Most Inexpensive Car with Complete Active Safety Package

tooblue on 05/01/2019 - 00:10

It is down to two questions:

  1. Which car make's active safety features is better package among others?
    I know not all active safety are the same. I am wondering which ones are better than others but can find little reputable review on this comparison. Volvo Intellisafe and Subaru Eyesight are reportedly to receive good reviews.

  2. Which make and model is the cheapest on the market?
    I only researched a few from the official websites and carsales. Seems Impreza 2.0i-L is cheapest one.
    Subaru Impreza 2.0i-L $28,290
    Mazda3 SP25 Astina $35,790
    Mazda6 Sport $36,117
    Honda Civic VTi-LX $37,107

Automotive

Comments

  • El Grande on 05/01/2019 - 00:26
    +1

    I have the MY18 Subaru Impreza 2.0-S. The eyesight system is quite good.

    We also have a My18 Tiguan Highline(DAP). The adaptive cruise control starts to brake if the car in the lane next to you starts to slow down. The Subaru has never done that so is a better system when compared to anything from Volkswagen.

    The Subaru reads the lanes better at night if the fog lights are on. VW does fine without them. So its not as simple as a car having those features. You need to test drive them and see which one you like better.

    • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 08:19

      +1 for the subie

      My MY18 XV is a pleasure to drive

      • El Grande on 06/01/2019 - 02:32
        +1

        My partner wanted me to get the XV but I can't justify the extra $5K for the same car on stilts. How much is the price difference between the impreza and XV in real life? The dealer told me it's $5K in RRP and $4.5K in negotiated price.

    • bobbified on 05/01/2019 - 11:14
      +2

      The Subaru reads the lanes better at night if the fog lights are on.

      Might want to be careful with those foglights. It's an offence to drive with foglights on when there's no fog. Cops will hand you a ticket with the applicable fine.

      • El Grande on 06/01/2019 - 02:26

        Yeah I was worried about that but I noticed most people who have them leave them on and never heard of anyone actually getting a fine for it.

    • BadHorse on 05/01/2019 - 14:05

      For adaptive cruise control, Do you mean the car ahead of you in the lane? I would have through that the adaptive system would follow the car in front of you rather than brake if someone beside you is braking, seems kind of redundant and only applicable approaching a new speed zone (e.g. from 100 to 80km/h).

      • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 18:34

        Current shape Ford Focus Titanium has all safety features including lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, reverse camera, sensors etc.

        Not hard to bargain a fully loaded Titanium model close to $20k driveaway, particularly on 1 year old executive demo.

        Ford's safety package works well, mostly borrowed from Volvo. Adaptive cruise control works in the least intrusive manner.

      • El Grande on 06/01/2019 - 02:19

        No it only does that if there is no car in front of you in your lane but there is a car in front of you in the lane on your right. So if the car slows down to turn right in the lane that is on your right the Tiguan will slow down. It's not because it doesn't know its in a different lane. It assumes there is a hazzard so slows down to about 30kms in case it needs to brake suddenly. It's very annoying as I like to use adaptive cruse all the time on city roads.

  • Nalar on 05/01/2019 - 00:34

    i30 has a smart sense optional package on the basic model for like $26k. I think there are Demo i30 SR's for like $30k drive away that have full safety package.

    I'm pretty sure the new Corolla hatch comes with everyone on the mid range model which is around $27k. Bonus you can get the hybrid optioned for $1700.

    The new Camry is based on same corolla platform for $35k-ish.

    *These prices are from Nov/Dec when I was researching cars.

  • spackbace on 05/01/2019 - 00:49
    +2

    Corolla has the most out of any Toyota. Starts around $28k for auto.

    Lane departure, forward collision, radar cruise (all speed, will come to a full stop by itself), speed sign detection etc

  • p1 ama on 05/01/2019 - 00:49

    I know not all active safety are the same. I am wondering which ones are better than others but can find little reputable review on this comparison. Volvo Intellisafe and Subaru Eyesight are reportedly to receive good reviews.

    I don't like to preach, but the most effective active safety feature is not driving when you are fatigued. I think active safety features are actually detrimental to safety because it's a crutch and people have the view that they can keep on pushing for a little longer because they have a "safe" car that will bail them out of trouble.

    Active safety features won't help you when something happens on the road that is not because of you, which is mostly the case for safe/good drivers.

    Anyway, enough of the preachy stuff. My practical advice:

    I just find that these are all gimmicky tech features. Great, your car can warn you when you're departing from your lane. So too can your eyes. What's far more important are the real safety features, i.e. how you actually fare in a real collision. When you get rammed by an oncoming lunatic screaming down the wrong side of the road or get T-boned at an intersection because of a driver who isn't paying attention or fails to give way, the difference between a safe car and a non-safe car could be whether you survive or not. Your active safety features won't save your bacon here. There's plenty of information on the real safety features (e.g. ANCAP).

    Don't just look at star ratings and fall for marketing gimmicks. If you like having the peace of mind of having active safety features, then that's great. However, don't prioritise it over things that actually keep you safe when it matters.

