Talk me out of selling my GTI

[cb1111]

God forbid for anything to happen to your kids if you decide to keep your car, you will regret your decision to keep your car for the rest of your life. This is your decision not the forum members decision, if you think it’s the right thing to do then just do it.

Unfortunately, I think that this is the only solution.

You can get hurt or killed in anything - but - if it happens in this VW, the OP would forever have the "if I had only sold the VW" regrets.

He needs to sell the car - even if he (and everyone else) knows that it remains one of the safer cars on the road.

 

[Wrath And Tears]

Unfortunately, I think that this is the only solution.

You can get hurt or killed in anything - but - if it happens in this VW, the OP would forever have the "if I had only sold the VW" regrets.

He needs to sell the car - even if he (and everyone else) knows that it remains one of the safer cars on the road.

To be fair if he sells the car and something happens, the same thing would then apply, "If only I hadn't sold the VW". Of course it would be the wife's "fault" at that point.

 

[vj123]

To be fair if he sells the car and something happens, the same thing would then apply, "If only I hadn't sold the VW". Of course it would be the wife's "fault" at that point.

OP feels bigger vehicles are safer than smaller vehicles. So the whole blame wouldnt be on her wife.

 

[Wedge_Antilles]

OP, I'm more interested in your driving technique. Was there more you could have done on time w/ your most recent experience? Catching these things ahead of time and communicating w/ the drivers behind is the key (as obvious as that may sound). It's easier said than done, but you get my point. A nice 2-3 second following distance allows you to brake harder, a lot earlier, while warning others behind you all while giving your self time to get your shit together. Using hazards helps. Sure there are different weather conditions and blind hills that make this a lot harder to nearly impossible to avoid but it's ultimately yours (driver's) responsibility to do your part (not just avoid the car in front of you). And in your case, if it was where you had hard time coming to a stop before rear-ending someone (hopefully you can touch on that situation), I would've played it safe and used the shoulder even if I had the safety net for a complete safe stop.

Your wife's smart and has an excellent point.

Imagine your kids in the rear of that mk6 golf (with pics in this thread). Scary!!!

For these rear end collisions, which are out of your control for the most part (like sitting at a light), I prefer my kid to be forward facing (<age of 2).

Hi gti330ex, Good question. It's mostly just bad luck. The two times I've been hit, I've been hit because I didn't turn right on red in front of a semi. I've been hit because a girl two cars back hit the car behind me. The semi that came to a screeching halt next to me was a good 10 seconds behind me in traffic and I was sitting at a red light, and the incident I described, I had already come to a complete stop for around 5 seconds (all traffic stopped) but there was a significant gap between me and the next car behind me.

Thank goodness the car last week had the forethought to use the shoulder, and do what they could to avoid traffic. I saw him coming and did what I could to avoid taking a full on smash and gave him enough room to maneuver past me. It all worked out.

With the PP brakes and PSS tires, I am VERY conscious of how quickly I slow down, and let the drivers behind me know what's happening. The issues and concerns all stem from being at a standstill with on the HWY during a jam, or at a light. Many of our roads are 60-70 mph speed limits with traffic lights, the speed of traffic in some cases is closer to 80.

As far as how I normally drive, I drive like I am in a motorcycle, pretend I am invisible, and stay out of blind spots and travel at a slightly higher pace than traffic. I log around 25k miles total a year, 15k in my car, and 10k in my wife's truck. On her truck I've upgraded the suspension, tires, brakes, and lights.

Anyone in the back of that Mk6 would be in for a bad time.

I cross shopped a MB E350 and BMW 535i when I bought the GTI because it was more fun to drive and cheaper. So I get reminded of that too.

I'll keep the GTI for now, but the kids are verboten from riding in it, and that means the car will just be used to drive my 60 miles a day through heavily congested traffic. So it loses some of it's allure and the reason I bought it, but at least I can hold onto it a bit longer. To assuage my wife's concerns I'm doing the 5 brake light mod, adding a light (with motorcycle strobe) to my hitch, but it's essentially a single seater car now.

 

[cb1111]

To be fair if he sells the car and something happens, the same thing would then apply, "If only I hadn't sold the VW". Of course it would be the wife's "fault" at that point.

