Are American cars dangerous?

Question

Some people tell me they have bad handling. Something about their design makes it death machines. Like slidding or whatever during turns, or during slippery raining days.

Some guy told me that his Mustang GT was dangerous because it doesn't do well in the wet pavement. My friend who rented a Charger and Avenger says it sort of drifts or slids when turn i don't know.

I want to have confidence in Domestic cars. So which should I avoid, and which is something that is good?

Please tell me your stories! Best stories win.

Answer 1

It's not that American cars are dangerous, it has more to do with the driving ability of the person driving the car.

Professionally though, some of the worst wrecks I've seen have involved the VW Bug and the Dodge Neon. The construction of these cars is bad for front end collisions. I know of 1 person who was in a head on with a Bug and she's now a vegetable, I know another one involving a Neon where the driver died and the passenger severally injured. Both involved in offset front end impacts.

I've also seen other horrendous wrecks where people have been decapitated and the cars so badly damaged you can't make out the model.

But as I said....the safety of a vehicle has more to do with the driver first, the vehicle second. Some cars are designed to have a 'floaty boaty' feeling, others 'hug' the road better. It's a matter of preference. I for one, prefer the 'hugging.'

Answer 2

The bozo with the GT needs to understand that the tires on his car are intended for high performance on dry roads. When the roads are wet, icy, snow-covered or otherwise slick he will need to slow WAY down compared to other vehicles on the road.

I rented a GT on a business trip a couple of weeks ago. On dry pavement, it handled beautifully but it was squirrely as all hell when the pavement was wet from rain.

The idiot with the rented Charger and Avenger has the same problem. He's driving beyond his ability and the road conditions if the car is sliding and drifting unintentionally.

Most folks under about 35 years old have been brought up on front-wheel-drive cars. We old farts well remember rear-wheel-drive and know how to drive them. RWD handles very differently from FWD both under hard accelleration and at the limits of adhesion. Very different driving techniques are needed under these conditions.

The design of the vehicle, the tires fitted, road conditions, and driver skill have far greater impact (pun intended) on how a vehicle handles. Where the vehicle was made is WAY down the list, far enough to be a non-issue.

Anyone who knows BMWs and has driven them for more than about 12 years or so is intimately familiar with the infamous "BMW Twitch" on wet roads. The rear end would swing out violently with absolutely no warning whatsoever on wet roads often with disasterous results. BMW steadfastly maintained that it wasn't a design defect but that their rear suspension design that enhanced dry road handling (did it ever!) was not intended for spirited driving on wet roads. Interestingly they've changed the suspension design so that modern Bimmers no longer exhibit that behaviour. They probably decided that it wasn't a good idea to kill off customers and other road users with so many neophyte drivers buying their cars.

Answer 3

Your friend with the Mustang? He's an idiot that doesn't have the right tires for the conditions in which he expects to drive. Obviously he has street slicks that are only good on dry pavement. He needs to put on decent All Season H-rated tires. The one who is drifting a Charger and/or Avenger doesn't know how to drive if he is not drifting on purpose. I have well over a million miles, and most of them are on domestic cars. Take a performance driving course and you will see what they are capable of, safely.

Answer 4

Its the American driver that is dangerous not the American car. Some cars are not meant to be drivien fast etc.. Some cars are, Some American car companies make good cars that handle and drive well at high speeds because thats what they are made to do, but some are not made to do that. There are european cars which dont handle well at high speed too and other which do.
It all really depends on the driver and the driver knowning the their own limits and the limits of the car. All new cars are safe these days in crash standards etc..

Answer 5

Have to say the only time i`ve ever feared a car was a buick century the handling was appaling and the suspension (which 2 seperate shops said was fine) had a wonderful habit on the road to my in laws of resonating with the bumps in the road to the point the car was nearly uncontrollable at 30mph unfortunately going slower than that on that road tends to result with a very aggressive suv up your *** as the rear bumper would attest.

Answer 6

As i was reading this, I was thinking about our Mustang GT, the back end sort of felt like it was flying out from behind you when we drove down the mtns.

I dont know about the other cars, but American cars aren't really "American" anymore anyway...half the parts and engine are made in Mexico and other countries...

Try Car and Driver's website or magazine for American cars with good handling.

Answer 7

cars good, drivers bad. the mustang has always been a good handling car for what it was designed to do. same with the charger. suspension set up, tire design, and driver skill will determine how a car handles in various driving regimes.

Answer 8

some American cars like the mustang gt and the charger are heavier than rice burners and react differently around corners if it feels like its gliding or sliding someones being to heavy on the gas in the corner and probably over steering as well and its like he said its all about the driver

Answer 9

They swirve at the slightest touch of the wheel. I used to think they called them boats because they were big (fotr some reason i can't explain but recently i bought a used sunfire and it doesnt grip the road and steer straight..

IT FLOATS

part of handling should be ease of steering hence power steering.

The wheels also need to be pointed inward to correct one another but american cars are not.

Answer 10

American cars are no more dangerous than any other car, its the drivers that make a car dangerous some people should not have a driving licence