Tiny Accident

[ignis]

Had a accident yesterday, in traffic I was driving the pickup, a new CRV just touched the back nearside of the truck, I noticed in my mirror the front bumper fell off the CRV. went over to the side of the road the CRV followed.. on mine there was a very small mark by the back light, also on the bumper of the CRV was a very small mark in front of the wheel arch....

At home polished the mark on the pickup off, no marks at all left.

WOW that big bumper on the CRV is very light and is just popped on. [same as your inside door panel] Very weak we did both call the Insurance but by the time they came we had the bumper popped back on, took maybe all of 1 min.

Are all new cars/SUV's built like this now ?

I had a Honda Jazz from 2004 - 2008, the front bumper on that was screwed on, just looked on my Audi and the bumper is bolted on..

[culicine]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

[rixalex]

Guess falling off is better than cracking.

[ScubaBuddha]

I hit about 20cm of standing water doing 90 kph in my Yaris a while back. Water shot right over roof of the car like I had just driven straight into a lake. I thought for sure there would be damage. Nothing.

[eTiMaGo]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

Guess falling off is better than cracking.

yeah these modern cars are designed to have relatively easily damaged/removable bumpers. Think about it, better the cheap plastic bumper take the brunt of the damage than the actual metal body. But yes, as a result, it can make things fall off easily.

I hit about 20cm of standing water doing 90 kph in my Yaris a while back. Water shot right over roof of the car like I had just driven straight into a lake. I thought for sure there would be damage. Nothing.

Tough lil cars, trust me on that

[chiang mai]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

Guess falling off is better than cracking.

yeah these modern cars are designed to have relatively easily damaged/removable bumpers. Think about it, better the cheap plastic bumper take the brunt of the damage than the actual metal body. But yes, as a result, it can make things fall off easily.

I hit about 20cm of standing water doing 90 kph in my Yaris a while back. Water shot right over roof of the car like I had just driven straight into a lake. I thought for sure there would be damage. Nothing.

Tough lil cars, trust me on that

.... is the right answer!

[aussiebebe]

Are all new cars/SUV's built like this now ?

I had a Honda Jazz from 2004 - 2008, the front bumper on that was screwed on, just looked on my Audi and the bumper is bolted on..

The 'bumper' you guys are all referring to, isn't actually the bumper at all - it's just plastic facade. The purpose of these easily-detachable pieces is purely cosmetic. The real bumper on a car is likely steel and attached to or part of the chassis. The real issue with actual bumpers is that if they were a standardized height, real collisions between cars would cause less damage. It's almost criminal, but front-impact collisions between two vehicles with bumpers at different heights could result in some lower-priced cars being written off at speeds less than 30mph.

[stingray]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

Today's cars they make all very thin and light, to save a little bit of gasoline. At least they use this reason for. Actually new cars are built cheap and shitty to make a higher profit. They want that they broke easly and after several years (so soon as the car is paid off) they want you buy a new one (and pay for another 5 years again). It's all bus..hs.. therefore also all the econoic downturn, because peaple never get out of dept again and the car manufactorers hide behind safety and pollution laws to increase their profit. Therefore i rebuilt my personal car again (and it's cheaper than buying a new one) and drive it for many years again. Old Detroit Steel is the best and safest! If you can't afford, buy a older Tyotota Crown or even for example a 1982 RWD Toyota Corona or 520 BMW, they are built similar as old US Cars. Specialy the Crowns have a real chassis. Yes you pay more for fuel, but you safe all the money on repairs, because even suspensions are built for 30 years, not only for 4 years. Usually the suspensions on a Vios are compleatly gone after 4 years!

[ScubaBuddha]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

Today's cars they make all very thin and light, to save a little bit of gasoline. At least they use this reason for. Actually new cars are built cheap and shitty to make a higher profit. They want that they broke easly and after several years (so soon as the car is paid off) they want you buy a new one (and pay for another 5 years again). It's all bus..hs.. therefore also all the econoic downturn, because peaple never get out of dept again and the car manufactorers hide behind safety and economical laws to increase their profit. Therefore i rebuilt my personal car again (and it's cheaper than buying a new one) and drive it for many years again. Old Detroit Steel is the best and safest! If you can't afford, buy a older Tyotota Crown or even for example a 1982 RWD Toyota Corona or 520 BMW, they are built similar as old US Cars. Specialy the Crowns have a real chassis. Yes you pay more for fuel, but you safe all the money on repairs, because even suspensions are built for 30 years, not only for 4 years. Usually the suspensions on a Vios are compleatly gone after 4 years!

sringray, your post, to me, seems all backwards-way round. Detroit pioneered the concept of designed obsolescence. That is precisely why Japan began to take over the market in the 80's. Not sure what money for repairs are you talking about. Your a little bit more on target with a 1982 RWD Toyota Corona. Very simple car, and these Japanese things can almost go forever, and the new ones have warranties. And a 'little bit more for gas"? That car of yours is probably a V8 yeah? Must get about 12-15mpg. My 1300cc Yaris gets aboout 45. Any 15+ year old car, especially American made ones, is going to be continual problems. If you are doing your own repairs, then maybe you are saving money, but labor is so cheap here anyway. But where do you get parts for that old beater? And a suspension built for 30 years? You're out of your mind.

