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Cars that weigh 3300 and 3400 pounds respectively are well over 3000 pounds by virtue of being well over 3000 pounds. A = A. 300 or 400 pounds makes a difference in handling, stopping, maneuverability, fuel economy, damage on impact, etc. And by "today's standards" I mean the average curb weight of the top 10 list in your link is nearly 3800 pounds. Compared to most vehicles encountered on the roads today, 3,000 pounds is light.
I was watching a show about all of the hybrid cars that have been created or cars that are in production.
I noticed many of them are small, really small. Do these cars forgo saftey in exchange for saving money on gas and protecting the environment?
The old Honda Insight and the Civic Hybrids are small. The rest of the hybrids in the U.S. are at least a mid sized sedan all the way up to massive SUVs. As stated earlier, all cars sold in the U.S. are required to meet safety standards. And that include the tiniest of cars.
Speaking of ignorant, the exterior dimensions of a car have little to do with whether the EPA classifies a car as compact, subcompact, mid-sized, etc. The classification is determined by combined interior room and cargo space. Surely you don't believe your Prius is larger than a Honda Accord Coupe, do you? Because the Accord Coupe is classified as a compact.
Yes, I'm quite aware of that. The interior of the Prius is spacious, IMO. The back seat has a lot of leg room. I'm just sayint that if you think a Prius is "tiny", then you're obviously not all there. There are many cars on the road that are smaller. And the only reason small cars are at more risk is because stupid people still think they need a Hummer to cart their 2 year old to school.
Smart fortwo is like half the size of a Prius, and apparently that passed safety/crash regulations by having a very stiff chassis. So basically the smaller car you go, the less room you have to absorb the energy so the chassis has to be stiffer. In a crash you will experience more g's since you have to stop at a shorter distance.
I'm absolutely for going green and getting small cars. You can go green cheaply these days. Toyota Yaris or Echo is a good example. Small cars is an area that American car manufacturers need a quick catch up on.
I was watching a show about all of the hybrid cars that have been created or cars that are in production.
I noticed many of them are small, really small. Do these cars forgo saftey in exchange for saving money on gas and protecting the environment?
I think that some people would feel that many of the smaller hybrids are too small for their needs. In general, the smaller the vehicle, the less well it will do if smashed by a larger vehicle (like a truck).
That said, my 2006 Prius has sufficient space for our needs, and came with many safety features: stability control, traction control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, side airbag curtains, and four-star NHTSA safety ratings all around.
The best safety feature of any vehicle, large or small, isn't installed in the factory but is hopefully added when the vehicle is purchased. It's an alert driver.
If you have Trader Joes, they have a wonderful cleaner which is their own brand. Its called Cederwood and Sage multipurpose cleaner. It does have an oil so for some things it might not work, but I clean everything including windows with it.
If you really want to go green for cleaning, consider using baking soda and/or vinegar with a micro-fiber cloth. The cloths last forever & in the case of windows, cleaners aren't even necessary unless things are really grimy. Add in a few drops of essential oil for a nice scent.
I like the Prius, and I think it would be perfectly suitable for my family of four, except that I wonder about the environmental impact of the lithium batteries. And, as far as safety, I agree with GreenGene. Defensive driving is best!
I used to drive an early 00s Corolla that got 40mpg under perfect conditions. And I ended up trading it in for a Subaru Ourback because of too many near misses during my work commute involving the giant SUVs that seemed to surround me on every roadway.
Until the percentage of SUVs goes back down to historical standards, I just couldn't see driving a small car on a regular basis again.
If you need to big to feel safe you could ride the bus, it even comes with a chauffeur
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