Not really, because he might think about all the worse things that could have happened in the GTI.

This cannot be a rational, fact based decision because each and every accident is unique and the smallest variables can make a huge difference in the outcome - an inch right or left, a bit more (or less) recline in the seat can - in the wrong circumstances - spell the difference between a slight headache and a split skull.

Like others have said, there will always be a bigger vehicle.

I've been working with the NTSB on the NM truck/Greyhound crash. Had the truck blown the tire 100 yards earlier or later, it probably would not have crossed the median the way it did. In fact, an SUV crossing the median in the same would have likely caused similar carnage.

If we feel a car is safe, then any accident is the (bad) luck of the draw. If we feel a car is unsafe, then anything that happens is the car's fault.

We know that travel by plane is the safest mode of transportation, yet there are far more people who refuse to travel by plane than people who refuse to travel by car (one of the least safe modes of travel).

 

[LetsTakeATrip]

Well that's some misogynist garbage If I've ever heard it.

You don't need to come on the internet and get out your dick measuring tape for us.

Hear hear. Have been bopping around these forums for a bit and am quickly seeing why there don't seem to be too many women on here.

 

[cb1111]

Hi gti330ex, Good question. It's mostly just bad luck. The two times I've been hit, I've been hit because I didn't turn right on red in front of a semi. I've been hit because a girl two cars back hit the car behind me. The semi that came to a screeching halt next to me was a good 10 seconds behind me in traffic and I was sitting at a red light, and the incident I described, I had already come to a complete stop for around 5 seconds (all traffic stopped) but there was a significant gap between me and the next car behind me.

Thank goodness the car last week had the forethought to use the shoulder, and do what they could to avoid traffic. I saw him coming and did what I could to avoid taking a full on smash and gave him enough room to maneuver past me. It all worked out.

With the PP brakes and PSS tires, I am VERY conscious of how quickly I slow down, and let the drivers behind me know what's happening. The issues and concerns all stem from being at a standstill with on the HWY during a jam, or at a light. Many of our roads are 60-70 mph speed limits with traffic lights, the speed of traffic in some cases is closer to 80.

As far as how I normally drive, I drive like I am in a motorcycle, pretend I am invisible, and stay out of blind spots and travel at a slightly higher pace than traffic. I log around 25k miles total a year, 15k in my car, and 10k in my wife's truck. On her truck I've upgraded the suspension, tires, brakes, and lights.

Anyone in the back of that Mk6 would be in for a bad time.

I cross shopped a MB E350 and BMW 535i when I bought the GTI because it was more fun to drive and cheaper. So I get reminded of that too.

I'll keep the GTI for now, but the kids are verboten from riding in it, and that means the car will just be used to drive my 60 miles a day through heavily congested traffic. So it loses some of it's allure and the reason I bought it, but at least I can hold onto it a bit longer. To assuage my wife's concerns I'm doing the 5 brake light mod, adding a light (with motorcycle strobe) to my hitch, but it's essentially a single seater car now.

The MB is far safer that the 5 series. Sell the GTI and get a Benz.

 

[uberpolka]

Hi gti330ex, Good question. It's mostly just bad luck. The two times I've been hit, I've been hit because I didn't turn right on red in front of a semi. I've been hit because a girl two cars back hit the car behind me. The semi that came to a screeching halt next to me was a good 10 seconds behind me in traffic and I was sitting at a red light, and the incident I described, I had already come to a complete stop for around 5 seconds (all traffic stopped) but there was a significant gap between me and the next car behind me.

Thank goodness the car last week had the forethought to use the shoulder, and do what they could to avoid traffic. I saw him coming and did what I could to avoid taking a full on smash and gave him enough room to maneuver past me. It all worked out.

With the PP brakes and PSS tires, I am VERY conscious of how quickly I slow down, and let the drivers behind me know what's happening. The issues and concerns all stem from being at a standstill with on the HWY during a jam, or at a light. Many of our roads are 60-70 mph speed limits with traffic lights, the speed of traffic in some cases is closer to 80.