And as far as safety, sure you are heavier and sturdier, but you have no airbags or ABS. I think that one is a wash.

[CHdiver]

Well said Stingray, this old cars are really tough. So tough that they will have less damage in a accident then the new cars. However the passenger in a old car will most likely be dead after a serious accident.

[adad]

Not sure that old cars are stronger structurally.

[ScubaBuddha]

Not sure that old cars are stronger structurally.

Very telling little video that is. Cars a built totally different today than back then. Designed specifically to prevent cabin intrusions.

[stingray]

Not sure that old cars are stronger structurally.

I know about this test, the 59 Belair is one of the weakest car in the past. Therefore the test is unfair and who knows if the Belair wasn't even made weaker to showing the accident? Do you always trust what you see on TV? Should consider a 73 to 76 US Car, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, etc, there is no need for air bags. As i said, not everyone like to have US Cars or not everyone can afford it, because the fuel consumption of it, unless you convert it to LPG Gas (wich i didn't), but even old Crowns or Nissan Cedric (which i use to drive in the past) are much stronger than Todays Plastomat Cars. You can always replace the engine with a more fuel efficient one, for example a 2JZ 6 cyl. or 1UZ V8, which makes the car like a "everyday car". I use not more than 10 liter for 100km on the highway, the car runs on 2000 rpm at 140km/h. BTW there is no problem for parts for those cars even in Thailand (except body parts). Mechanical parts i always got everything in Woratchak, until now, never had to import any spares, got it the next day, suspension parts, gasoline sensor, startermotor, brake parts, alternator, wheel bearing, carburetor repair kit or what ever, even a new front windshield. You'll wonder how many parts are available in Thailand, when you know where and i never paid 140'k for a new gearbox. By the way new cars are expensive to run, small and medium damages on a Jazz causing cracked Automatic transmissions, electronic troubles, always. Cost about 120 to 140'000 Baht for a new tranny. A new headlight (universal part) for my Olds, cost 250 Baht, available anywhere, not 10'000 Baht like a new Japanese car. Yes of course your insurance will pay for it, so far as you have one, but will the car be the same again??? What about the time consuming to repair a middle Accident Jazz, Vios or City? How many weeks of repair? In the meantime you walk (because your car is in the workshop) As i said a older Crown i use to drive is one of the cheapest and safest cars in Thailand or a Volvo 940 for example, there you have air bags and ABS if you really want that, for below 200'k. But for me i stick which the US Car. Drove with that car everywhere in Thailand, never had any troubles because i service and maintenance my cars). Could buy a new Jazz, what i spent on the Oldsmobile but feel much saver than in a Honda Jazz. And one more thing: I'm not driving, i'm cruising! I don't feel the bumpy roads.

[katabeachbum]

Was in tesco a few weeks back. In the car park a bike went whizzing by a moving yaris and just clipped the front bumper and the whole thing just fell off! Bike kept on going while the driver was left scratching his head..hehe.

Today's cars they make all very thin and light, to save a little bit of gasoline. At least they use this reason for. Actually new cars are built cheap and shitty to make a higher profit. They want that they broke easly and after several years (so soon as the car is paid off) they want you buy a new one (and pay for another 5 years again). It's all bus..hs.. therefore also all the econoic downturn, because peaple never get out of dept again and the car manufactorers hide behind safety and economical laws to increase their profit. Therefore i rebuilt my personal car again (and it's cheaper than buying a new one) and drive it for many years again. Old Detroit Steel is the best and safest! If you can't afford, buy a older Tyotota Crown or even for example a 1982 RWD Toyota Corona or 520 BMW, they are built similar as old US Cars. Specialy the Crowns have a real chassis. Yes you pay more for fuel, but you safe all the money on repairs, because even suspensions are built for 30 years, not only for 4 years. Usually the suspensions on a Vios are compleatly gone after 4 years!

sringray, your post, to me, seems all backwards-way round. Detroit pioneered the concept of designed obsolescence. That is precisely why Japan began to take over the market in the 80's. Not sure what money for repairs are you talking about. Your a little bit more on target with a 1982 RWD Toyota Corona. Very simple car, and these Japanese things can almost go forever, and the new ones have warranties. And a 'little bit more for gas"? That car of yours is probably a V8 yeah? Must get about 12-15mpg. My 1300cc Yaris gets aboout 45. Any 15+ year old car, especially American made ones, is going to be continual problems. If you are doing your own repairs, then maybe you are saving money, but labor is so cheap here anyway. But where do you get parts for that old beater? And a suspension built for 30 years? You're out of your mind.

And as far as safety, sure you are heavier and sturdier, but you have no airbags or ABS. I think that one is a wash.

Stingray, in general cars are getting more heavy. 1982 BMW 528 was 1200kg, 1988 530 was 1500kg and today a 525 is 1700 kg.

