Compact SUV / hatch - have I missed an option?

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ria.mc, Jan 6, 11:13am
Hi, I'm looking to upgrade to a Hyundai ix35 or Ssangyong Korando (no ANCAP rating?). Key is safety, economical and back seat 40% split on passenger side with ISOFIX for car seat. Elevated hatch / compact SUV with level entry boot works well for heavy work gear. Budget is $18-20k for 2010+ <100,000, any transmission, 2WD, any fuel. Ford Kuga is over budget and have ruled out some of the bigger models. Cautious about making the right call but needing to be work ready for Feb. Would appreciate any advice - is all a bit biased off the saleyard! Thanks

mals69, Jan 6, 5:33pm
Missed loads - Nissan for one

intrade, Jan 6, 7:23pm
ancap rating are a bit like hotel ratings
works like this for hotels you get 3 star if you have this that and that and another star only if you also have a heated indoor swimming pool and crap like that. its similar like on car side airbags seatbelt airbags pedestrian airbags crap like that is needed to get maximum ratings stuff that wont actuarly save you what i would want to see is real crash test and how the thing crumbles up in slow motion recording not how mutch usless crap extra it has to meet the higher ancap.

kazbanz, Jan 6, 7:50pm
Why Is it im finding myself agreeing with you more and more often?

fordcrzy, Jan 6, 8:17pm
ancap ratings are a joke. you get stars for stuff like lane departure beepers, reverse cameras etc, it doesnt actually relate to crash safety anymore. you can watch crash test videos of 5 star cars that perform poorly in crashes but because they have some of the pedestrian safety etc they get 5 stars.

mals69, Jan 6, 8:43pm
Cause he knows his stuff

skiff1, Jan 6, 8:53pm
are you drinking more than you should?

gazzat22, Jan 6, 9:08pm
ANCAP ratings were proved useless by ACC when they decided to base their ratings on Police/MonashUniversity ratings ie 20year old cars rated as high or higher than 5-10 year old cars despite olders cars having no safety features like ABS or Airbags!

vtecintegra, Jan 6, 9:13pm
Really? Give an example.

mals69, Jan 6, 9:22pm
Some of it of BS - cheap reg for so called all-round safer cars, sure they have their place in accidents but rather be in a safari head on with a march any-day !

skiff1, Jan 6, 9:38pm
Rather drive round an off-camber corner in a March than a safari any day. The perceived safety of big SUVs is not translated into reality.

vtecintegra, Jan 6, 9:40pm
Also while relying on the other vehicles crumple zone is all well and good you better hope you don't hit anything solid in that Patrol

mals69, Jan 6, 9:41pm
Get yourself a march and I'll get a safari and we will have a head on at 60 mph - you keen ? Keep it in context of my post, kenworth not first choice for corners either .

mals69, Jan 6, 9:42pm
Point I was making is it is not cut an dry - seems to have gone over two heads

billyfieldman, Jan 6, 10:02pm
ANCAP is testing in lab condition. The Monash Used Car Safety Rating below is based on real life crashes which is better.

http://rightcar.govt.nz/ucsr.html?group=SUV%20-%20Compact

vtecintegra, Jan 7, 12:48am
That was the point I was making too - plenty of scenarios where the reverse is true.

Anyway standards like ANCAP make sense for comparing vehicles within the same class - you'd be far better off in a modern 5* large SUV like a Q7, LC200 or modern Patrol than you would be in an old one.

fordcrzy, Jan 7, 4:20am
i remember seeing a merc that performed poorer than a subaru legacy (or was it an accord?)from memory. the offset head on test was a real eye opener for many so called luxury cars

fordcrzy, Jan 7, 4:23am
Does it HAVE to be an Suv? why not a nice station wagon? youd get some nice wagons for 20k

vtecintegra, Jan 7, 4:25am
Small overlap frontal is not part of the NCAP tests - they do it in the USA but not rest of the world. Tough test too, lots of cars do poorly even recent models.

Regardless that Mercedes didn't get its (presumably 5 star) NCAP rating just because of drivers aids and such it would also have done well at the frontal test used.

vtecintegra, Jan 7, 4:27am
Debatable - too hard to properly control for factors external to the vehicle when looking at real world data and it isn't granular enough with vehicle models.

ria.mc, Jan 7, 8:29am
Wow. Thankyou for all the great feedback. Handicapped myself with the carseat issue which will likely only be for another year anyway. Am going back and looking at all the options you've posted. Really appreciate it. Thanks :)

fordcrzy, Jan 7, 8:40am
What about a wagon?

ria.mc, Jan 7, 11:18am
Re: wagon, open to looking at it but where to start? Would need some guidance on that one. Never even driven one. Looks like more options at a lower price?

ria.mc, Jan 7, 11:27am
fordcrzy wrote:
KIA SPORTAGE which is basically an ix35, but looks way better.

I agree it does look better but has been just out of my budget - was looking at the ix35 as same factory / similar specs and lower cost.

fordcrzy, Jan 8, 6:45am
Id start with the mazda 6 gsx or its imported equivilent atenza