    • spackbace on 05/01/2019 - 00:53
      +2

      The only one I like is radar cruise. So damn handy on the highways!

      Hate lane trace and lane change assists, just get in the way tbh

      • p1 ama on 05/01/2019 - 00:59
        +1

        The only one I like is radar cruise. So damn handy on the highways!

        Yep, I agree, but I think that's more of an evolution of cruise control rather than an "active safety" feature. Completely agree that things like lane trace are gimmicks. I don't get the whole lane change assist thing, blind spot monitoring is useful, but the whole "it's now safe to go!" thing is weird to me.

      • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 15:36

        Agreed. Lane departure warning is only useful on very large and/or lifted vehicles. If a driver cannot keep within lanes in a Corolla, there are other concerns to be addressed first.

        Radar and AEB are awesome.

    • bobbified on 05/01/2019 - 11:22
      +1

      I wouldn't call this preaching - I totally agree.
      A lot of these features can be handy, but it's also so easy to get a false sense of security.

      There's also the issue of getting too used to those features in one car, but then having to remember that those features may not exist when hopping in to drive other cars.

      I used to avoid adding things like blind spot or wide angle rear view mirrors onto my car because I didn't want to get used to not physically turning around to do head-checks, etc.

  • zan5hin on 05/01/2019 - 06:27
    +2

    I have been researching safety suites / tech packs - cheap cars with adaptive cruise control to 0 km/h, (the older ones before about 2015/2016 commonly were not "stop and go" and activated at 30km/h).

    The make and name of the systems don't matter as much as the underlying tech. Subaru uses their dual camera approach, but many systems use MobileEye, an Israeli system purchased by Intel.

    I think ACC stop and go, this is a great feature in itself, and signifies the car has a decent suite including AEB. The next level up from that is Traffic Jam Assist / Traffic Jam Pilot which is a bit smarter.

    Another thing I like is the cars that stop you from rear ending someone if you're not paying attention.

    Then you have lane keep assist, 3 levels: 1) shitty LKAS that just bings at you too much, 2) pinball LKAS that bounces you from side to side 3) Lane centering, which is a new version the MobileEye EyeQ4 2018: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_centering

    Then you have your blind spot monitoring, newer systems are more "enhanced" now also warning you of when cars are about to overtake you from behind. Also cyclist awareness which is awesome (being a cyclist).

    Lastly, evasive steering assist, also very new, on the Volvo especially, but also new Ford Focus.

    Now to cars specifically:

    Subaru Impreza 2.0i-L $28,290 - has eyesight yes, but it has a crappy engine, boxer engine hasn't been redesigned in ages, I test drove it, not a car you would enjoy driving. Hard pass.
    Mazda3 SP25 Astina $35,790 - Never really been interested and for the price, you can do better if safety tech is your goal.
    Mazda6 Sport $36,117 - Never really considered this one either.
    Honda Civic VTi-LX $37,107 - Was an OK option back in 2016 when they just came out, but has flaws, and not the best option nowadays either.

    So here is the down low on cheap prices for complete active safety packages most importantly adaptive cruise. But remember, you want a car overall that is great and suits your needs:

    No 1: Holden Astra RS-V - Euro car of the year 2017 - can be bought used or new, and has lots of safety suite tech and a great ride to boot. Real competitor to the Golf which is what everyone tries to match, the 2017 Astra has much improved, but still can't match a Golf for interior. If you want a great car with a great suite with low kms you can get them for about 22k, 23k. For that price, nothing really comes close in terms of having the practicality of a nice driving car, with nice bells and whistles and leading safety suite. Try to find a used one that had a 5 year warranty from launch when they were struggling to move them, or else get a newer one. Owners Review: https://www.caradvice.com.au/owner-reviews/2017-holden-astra…

    Below the $22k price, you're looking at used VW Golfs/Polos/Passats or old Audis and crap like that with DSG woes and no warranty, no android auto / apple carplay, it's a headache you don't need. If someone reading this does want adaptive cruise stop and go it's hard to find used as many don't go to 0km/h.

    No 2: 2018 Volkswagen Golf Comfortline 7.5 110TSI - ex-demo $30.5k driveaway with Drivers Assistance Package - class leading small car with the best interior in class, offers well established safety tech and great infotainment, this 2018 has Traffic Jam Assist, making it the cheapest option with that feature, before now only found in Skoda Superb $40k+ used, or Audi models.

    No 3: Ford Focus 2019 Titanium - $34,490 plus ORC - not released yet - if you want the best suite you can't do better than a 2019 car, as this one has what others are lacking, definitely has the new lane centering LKAS and evasive steering. Has the tech for TJA, if they activate it, another story. If you want a great vehicle with a great suite under $35k you can't do better and this car is my target for a test drive/purchase.

    No 4: Hyundai i30 SR Premium - These cost more than the Holden and have similar features used/new, so it used to be my choice, but not worth the extra $$$ - no point getting a new car without electric drivers seat, so prefer Premium over the SR.

