How safe are these vehicles? My dad needs some convincing that no airbags isnt a huge deal, any insight? Thanks a ton.

 

By today standards they arent considered safe. But they are tough. Just always wear your seatbelt. They arent NOT safe. Just not as "safe" as todays vehicles.

 

This is a broad range of vehicles. I can unfortunately testify on the safety issue first hand.



I survived, obviously, with minor injuries. I was an idiot and wasn't wearing my seat belt. So you can take that for what it's worth


As far as airbags, they are a proven lifesaving devise. They shouldn't be sloughed off.

 

its all how you drive them... they have a higher COG, so they are more prone to roll over than a low car... however, i'd rather be the 4runner without airbags, than a small car with.

 

thats a good comparison, thanks

 

that being said, I'd also rather be run up on top of another smaller vehicle in an accedent, then jammed up underneath a taller one

 

ok, yeah they are mainly worried about the airbags, but they seem pretty safe even without them.

 

I'm sure of the exact statistics, but I'm willing to bet that a good majority the accidents that happen and the airbags are deployed on later model vehicles don't happen with other vehicles, and are most of the time driver error and/or just plain not paying attention

The vehicle with the lowest safety ratings is only as safe as the driver behind the wheel


why not jump up to maybe 96 and get a Taco? best of both worlds! get a light 4x4 mini truck, with modern safety equipment

 

too expensive

 

how much is he looking to spend

 

you can find tacos from 3k-10k..

 

in the amount of time between this post and my last I have found 2 tacos, 4cyl, 2wd 5speed extra cab for under $5k.

 

1 problem with those, they are 2wd, and I believe the OP wants 4wd, and his dad is helping him buy 1....

 

I ended up hitting a tree going 80mph in my 95' Civic ("friend" grabbed the wheel on the highway, we lost control) the airbags did NOT go off. We walked away unharmed. With that being said, I feel much more safe in my 86' 4Runner than I do in my 03' Hyundai Tiburon with 6 airbags. Being high up definitely plays a big role in how much damage you will receive in an accident.

 

Our vehicles are not considered very safe, but thats mainly from an extreme lack of side impact protection. If you get t-boned you will get messed up.

However front end or rear end, no big deal. I t-boned a guy and very little damage to my 88's front end, and not a single scratch on my body.

 

4Runners, and pickups are just as safe as anything out there as long as you don't hit/get hit by anyone(or anything). They are strong, but the lack of any airbags until 1996 might knock some sense out of you if you hit something hard enough.

I'd rather be in my 4Runner than one of those smart cars. 4Runner has no airbags, but is made out of metal, and lots of it. Smart car has loads of airbags, and surprisingly rates decent in crash tests, but I wouldn't want any part of them outside the lab.

 

maybe your father should just buy you a Ford Taurus; I hear those are safe


is he buying it for you right out, or is this something you're pitching in on too?

 

I've owned my V6 4WD Ext Cab for 15 years, and at first I was worried about the height and the danger of rollover. But there have been several times in those years that a corner has "snuck up on me" and I found myself being forced to crank the wheel much more than I was comfortable doing. Every time, I've been amazed at the lack of body roll and the lateral Gs the truck pulled off. My feeling now is that the engine, transmission, transfer case, differentials and gas tank are low and center and heavy enough to provide surprising stability. I used to think of it as a tippy vehicle but I don't any more. Of course, it probably IS more prone to tipping than a passenger car, but it is not very "tippy". (Of course, if you your truck has a lift, then - different story: it's probably very tippy.) Also, if you hit somebody, pity the fool. If you look at enough accident pics in this and other hilux forums, you'll see that these trucks murder whatever they hit, and prove amazingly strong in front end collisions. I have to agree though with the folks who say watch out for side impact. That's the one area where I think these vehicles and their drivers are very vulnerable. You wouldn't want to be T-boned in one of these. That would hurt.

I should add that it's very important to have excellent tires, with very good wet traction. My first set were so-so in that regard and I found the rear end would break loose fairly easily on wet corners - not very safe. That will happen with any pickup because of the lack of weight in the back. I absolutely love my Bridgestone Dueler AT REVOs - they have great wet traction. The Firestone Destination ATs are almost the same tire (Bridgestone bought Firestone), and the Michelin LTX A/T 2 are a fairly new tire that is getting very good ratings, too. Tires are the #1 safety item on a vehicle because they are your connection to the road and essential to control (good brakes are #2).

 

I have three vehicles currently. I would rather take the wife's '06 4Runner on long trips than her 2010 Mazda 3 thingy...However, I'm comfortable in all three though...airbags or not. Besides how old are you? Dad's buying you a car, let him buy you whatever the hell and just drive man. Wheels is wheels. I drove the piss outta my dad's 5spd 1987 Dodge caravan...on AND offroad.

 

im 17.5 ha, i drive a blazer right now but i pay for gas/insurance and it kills me. I am looking to downsize and couldnt think of a better option, plus these trucks are badass. I like the firestone dest a/t i have them on the blaze. There are M/T on the truck, probably will get them swapped out soon. Thanks for all of the input guys!