Thinnest fenders on earth?

[barkeater]

I have not had any similar issues with my obw however it does have its share of small dings.

A long time ago I used to drive a Mitsu Eclipse GSX ('95) and the fenders on that were tissue thin. One of many things I hated about that car.

[upflying]

Thin gauge steel equals better MPG.

[combatmedic870]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

Wait til you lean on the roof, I think the headliner is actually holding it up

yep...i made that mistake....

[combatmedic870]

Originally Posted by wutbürger

Wrong- go find a new Golf or GTI and try to find a soft spot..you wont- trust me as a former owner of one. Things are so incredibly solid, but there is a weight penalty to be had.

I remember the first time I saw my hood flexing in the wind at highway speeds in the OB, but I guess that's my price for a 30mpg AWD wagon

I have a 2012 GTI MT and its very solid....I havent found the weight penalty. I avg. 36mpg in it.

But my GTI's AWD sucks

BUT they do make a type r with AWD.

[Restlessk]

After reading this, I spent my afternoon washing my cars. Pressed on the slab sides of my 2013 Outback, and it flexes like a beer can. Thinking this was thin metal/light weight/better mpg I walked across my driveway an checked my 2012 Prius. Some give, but much less and a thicker skin. Think 25% of the flex of the Outback. I suppose this is not about mpg. Then I went in the garage and pressed on my 2001 Porsche 911. No flex, stiff as a board. And far and away it's the lightest, yet most expensive of the lot.

I don't think this is about weight and mpg. This is about cost. Although my limited stickered above 30, and the SAPs well above that, this is really a $20K car. And to get it there, they had to compromise on materials and manufacturing process to sell a base model for that low. Which is why there was schmutz on the wheels to begin with.

[upflying]

What was behind the panels during your stiffness test?
Panel shape also affect stiffness.

[Georgeh]

Well, at safecar.gov, the OB gets 4 out of 5 stars across the board, while a VW Passat, for example, gets 5 stars. Even the Prius beats the OB in the side collision test.

I do think the thin metal is an attempt at weight savings. Sometimes it's more expensive to make something lighter than not. Of course, we don't have access to the engineering details so we'll never know.

I do think 4 stars is pretty good, when you consider the MPG ratings & vehicle size combo we get with this car.

But yes, if you want the best safety, you probably should go European (Volvo, Audi, VW).

[monty]

But the of course then, VW, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, BMW, and of course Porsche are actually cars that are generally undependable (people do have exceptions, but generally low reliability ratings), overpriced (except perhaps VW), full of unnecessary bells and whistles and cost a fortune to own and repair. Actually, the thinner the metal, the better it is for the planet. Generally, lightness in design is useful up to a point, (think laptops, airplanes, carbon-fiber, bicycles, etc.

Off-road you find very few if any of the European cars, generally Asian and American, unless someone wants to take their MB up trail which happens once in awhile. So press on the side of your Porsche as much as you want, even if you have to drop the exhaust to change the oil, but don't drive it off-road.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by monty

But the of course then, VW, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, BMW, and of course Porsche are actually cars that are generally undependable (people do have exceptions, but generally low reliability ratings), overpriced (except perhaps VW), full of unnecessary bells and whistles and cost a fortune to own and repair. Actually, the thinner the metal, the better it is for the planet. Generally, lightness in design is useful up to a point, (think laptops, airplanes, carbon-fiber, bicycles, etc.

Off-road you find very few if any of the European cars, generally Asian and American, unless someone wants to take their MB up trail which happens once in awhile. So press on the side of your Porsche as much as you want, even if you have to drop the exhaust to change the oil, but don't drive it off-road.

Very true. I owned MANY european cars before my Subaru. They were mostly OK with reliability, but once you hit 60-80K miles the gremlins showed up and the nickel and dimeing started. They were much nicer and more refined that my Outback, but not by much. I do miss some bells and whistles, but having the Outback keeps more money in my wallet to spend on my old Porsche (fun/track) car.

[upflying]

Excellent crash safety depends on the crushability of the vehicle. Easily deformed structures absorb energy in the collision to save the occupants. Stiff vehicles are actually more dangerous. It's all in the physics. Extend the Delta-V and you live.