camry. Actually...they BOTH felt like death-traps haha. In anycase, i can't wait until I get my mini.

 

Agreed on crumple zones- less energy transfer to the passenger.

Bouncing is not a good thing though I believe- so you have energy transfer of the (negative?) acceleration from the crash, then more energy transfer from the acceleration in the >opposite< direction (bounce)- which is bad. Right?

Uh oh- more physics making my brain hurt again!

 

You're probably right??? I don't know. I think I'd rather bounce than stay stationary though....

 

r56 is still too big for me.... not low enough either....

 

I went from a Chevy Trailblazer to my '07 MINI and it took me awhile to adjust....like maybe a day!
Give the MINI a chance and I think you'll be happy you did.

 

Lotus Elise? If they could be had for the price of a Mini I would have been there...

 

(keeps hands off *****). Ya think? Even if they were 20% more than the Mini I'd have one. When you think about it, it wouldn't be hard to do...especially for a company like BMW. BMW could easily make an Elise/Exige competitor for $28k. They'd probably sell a crapload too. I think the big-wigs underestimate the demand for cars like this.

 

Toyota MR-2 Spyder..... same car pretty much..... Toyota did it but not enough demand. A roundel on the hood might change that I must agree.

 

LOL!

Funny thing- for the price of a fully-spec'd out Mini, you could get a relatively newish used Elise. I went for a stripped down Mini though due to $$ so really was out of my range.

 

interesting that i happened upon this thread this morning. Read through it and left to have the dealer mount my front plates and get a wash.

on the way back from the dealer i saw in my rear view mirror a large SUV (one of the three-row suburbans) skidding across the freeway.

at the point where a lower car would have stopped, the size and kinetic energy of the truck caused it to flip. three times.

i wasnt able to see if anyone was hurt. i hope to god not.

the illusion of safety is a great way to put it. Many in the US have always seemed to feel that bigger is better...and by extension, safer. But you can't combat the laws of physics.

and in response to the earlier analogy (tank-SUV) you simply can't compare the two. SUVs just aint built like tanks, they're constructed and welded more like...MINIs.

 

I imagine most of us would agree that if they could have kept the MINI the same as the classic and still provided for all the needed updates, we'd all be quite pleased. And maybe still scared.

 

I went from a 99 3/4 ton dodge truck to my MINI. I never really felt safe in the truck at anything over 60, since it took a day to turn and a month to stop at those speeds. I rolled my first vehicle, it was a 65 ford pickup. Really, they are less safe than a small car. Mostly because their main design concern is to have as much space up high as possible. The first time I got into a hairy situation with the MINI, I got out of it because the car just maneuvers better. In the truck it would have been weeks of hassle and insurance claims.

Drive the mini a little more, if you have a situation where you have to stop quickly, you will see what I mean. I am still amazed that I have engaged the abs in the car exactly once. I have had multiple times to test the brakes, as the road between two of my company's sites has a thriving population of skunks. I have not hit one yet, and there were several times that I was sure I was not gonna stop in time, but I keep pressing the brake harder, sure I was gonna feel the pedal vibrate, and the car kept stopping FASTER.

 

This is actually a great thread. I went from a Beetle to a MINI (to arrive here WEDS...yaaaaayy!!) and the 4 test drives I have done made me feel completely at ease not to mention the air bags, steel beams, and the fact that the engine drops down...not IN TOWARDS YOU...during a head-on. So yes, the transition for me is going to be very easy because a Beetle isn't an SUV...but I feel very comfortable with the safety of a MINI.

This idiot at the gym said, "Be careful! They're small cars!" I just shook my head.

Sharon

 

Oy- that's terrible! I bet it was user over-correction that caused the rollover. I've seen a video of what causes lots of rollovers- driver wanders off the side of road a little bit, and panics- hauling the wheel violently over to get back on the road instead of just gently turning back towards the road. Car jerks one direction- they over-correct agin in the opposite, and it rolls.

 

I think the mini is is far too tall but I've learned to deal with it. It handles decent for the CG height. I'm scared driving huge SUVs or trucks because they suck at stopping and swerving.

And there is much more to car safety than simple kinetic energy calculations. The MINI is a really safe car. Tipping the scales above 2700 lbs for its exterior dimensions it would have to be a pretty sturdy car.

 

I know the feeling. I went from a lowered ex cab silverado down to the mini back in oct. 07. I still make wide right turns, nervous about hitting curbs.

 

Once you drive a German engineered car, which as we all know the Mini is, you will not feel comfortable in any other. I've driven German cars since '71 and I've had three cars that were not German engineered. I never once felt safe in any of them, including two Acuras. I sold the second Acura because I needed to get back in a German car. That's the reason all you folks are enjoying Minis and feeling safer in that small car than you do in a big SUV.

 

I agree with you completely. I had a 98 Cherokee Sport before my MINI and I have to admit I feel a TON safer in my MINI. The car feels way more sturdy and the amount of control you have is spectacular. Also I took it out in the snow for the first time and dynamic stability control is awesome! I have a ton of confidence in the accident avoidance capabilities of this car and should I have the misfortune to be in an accident I trust the sturdy frame and plentiful airbags will keep my safe.

 

pic of my car at work


the MINI is a wee bit different to drive than the 18 wheeler to say the least

 

I actually feel safer driving my MINI than just about any other car. Almost too much so - I do things in my MCS that it wouldn't even cross my mind to do in the majority of vehicles.

 

That picture comes from this blog. It should be noted that once the test results were released Ford promptly made some much needed improvements to the safety of the car and the next year's model and it received much better ratings.
I did a research paper for my English class last semester on the whole "small cars are unsafe" myth and I gathered a decent collection of pictures of MINIs in accidents. Here's a few:

The occupants in each one of those accidents the occupants were virtually unharmed, except the yellow Cooper (there wasn't a story accompanying the pictures, however judging by how untouched the interior looks I bet they were fine).

 

My MINI is easily the SAFEST car I have ever owned. Antilock Brakes, Stability Control and excellent handling to help me avoid accidents, SIX airbags and serious German engineering to help me if I can't. Drive a couple hundred thousand miles or so on LA freeways in an 83 Rabbit GTI or a Porsche 914. You'll feel safe in your MINI!

 

As I read this, the facts are pretty clear. There are a million variables to a person's survival in an accident. Ah, the ability to avoid an accident will likely prove to be the best defense in the long run!

I (at 6'3") have always had a passion for the nimble and always gravitated towards cars with a snug fit and generous legroom for the driver.

I've totalled, and survived, a nasty wreck in a convertable and lived through driving a nissan pulsar for 3 years (3rd gen tin can with T-tops!) and concluded that you will never win in a light car against significant weight in a head on offset collision. (even the redesigned F150 does WORLD's better now) Sorry, physics say it just won't happen, all technology held equal.

Of course, just last week I had someone make a left in front of me while doing 50 and with a flick of the wrist.... I was home free! And, this is nary the first time and on a two lane road! I just cannot imagine doing the same with our (my wife's) car --- Crossover SUV. In fact, I'm notorious for underbreaking and almost rearending someone every Saturday morning when I adjust to the lesser performance of the SUV design for the weekend.

I just cannot imagine settling for a less responsive vehicle now that i've owned the mini!

Oh yeah - if you've ever ATV'd - you minus well drive around without your seatbelt!