    No 5: 2018 Skoda Karoq - Crossover small SUV for $43k driveaway with launch pack (search launch keyword on carsales) and has 3 years free servicing.

    If your timeline is towards the end of the 2019 then the Skoda Scala will be awesome, will have traffic jam assist and loads of tech, including the digital dashboard and very competitive on price: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/scala/100638/new-2019-sk…

    • zan5hin on 05/01/2019 - 07:30

      Just to add, Astra RS-V needs to have the Touring pack for the full suite, so that's about $24k driveaway ex-demo, not 22/23k.

      Also VW surprisingly just started offering 5 year warranties, so that Golf is looking even better.

    • Banana on 05/01/2019 - 15:49

      You can get a entry level Kia Cerato for $20k-21k. I was surprised by the amount of gizmos it came with in the base model. For another $1350 you get some extra safety features but I was only really into the leather-wrapped steering wheel upgrade.

      The only negative thing I had to say about it was the drive was pretty underwhelming.

  • whooah1979 on 05/01/2019 - 06:37
    +2

    Load up on coffee, red bull, roll down the window, loud music or a pack of noisy children in the back seats. It works like a charm every time we go on long trips.

    • Lord Fart Bucket on 05/01/2019 - 07:27

      As long as you crash into trees and not others…

    • tooblue on 05/01/2019 - 12:51

      I agree with the rest but noisy kids? They are the most dangerous and distractive thing in a moving car.

      • whooah1979 on 06/01/2019 - 13:09

        Noisy children work so well for us that we often borrow them during long family trips. Their parents are more than happy to have them ride with us while they carry all the gear.

  • conservative on 05/01/2019 - 09:40
    -1

    THose fancy safety gimmiks aren't going to save you if a car barrels into your front. Just get a 2018 corolla. Paying $35k for a mazda 3 is possibly the biggest waste of money. Get a camry for that price.

    • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 15:41

      I know right?

      Those safety belts and airbags… pfft. It doesn't do a damn thing if an 18 wheeler rolls onto my car.

  • Ebisu on 05/01/2019 - 11:46
    +1

    Kia Cerato $24777

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/Kia-Cerato-2018/OAG…

    Driver Assistance
    Lane Departure - with Passive Steer Assist
    Alert/Warning - Collision Forward
    Warning - Driver Fatigue
    Park Distance - Front
    Park Distance - Rear
    Parking Assistance - Graphical Display
    Camera - Rear

    Emergency
    Control - Crash Avoidance with Braking (High spd)
    Control - Crash Avoidance with Braking (Low spd)
    Control - Pedestrian Avoidance with Braking
    Brake Assist
    Brake Emergency Display - Hazard/Stoplights

  • mskeggs on 05/01/2019 - 13:24

    A defensive driving course or two would be an excellent way to achieve much higher levels of safety than hoping for technology to carry the load.

    • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 15:42

      I think people should have the tech and the course.

      They're not expensive when people consider it is offset by statistically having fewer mishaps.

      • mskeggs on 05/01/2019 - 16:16

        Agreed within reason. There is a place for old cars on the road, and most of the risk lies with the occupants of the older cars, so I am open to people making their own choices and taking responsibility for themselves.
        I do agree with the increasing minimum safety standards for new vehicles.

  • Banana on 05/01/2019 - 15:44

    I test drove a Kia Cerato + safety pack. The salesman said they are doing some introducory price for their MY19 Cerato and quoted a price of $23k.

    From memory this gives you:
    - Blindspot monitor
    - Lane keeping assist
    - Auto braking (up to 60km/h)
    - Sensors to alert you if there are pedestrians walking behind your car when backing out of your parking lot
    - Adaptive cruise control

    I ended up getting a Golf with just a little more $$, but it will come with auto parking. It also drives better (IMHO) so the extra cash was worth it.

    • Nalar on 05/01/2019 - 17:17

      How much is a little more?

      Did you factor in service costs?

      • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2019 - 18:50

        Servicing outside of stealerships (which all OzBargainers should already know) will cost the same regardless of make or model. Only difference is oil but that's $20-100 difference between a small hatch and a performance high displacement coupe.

        Reliability and cost of spare parts is a different issue but the cars mentioned are all very common cars and parts are plentiful.

        • Banana on 05/01/2019 - 23:38

          It was ~1k more for the Golf.

          Service for the first five years is between $1000-1500 in total, which is similar to what the Cerato would have cost.

  • tooslow8888 on 07/01/2019 - 11:46

    Both Toyota CHR and current MY Mazda CX5 (even the base model) have LKA and radar cruise.

  • tooblue on 19/01/2019 - 00:35
    +1

    Update: I overlooked Toyota. Seems the new MY19 Corolla base model Ascent Sport CVT has all the Toyota Safety Sense features, driveaway $27,184 (Sedan at $26,907). There is even an offer of runout Ascent Sedan at $24,999 + ($2,500 Toyota Safety Sense pack).

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