How much safer is a new car with side airbags compared to a 100 without?

[sean2202]

I have a 00 LC without side airbags. My wife wants me to upgrade to another vehicle (my choice 200 series) with more safety features and sell the 100. While the 200 has more safety features than the 100 series I feel that the 100 without side airbags is still more than likely more safe than certain cars on the road with side air bags. I would like to keep the 100 for a work vehicle winter beater. Prices are very high now and the 100 runs and drives perfect with 280k.

Any thoughts on comparison of 100 series safety wise say versus a newer small to medium size car?

Sean

 

[Zer0zg]

Other than potential rollover risk, the mass and height puts the 100 in a pretty good place to do well in a hit to the side from a average vehicle. Acceleration and intrusion will be mitigated by a typical vehicle being lighter and impacting closer to the rocker rather than the center of the door. That said, in a hit from a comparably sized vehicle(say a full size pickup) I do suspect that the 200 would have significantly higher survivability.

I would expect a modern, well-rated unibody midsize to survive a bit better in a side impact with a stationary object(sliding into a pole etc) than the 100. That higher mass cuts both ways.

 

[BnvS]

I have a 00 LC without side airbags. My wife wants me to upgrade to another vehicle (my choice 200 series) with more safety features and sell the 100. While the 200 has more safety features than the 100 series I feel that the 100 without side airbags is still more than likely more safe than certain cars on the road with side air bags. I would like to keep the 100 for a work vehicle winter beater. Prices are very high now and the 100 runs and drives perfect with 280k.

Any thoughts on comparison of 100 series safety wise say versus a newer small to medium size car?

Sean

In no disrespect to anyone (your wife especially) But u can always put yourself in a air suit and think no one can hurt you, bur clearly that will not be the case.

Enjoy your 100.. always get an excuse to buy a 200..but doing it just for safety imho aint the right reason to get a newer car...in the end we all die... I know I am morbid.

 

[sedonut]

I ride motorcycles, no airbags. Some Police ride motorcycles, no airbags. FJ40's, no airbags. Some no seat belts.

I remember reading a story a while back, a hollywood type was afraid of driving so he drove a Volvo wagon and wore a crash helmet. A piece of steel fell off a truck and went through his windshield and killed him.

You might be safe hiding in your closet. Then a tree falls through your roof or a meteor, or, or...

When it's your time it's your time. No one gets out alive.

 

[BnvS]

Yeah I ride motorcycles as well.. nothing but a thick coat if I ware it (most times I dont b/c of how hot it gets)... As @sedonut said.. When its your time.. its your time.. no matter the technology you think you will use to stop it..

BTW I am by no means saying just be crazy.. take your precautions, but also be practical.

 

[2001LC]

Say you're right honey, and buyer her a Christmas present.

Newer 100s do have side airbags Started in 03LX, or all 06- IIRC. They are obviously safer, as can keep head from hitting glass.

But I agree hight, weight and full frame gives lots of safety. Side impact in most cases are not at high speed. Much over 45 is high speed, air bags aren't that effect IMHO. Side impact are "most often", as someone pulls away from a stop light without clearing the road visually first. Light turns green, some people floor it like in a race! Car running yellow to red, and BANG! Woman drivers are the most, I see this happen to. Not a good driving practice. Those same green and go people, tend to honk at me as I don't just go spilt second it turns green. (well most days)

 

[AlpineAccess]

I rolled a Subaru with side curtain airbags - end over end at 65 mph after hitting an embankment after a tire blowout in a steep turn. Picture a rally car crash without the roll cage/helmets/etc. The car was beyond destroyed but the body held and the airbags deflected my head away from the pillar and back into the seat headrest multiple times. It had captured two branches that *may* have penetrated into the cabin. I walked away from it with a bruised sternum and cracked rib.

Years before I was in a vehicle that went sideways on ice at a low rate of speed and caught, rolling over into a ditch. Early 200's Chevy 1500 pickup. Everyone in that vehicle on the impact side had head injuries (contusions/lacerations) and driver and rear drivers side passenger had serious concussions.

I also low sided a motorcycle after hitting roadkill at night, mid turn and at a very low rate of speed (trying not to out-ride my headlights). A very mild accident in the motorcycle world that despite wearing very good gear head to toe left me injured for months.

I'm not here to argue with anyone who says "when its your time its your time" but I do disagree. We can attribute anecdotes of how someone was taken out of the world final destination style, but for every one of those there are tens; if not hundreds of incidents that would have had life-long impacts (if not for roadway, vehicle, and first responder safety in our country). I can think of dozens of situations in my life where equipment made a massive difference in the outcome. Training, mindset, experience, and of course circumstances all matter - but so does equipment/gear. Despite the accident in that Subaru being multitudes more violent than the others, it was the one I recovered quickest from and it has had the lowest impact on me physically. It held up and the safety features did their job.

My 100 does not have side curtain airbags, but I totally get why someone would see them as good safety equipment and consider an upgrade. From what I see the 200 would provide more protection for occupants than a 100; in more ways than just the side curtain airbags. That doesn't diminish that the 100 is quite a safe vehicle; but there are likely better.