As far as how I normally drive, I drive like I am in a motorcycle, pretend I am invisible, and stay out of blind spots and travel at a slightly higher pace than traffic. I log around 25k miles total a year, 15k in my car, and 10k in my wife's truck. On her truck I've upgraded the suspension, tires, brakes, and lights.

Anyone in the back of that Mk6 would be in for a bad time.

I cross shopped a MB E350 and BMW 535i when I bought the GTI because it was more fun to drive and cheaper. So I get reminded of that too.

I'll keep the GTI for now, but the kids are verboten from riding in it, and that means the car will just be used to drive my 60 miles a day through heavily congested traffic. So it loses some of it's allure and the reason I bought it, but at least I can hold onto it a bit longer. To assuage my wife's concerns I'm doing the 5 brake light mod, adding a light (with motorcycle strobe) to my hitch, but it's essentially a single seater car now.

Curious, what does your wife drive?

 

[MSchott]

The MB is far safer that the 5 series. Sell the GTI and get a Benz.

Do you have facts to support your claim?

 

[cb1111]

Do you have facts to support your claim?

Depending on the options, the Benz will have a variety of Pre-Safe functions - from braking, sound, adjusting the seatback and closing windows to detecting an impending rear end accident (to the car). The car will also lock the brakes prior to that impending rear end accident in order to keep the car from being pushed into the car in front.

Some of these functions are unavailable on other cars.

In addition, the E series head restraints improved from Acceptable to Good while the BMWs improved from Poor to Acceptable by the IIHS

 

[RogueGTI]

No offense to OP, but I pray I dont end up with an ignorant wife and mother of my kids who demands we must drive the kids in a Canyonero or nothing. Just a disgusting arms race on the roads. I'll take active safety over a land yacht every time. As for being stuck in traffic, there may be ways to mitigate. Did it ever occur to some that maybe banning people from commuting in 7000lb hulks might be a better way to improve everyone's safety? As for safety in a GTI being rear ended at 30mph by an SUV, probably pretty good. 70mph maybe not. But then, maniacs like that should be in prison.

 

[RogueGTI]

Gotta love our current legal system, the courts of law are so stacked in favor of women these days that majority of married man are scared of their own shadows. Dude just keep the car, this whole happy wife happy life is a bunch of BS what that really means is that you are a sacrificial lamb on the altar of of her every want and need with no regard for your happiness.

Hear hear. Be a man, put your foot down, and be respected, have a happier marriage. Of course, years of not doing that makes it pretty difficult to change.

 

[Jose_Gti]

No offense to OP, but I pray I dont end up with an ignorant wife and mother of my kids who demands we must drive the kids in a Canyonero or nothing. Just a disgusting arms race on the roads. I'll take active safety over a land yacht every time. As for being stuck in traffic, there may be ways to mitigate. Did it ever occur to some that maybe banning people from commuting in 7000lb hulks might be a better way to improve everyone's safety? As for safety in a GTI being rear ended at 30mph by an SUV, probably pretty good. 70mph maybe not. But then, maniacs like that should be in prison.

Hear hear. Be a man, put your foot down, and be respected, have a happier marriage. Of course, years of not doing that makes it pretty difficult to change.

Let RESPECT each other, keep this forum helpful and focus about the cars. You are entitled to your opinion just keep it to yourself, if we start talking trash about each other’s wives this forum will go to s*it pretty fast.

 

[imthanick_a]

and to think, Adam isn't even here to chime in. Good job, guys.

He's here in spirit.

Little guy finally got banned. Guarantee he's still lurking, wishing he could click that reply button

 

[Parabola]

It is impossible to have any real scientific or practical way of measuring which car will be safer in the crash unless you conduct the crash test in a controlled environment under the same conditions (like NHTSA does with crash tests). Everything else in real life depends on way too many factors and variables to say vehicle A absolutely will kill you and vehicle B will not.
Just the other I was reading about a head on collision on some Indiana toll road, where driver in RAV4 was travelling in opposite direction (without lights at night) and collided with Jeep Grand Cherokee. Three people died in JGC and and driver of RAV4 was killed.
So Jeep is probably about 5000lb and Rav4 maybe 3500lb, but that didn't seem to offer any advantage to the occupants in the Jeep...what would have happened if they were in a VW GTI or any other VW? It's impossible to say.