Is Bigger Better?

October 21, 2014

JLo and I have something in common regarding our rear ends – our recent car accidents, that is. We both walked away unhurt and with minimal damage to our SUVs after being rear-ended at a stoplight. Not so lucky was the  young driver of the Honda Civic who hit me from behind since his entire front end was crushed like an accordion.  JLo’s accident was due to a drunk driver so he is probably even more unlucky.

I’ve always preferred an SUV over a car for the convenience of hauling around the dog, groceries, luggage, beach chairs, or whatever else I can cram in the back cargo area.  However, I now have another reason to appreciate my 2008 ML350 – it is built like a tank!  There are only minimal surface scratches on my rear bumper and unlike the guy who rear-ended me, I was able to drive away from the scene of the accident without any damage to me or my Mercedes. I had bought it as a used vehicle and let the original owner take the depreciation hit since full-size SUVs can be fairly expensive when bought new.

If you’ve been in an accident and need to replace or repair your vehicle, size and safety should be a consideration. Usually, the bigger the car, the safer you are.  No wonder my first car was a 1978 Ford LTD 4-door monster that my parents provided to me back in the eighties.  When considering your next vehicle, the bigger – the better for your safety.  You can also check out some other considerations I offered in last month’s blog post if you are on the hunt for a “new whip” as JLo says.