 

[Asanka]

Safely first! especially when your better half points it out

Side airbags or curtain airbags are in between the pillar or glass or the object colliding with over shattered glass. Disclosure, mine is a 04LC with side airbags.

 

[3_puppies]

Say you're right honey, and buyer her a Christmas present.

Newer 100s do have side airbags Started in 03LX, or all 06- IIRC. They are obviously safer, as can keep head from hitting glass.

03 Landcruiser has side air bags, at least the one I have in the yard right now does.

if she is worried, keep your rig and up the life insurance

 

[Dilspec]

Do what makes you and your wife feel comfortable…

 

[KliersLC]

This is my 93 with no Airbags at all

The only straight bodywork left was the hood as I recall, and the PS roof was collapsed down onto the head rest of the passenger seat-- ~60 mph towing rollover, see link in sig for details)

I had a mild concussion from being hit in the back of the head by an FJ-55 door that was among a big pile of parts in the back of the 80. My 3 year old daughter was in the front seat and walked away without a scratch. Otherwise, no injuries.

Each accident is unique in how the physics play out based on speed, friction, mass, center of gravity, road angle etc.

For various reasons, I drive my 99, my daughter drives her 99, and my wife drives the 2000 LX. If I had my druthers, we'd all be in curtain airbag equipped rigs, but I am of the camp that believes everyone has their time, so I don't worry about it.

What I do, is make sure that every vehicle is well maintained, every driver is taught and practices emergency driving maneuvers, and that everyone knows that most often, there are no accidents, just a series of bad decisions by someone. We just try to make sure that we are not the ones making the bad decisions.... the whole "control what you can and accept what you can't" deal...

Now I do draw the line at the auto braking and the stay in lane thing--people who can't be bothered to pay attention while operating a deadly weapon should be off the road, not being mollycoddled by a robot.

 

[sean2202]

Thanks all for the replies and thank you all for sharing your stories. It's the other drivers that scare me at this point in my life (life insurance is good and up to date). I tell the young guys at work that all those new safety features are good, but you have to learn to drive first without them and not to just rely on them to do it for you which it seems most people do. Seems as in the past year the driving speed around me and the lack of patrolling has increased speed and reckless driving exponentially. Can't and won't put the family in a bubble but I will do whatever I can in my power to make sure they are safe.

It has been said many times. "Buy the newest best cruiser you can afford." Wife is on board......Maybe it is time for an upgrade......

 

[jhollander]

If I could do it all over again, I would go back and make sure I bought an 03 or newer to get the side airbags. Now that it's my daily and the kids are in it all the time, extra protection is not a bad thing.

200s are pretty, extra power and all the bells/whistles would be nice but I like the 100s looks better. Also, 100 is the right mix of electrical and mechanical where I can still do much/most of the work myself.

Long way of saying, you could look at "newer" 100s too.

 

[sean2202]

If I could do it all over again, I would go back and make sure I bought an 03 or newer to get the side airbags. Now that it's my daily and the kids are in it all the time, extra protection is not a bad thing.

200s are pretty, extra power and all the bells/whistles would be nice but I like the 100s looks better. Also, 100 is the right mix of electrical and mechanical where I can still do much/most of the work myself.

Long way of saying, you could look at "newer" 100s too.

Same thing here. At the time I bought the best I could afford. Good thought on a "newer" 100. Definitely tried and true. Would save about 5k on my bumpers and other add ons that I already have.....and that bin full of BN parts....

 

[RND1]

I have an '03 with side air bags. I believe it was an option in that model year so if you upgrade to another 100 make sure you look for the side airbags. There was a recall on the side airbags BTW - I had mine replaced earlier this year. They only had 1 tech who knew how to do it so I had to schedule when he was working lol.

 

[Travis Bickle]

How should I know?

 

[CloudCity]

I'm in the "get a newer 100-series" camp, or at least a 200 if that is the only option besides a smaller unibody vehicle. Generally yes, safety increases exponentially with new car models and tech, but in the end it's all really a matter of the particulars of the crash that matter, but if you can stack the odds in your favor it's always helpful.

 

[hoser]

It's more than just side airbags. In 2009, FMVSS required roof crush resistant standards of 1.5 times the vehicle's weight (for vehicles with a GVWR 6k-10k lbs and 3x the weight for vehicles less than 6k lbs). The 200 meets those standards, the 100 likely does not, the 80 surely does not.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/05/12/E9-10431/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-roof-crush-resistance-phase-in-reporting-requirements

 

[Reckless]

My 02 Lexus has side airbags. I STRONGLY recommend them in any car. I had side air bags explode in my 97 BMW 750IL and really cushioned the impact like a soft glove.

 

[Reckless]

It's more than just side airbags. In 2009, FMVSS required roof crush resistant standards of 1.5 times the vehicle's weight (for vehicles with a GVWR 6k-10k lbs and 3x the weight for vehicles less than 6k lbs). The 200 meets those standards, the 100 likely does not, the 80 surely does not.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/05/12/E9-10431/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-roof-crush-resistance-phase-in-reporting-requirements

I think the 100 has a super strong roof, I remember reading about it years ago. I believe some people even flipped them with no damage. I could be wrong.