Wheels Safety Test: Euro as control vehicle

[Aratahu]

Did anyone see the safety test in the latest [July 05] issue of Wheels? A collection of the best selling cars have been tested for wet and dry braking and handling. The Euro Luxury automatic was chosen as a control vehicle to be sent out every few runs to ensure consistency, but sadly we do not see any commentary on how it performed itself; the Mazda6 won the test. I'd really have liked to see how the Euro stacked up there, one positive is that it beat every other car in wet braking distance by far.

I'm also interested in knowing how this would work in an environment where a less skilled driver was behind the wheels - and let's face it, most people on the roads down here have never done an advanced driving course. The 6 doesn't have ESP/VSA, so would that make any difference?

Getting my Euro on Wednesday. :-)

[ABS121]

If you average out the Euro's scores, it would have finished near the top of the field, about 2nd or 3rd, it wasnt run in the first or last test.

Not to Bad

[7th Gen]

sure it was an interesting test. good of them to use Peter McKay as the steerer as he has the credentials

but then road safety authorities (eg RTA) would go and say that tests such as this only make people push the limits etc rather than drive safely

take the wet lateral G for example, the RTA would say it is irresponsible to go and push the limits and attempt to get the max G's, but this was a test scenario - how are you supposed to set limits if you don't know what they are?!?!?!?

well it was predictable enough enough to see the commercial van, the rodeo and the prado at the bottom of the ladder

[Aratahu]

I must admit that I really wanted to see McKay's impressions of the Euro. One sidebar on that, and I would have been totally satisfied with the article. Those consistency times were prette unnerving, that guy must be a bit of a Schumacher breed.

As for pushing the limits being wrong, that is one notion I intensively disagree with. Done in a controlled environment, such as a driving school, it is the only way to safely learn about limits.

Knowing the impact 50-55 and 60 kph will have on your stopping distance is something everyone should. But unless you've done the training, there's no way the information will be properly internalised. If more people had done advanced driver training, you wouldn't see following distances of 0.5-1.5 seconds that are so common on the roads today.

Being tailgated by a big 4wd with 1/2th of my own vehicle's stopping power is something I hate with a passion. More driver education is really the only way to get a better driving culture.

Steps off soapbox....

[7th Gen]

i agree with you exactly, don't get me wrongjust look at our (joke) of a licensing system - admittedly they've made it tougher over the years - P1, P2 etc, logbooks etc. but i still feel a defensive driving course would still work

just a few things people could be tested on:

emergency stopping/braking - in the wet, without ABS etc
driving to freeway/rural conditions - not just a lap around the block staying under 60

etc - i could go on

if anyone else knows, the requirements for getting a license in Germany is pretty harsh. make you jump thru all sorts of hoops. and you have to pay big $ for it. but so much better than the system here

(jumps off soapbox as well )

[Aratahu]

Yep, getting a licence back home in Norway costs about $5000 these days. About 4 years ago it cost $3500 - I paid for my little sister's licence then. Since then they added another set of advanced driving courses to the list.

I didn't get a licence in Oslo because car TCO was just ridiculous, and a pushbike was better way to get around anyway. Studded winter tyres are fun, and the girls so gorgeous in the summer it was probably safer to ride in the winter.

FWIW: The Euro Luxury goes under the name of Honda Accord Executive 2.4i Sedan in Norway and would set you back about $100k [automatic only]. The system of taxing power output is a severe setback for the sale of our car. Several low powered versions are available that cost less, but it's not in any way the same car anymore.

[Euro05]

Geez, $5k for a licence and $100k for the Euro, thats a bit harsh. We really are the lucky country! Although we do need to do something about our licensing system to get some quality drivers out there as there's far too many maniacs on the road with no idea what they're doing. Compulsory advanced driving courses would be a good start.

[VirIIx]

I've done my defensive driver training. It was good to see the limits of my car and how 5km/h extra does have a dramatic effect on the way the car drives. Of course, it was unfair since the euro was pretty good so it outperformed most of the sht boxes out there on the day :b

nonetheless, i'd recommened it as i had fun, and it teaches you something and helps with better credentials with insurance.

I'd love to do a further advanced course in the near future.

----

Licensing issues should be addressed strongly, as well as how things are done on the road. I'm sick of death in seeing people people get away with speeding constantly 20-40km/h past me on the motorway/freeways and yet the cops are sitting in the streets pinging you for trying to overtake someone with a quick burst of speed. Excuse me for not wanting to overtake that person 5km/h faster, i might get past him after 10 minutes.

Speed cameras should also be addressed - it's all revenue making and doesn't help with safety. If the money gathered from everything was actually put to good use - and these sydney roads are still pretty BAD - being the nicest cleanest possible way of putting it - you definately know when ur in NSW when u cross the border from QLD eg *CRUNCH* *rough loud road noises* - sigh - welcome to NSW indeed

[Aratahu]

Yep - did Jim Murcott's level 1 & 2 ourselves, plus I did the performance driving course [turned out to be quite the life saver; see my post in lock your doors in the lounge]. It is great fun & very educational. Will do a double booking for the two of us to do level 2 again when the Euro is somewhat driven in.