Spoot

Being from the UK originally I had never considered that small cars might not be safe. But now that I am here in the US, everyone keeps telling me that small cars are dangerous, or at least that they don't have the same safety standards as bigger vehicles.

So can someone tell me what the truth is, specifically with the Astra.

live2drive

What I've always been told is that larger cars are safer because they hold up better in crashes. I'm honestly not sure how true that is, though. I tend to stick to mid-sized but this is more because they are more comfortable for me to drive. My sister's husband will not allow her to own a small car as he is adamant that large cars are safer. Poor girl always ends up with a big boat of a car that gets horrible gas mileage.

madmon

Many people say larger is better since many cars now in the states are large cars. I had a friend in a mid size car get hit on the highway from a semi truck and she made it if that tells you anything. Had she been in anything smaller she more than likely would have been gone along with the car. My mother refuses any small cars, I think the smallest she had was a old Cutlass more than 20 years ago and I have grown into the same thing. While little cars are cute I want to make sure there is plenty of room in case the unforeseen happens.

Aboyade

Most older drivers these days are concerned with the inferior quality of the material used to construct cars these days and a smaller car can receive a lot of damage. The Astra, in its attempt to take a European car and sturdy it enough to handle the pitfalls of American driving, has done its part in ensuring the car meets our front-impact regulations. Whether that is enough to satisfy cautious drivers, though, in this time of road rage and just plain road insanity, remains to be seen. I think we'll feel more secure in armored trucks.

John Davey

I believe most of it is uneducated perception and the reason why SUVs are so popular is the apparent sense of invincibility. This article considers a couple of extremes, the Mini and an F-150, not hitting each other but both hitting a solid object at the same speed. The result is horrifying.
bridger.us » Archive » Crash Testing: MINI Cooper vs Ford F150

Here's another comparison, the Smart vs the Mercedes S-class.
Video: Mercedes S-Class vs. Smart

The smart holds together surprisingly well against the big Merc - known as one of the safest cars around. People's ignorance again surfaces with comments about the amount of damage suffered by the Mercedes as if the safest car would show the least damage! Volvo introduced crumple zones in the 70's but obviously have failed to educate many on their benefits and the essential part they play in occupant protection.