Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests crash test ratings

what's up CEG, I've been away (as far as posting) for a little while now, and I have my reasons. I've been working a lot lately, saving up for a replacement for the tour. with 187k on the clock, and all sorts of minor issues that I'm tired of trying to fix, it's time to move on.

my goal is to be getting a new-ish (2003+) car by december. the contour was my first car, and I've had it for over 3 years now, and I bet I could get 1-2 more out of it if I wanted to run it until it died, but I want something new.

now on to the point of my post. I haven't test driven anything yet, but the budget is in the vicinity of 16000. the tour had everything I wanted in a car, nice interior (leather, sunroof, most option boxes checked), a little pep in it's step, and a manual transmission. I was looking at Altimas, but the good ones are pretty rare and a bit more pricey, so I've turned my head in the direction of the Mazda6. here's my dilemma

while my parents in no way have the final say in the car I buy since I will be paying for it in full (obviously), their opinions do have some influence. crash test ratings being their biggest concern, they told me "4's or 5's, nothing less". well, the mazda6 meets that except on driver's side impact, in which it gets a 3. I'd like to know just how "bad" one three is, and what exactly the different numbers really mean.

I'm afraid I wont be able to find anything in my price range that meets these requirements, any suggestions? the biggest thing I need is a manual and a v6. I can re-do the interior, but I also would like a car that has a decent selection of aftermarket parts, in case I decide to upgrade in the future. opinions?

man, if you're still reading this, you're a great person, and I appreciate any feedback.

This is just a suggestion, but have you looked at a well maintained SHO?

You can pick up a nice one for $4500 or less, decent size aftermarket, but nothing too wild. V6, 5 speed, Great on gas, and if maintained it will run for a long time.

Its just a suggestion and its your money, but keep it in mind

IMO, you need to really asses what your needs and priorities are. It is very likely that you might have to make some compromises as far as what you want in a car (performance, 2003MY or newer, v6 power, 5-speed etc). I really only think that is inevitable. I would recommend in your price range a Volvo S60, finding one in a 5-speed can be a bit of a challenge, but they are out there (somewhere), and you get v6 power without the displacement, the aftermarket is not great, but as good as the contours if not better.....

As far as exactly what the crash tests mean check both the NHTSA as well as the IIHS and maybe even Euro NCAP for an idea. They should have a description on what each level means as well as the specifics on each car.

HTH!

The Mazda6 got a "3" because, when they tested it in 2003, the Mazda6 had the side airbags optional on every package. NHTSA misleads consumers by just changing the year on a previous test if there was no major redesign. Generally that's okay to do, but a lot changed since the '03 Mazda6 even if the design itself didn't. Note that they claim SABs as "optional" even on Hatchbacks and Wagons (which weren't out in '03 when they did their testing), both of which have SABs standard. They've just been copying the '03 Sedan test results over and over (witht the exception of the Wagon rollvoer which they much have either tested seperately later or just made a supposition off it's slightly higher center of gravity).

The rules state that the car isn't tested with side airbags if they're optional. But they've been standard equipment on all but the very base model Sedan (pretty much a fleet only model) for 3 years now.

There's no doubt that the Mazda6 with SABs would do much better.

Also, safety-wise, ABS, EBD, and TCS are all now standard on all Mazda6s as well. All of which NHTSA lists as optional equipment.

yes I know I'll probably have to make some kind of compromise as far as what I'm looking for. I definitely want something newer, because "well maintained" is a broad term, and something 5, 6, 7 years old likely hasn't been taken care of as well as it should the entire time.

I don't need a racecar, with 3 points (yea, a couple tickets) and being 19 (20 when I get the car), insurance is somewhat of an issue. I do want something a little quicker than the tour, I think you should always try to take a step up when moving on from jobs, cars, homes, etc. as said before, I can easily re-do the interior to my liking, so that's not a huge issue. oh, another thing, not a huge fan of coupes, I tend to end up lugging people around.

that's definitely good info on the SABs though, I'm sure that'll win some points in the safety area. I've found relatively low mileage, fully loaded 6's in my area for around 15k, which is why I'm looking at it, as well as the praise it's received on CEG in the past.

any more feedback is deff. welcome.

I have a Mazda6, which is great, but I love my STi a lot more. In fact, the only reason I drive the Mazda6 instead the STi is because it gets better gas mileage and the leather interior and suspension is a little more comfortable, but it definately makes for a boring ride. That said, you may want to look at a WRX. The Impreza lineup has been rated very high safety wise for the last several years (and maybe longer, who knows) and a WRX would definately be more powerful than the Contour (and Mazda6).

While I am in favor of crash testing and the related information, I also believe many of these results are taking relatively closely packed data and stretching it into the appearance of larger differences than truly exist (particularly the IIHS and their poor test methodologies).

The Mazda6 is a very safe car, as is just about anything on the road today. If you look through sites with real world accidents involving the Mazda6 (including Mazda6club.com), people are getting involved in really bad accidents without sustaining significant injury.

I purposely had mine delivered without side airbags, because I didn't like how they felt in the seats.

i am in the exact same position. just looking for something newer and with a warranty. sick of paying for car repairs for a while and my cousin will really need a car soon so i'm giving him my 98. i test drove a 2003 saab 9-3 the other day with every single option. high output turbo 4 (210 hp), 6 speed, listed at $15,500

I agree with everyone recommending the Mazda6 (friend of mine just got one and it's great!). Also Nissan Maxima ('02-'03 where most of the kinks were worked out, plus stock HIDs) or Altima ('03+). To be honest I only liked my Maxima when I first got it, but love it now as I drive it more. I'd tell you immediately to try the BMW 3-series, which still remains my favorite used car, but with points and age your insurance would probably skyrocket with it.

You should be able to find a newer body style Altima SE with that wonderful 3.5L and a manual for around 13K. Good luck finding one though. Another car you might look at is the Toyota Corolla XRS. Just trust me on that one