Golf MKI was 800kg, MKII was 1000 kg and MKVI is like 1450 kg. Punished by the weight of more steel for accident protection and more equipment.

Some use lightweight superstrong steel to compensate, and Audi A8 is an all aluminum body.

The increased weight makes higher fuelconsumption despite more efficient engines.

Scuba, your engine is 1500cc/107 hp and Yaris is fun to drive. I have had two bikes rearend my Yaris, and only visible damage was small scratches on facia. The real bumper is foamcoated aluminum covered by the facia, and when facia was taken off to be resprayed we could see the damage on the bumper which had to be replaced.

[ScubaBuddha]

Scuba, your engine is 1500cc/107 hp and Yaris is fun to drive.

Yep your right. 1497cc to be exact. There is a 1300 option for the tree huggers in California, but I don't think they sell it in Thailand.

[eTiMaGo]

Scuba, your engine is 1500cc/107 hp and Yaris is fun to drive.

Yep your right. 1497cc to be exact. There is a 1300 option for the tree huggers in California, but I don't think they sell it in Thailand.

nope, the US only gets the 1.5L too.. 1.0 and 1.3 in Japan and europe, and europe even gets a 1.8L version...

[katabeachbum]

Scuba, your engine is 1500cc/107 hp and Yaris is fun to drive.

Yep your right. 1497cc to be exact. There is a 1300 option for the tree huggers in California, but I don't think they sell it in Thailand.

nope, the US only gets the 1.5L too.. 1.0 and 1.3 in Japan and europe, and europe even gets a 1.8L version...

and an amazing 1,4 diesel, with more power than 1,5 petrol

[ignis]

and an amazing 1,4 diesel, with more power than 1,5 petrol

Something like the VW Golf GTi TD, is almost double the MPG of Diesel over the older model with the petrol engine...

Notice that most of the older 1.9 Diesel engine cars now have the 1.4 Diesel

[eTiMaGo]

yeah, turbodiesel technology has really grown by leaps and bounds, they're pretty crazy for them in europe... I have a friend here who had a BMW 520d, with a bit of ECU tuning to get it to close to 200hp, with monstrous torque, pretty insane!

But, here like in the US, diesel will always have the negative connotations of slow and noisy and dirty, so it's probably gonna take a looooong time until we see them on "affordable" cars. Yet it's so much more cost effective than gas-electric hybrids... just nowhere as sexy, I suppose

[ignis]

so it's probably gonna take a looooong time until we see them on "affordable" cars

Ford Focus TD is the only one I can think of here "affordable"@ 1.149,000 baht... maybe the new Fiesta in March ?

[katabeachbum]

so it's probably gonna take a looooong time until we see them on "affordable" cars

Ford Focus TD is the only one I can think of here "affordable"@ 1.149,000 baht... maybe the new Fiesta in March ?

Toyota considered the diesel when introdusing yaris in 2005/2006? Ford also considered their amazing diesel for Fiesta. But these engines are more expensive and thais dont seem to want to pay for something invisible. Beside they have problems finding small autos coping with all the tourque

[ScubaBuddha]

Scuba, your engine is 1500cc/107 hp and Yaris is fun to drive.

Yep your right. 1497cc to be exact. There is a 1300 option for the tree huggers in California, but I don't think they sell it in Thailand.

nope, the US only gets the 1.5L too.. 1.0 and 1.3 in Japan and europe, and europe even gets a 1.8L version...

dam_n, I thought for sure I heard that. Well at least there is a 1.3 somewhere!! Was the Yaris ever a 1.3L in the States?

[INTJ]

If you want to talk about build quality on older cars, talk about Mercedes, Saab etc, not American cars

Cheers

[eTiMaGo]

dam_n, I thought for sure I heard that. Well at least there is a 1.3 somewhere!! Was the Yaris ever a 1.3L in the States?

Nope, even the previous-gen car (Echo), had a 1.5L 1NZ-FE engine too. You might be thinking of the Geo Metro, I think those had 1.0 and 1.3L engines?

[ScubaBuddha]

dam_n, I thought for sure I heard that. Well at least there is a 1.3 somewhere!! Was the Yaris ever a 1.3L in the States?

Nope, even the previous-gen car (Echo), had a 1.5L 1NZ-FE engine too. You might be thinking of the Geo Metro, I think those had 1.0 and 1.3L engines?

Your right, it was the Echo now that you mention it. I remember in high school my friend had a Metro with 3 cylinders!

[eTiMaGo]

dam_n, I thought for sure I heard that. Well at least there is a 1.3 somewhere!! Was the Yaris ever a 1.3L in the States?

Nope, even the previous-gen car (Echo), had a 1.5L 1NZ-FE engine too. You might be thinking of the Geo Metro, I think those had 1.0 and 1.3L engines?

Your right, it was the Echo now that you mention it. I remember in high school my friend had a Metro with 3 cylinders!

Demand on those Metros skyrocketed back when the fuel prices did the same, pretty insane... frugal lil things