I was wondering how well the 350z handles crashes. I've seen the safety ratings, but if a 350z crashed into a fat car, such as a chevy suburban, what are the chances? To what extent will the damage be? I'm not asking for specific speeds, but in general.
I'm going to college next year, and my parents are convinced that my 350z isn't safe enough for anyone to drive. I don't wanna anger them; I'd rather convince them otherwise.

 

good luck on that!

 

Pound for pound across vehicle types, cars almost always have lower death rates than pickups or SUVs.

 

im guessing your parents are a little over protective? they wanna put you in a truck? tell them that an advanced driving class at the track would help more with avoiding crashes then switching to a vehicle in which you are unfamiliar with.

 

good point.

 

you mean pickups and suv's aren't cars?

So pickups and SUV's have more deaths than sports cars? I hope that's true

 

The wreckage that a lot of people WALK out of involving a Z amazes me time and time again. When put up against a heavy hitter it's always iffy, but the Z as a car is safe as can be. Just don't drive it like a douche.

 

What mommy and daddy giveth - mommy and daddy can taketh away.

 

lol no, its more like I respect my parents and listen when they talk to me. I don't really have time to argue with you on this point, but I will say that my parents didn't give me my 350z. They gave me the crapcar with which I learned how to drive, and I bought the 350z.

 

Most of the 350Z cars I've seen crashed were by young people your age goofing off so that's probably what your parents are really concerned about. The 350Z does a pretty good job of protecting it's occupants, though, especially if you've got the extra airbags. As long as YOU don't crash it you're probably going to be okay, but if a Suburban hits you or any car this small well...size does matter!!

 

^ I know I've heard that somwhere before.. but I just can't seem to put a finger on it..?

Jk OP I really couldn't care less, and good luck convincing your parents to let you keep it.

 

Its all good.

You could present your parents with a pile of safety reports, but it will do little good.

People have preconceived notions, and facts will not dissuade them.

 

meh.

ok, Thanks for the help guys.

 

damn, I was a noob when I got the car and didn't check for side airbags

I guess advanced driving classes are the way to go for now.

 

The crashed Zs on this site have been pretty horrific, and 99% of the people survived. From the looks of things, they handles crashes well.

Be a responsible, observant driver, and you won't have to worry about this as much.

 

Zs are very safe cars.And worrying about what kind of car you could get in a accident with is pointless.

 

shouldnt they be convincing you that its not safe since its your Z you paid for?

 

No they aren't. Utility vehicles, such as pickups and SUV's, in the past weren't subject to the same safety requirements as cars. I'm not sure if that is still the case or when it may have changed. An example, cars require side impact protection (that is why our doors are so heavy), pickups and SUVs didn't.

Excellent attitude! This puts you way ahead of most of the kids on this forum (and a good share of the "adults" as well). Because of this, I did 10 seconds of looking and found this:

http://tinyurl.com/y8vdblw

Those are the results for a 2004. You can put in your year, I just made a guess. However, the Z has a 5 Star safety rating from the Federal Government for crash safety. Notice also that it is less likely to tip over in a collision than most any other passenger car.

Where are you going to go to school? My son is a freshman at CLU in Thousand Oaks. He would love to take his GXR to school. Instead it is sitting in my garage here. We told him that if he expects any financial help from us (tuition, room and board in the summer, transportation, health care, etc...) he can't take his bike to school. Of course, he things we are being completely unreasonable and is pissed about it. We'd rather have a son that is walking around in one piece pissed at us, than a son in pieces who thinks we are cool. This is a dynamic that our brain-dead Canuck friend from Toronto doesn't seem to understand.

 

http://www.carsdirect.com/2008/nissan/350z/safety

 

True.. But, it's difficult to read posts from the people that didn't survive.

50/50, and How can a damage report be predetermined from a random SUV vs. 350Z crash? front, side, quarter panel, down a cliff, rollover, low speed, mid-speed, high-speed.. How do you plan on crashing?


Seems like the parents are looking out for you - good for them. And I think your answer comes from them.