I was talking with a friend about getting a Model X and they are convinced that a Chevy Tahoe sized car is perfect on the off chance they might strike a deer. They are mainly worried about driving from WA state to Montana. I tried to do a search on this (car vs SUV) and know you are obviously better off in a heavy car but they are worried about try deer rolling over the hood into the windshield. The Model X should be slightly higher than the Model S and still a safer car (less rollovers) than a 2007 Tahoe but trying to find potential data to back this up. I realize the Model X isn't out yet so just speculation.
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scottf200
Well-Known Member
Raffy.Roma
Rome (Italy)
Speaking about rollover the Model X should be in advantage with respect to SUVs because of torque vectoring which IMO should prevent rollover in case the driver should steer suddenly to avoid the deer.
It certainly is speculation. As I don't know anything about your friends other than (1) they expect to drive (once? a number of times?) from WA to MT, and (2) deer impacts are of a concern to them, I don't know how you respond to their concerns. On the other hand, I DO know that for those who are concerned with safety, there are a very, very large number of eventualities that are statistically far higher to occur than are deer strikes, and I DO know I would rather be in a Model S...and presumably a Model X....than in a Tahoe. And a lot of performance reasons. And cost of ownership reasons.
Here in Alaska, we haven't deer, but a caribou isn't a whole lot larger than a muley, and smaller than an elk. Never fun to hit, but at least their legs aren't so long as moose, whose legginess puts their torso in your windshield even if you're driving a lifted F-350. Airbags are your friend, in all such cases.
Here in Alaska, we haven't deer, but a caribou isn't a whole lot larger than a muley, and smaller than an elk. Never fun to hit, but at least their legs aren't so long as moose, whose legginess puts their torso in your windshield even if you're driving a lifted F-350. Airbags are your friend, in all such cases.
My buddy used to work at an auto body. He told me that deer tend to go over cars, and through/in to SUVs and trucks. The concept makes sense to me, but at some point, such as a semi, the deer is not going to make it up to the glass. I would think a Tahoe would not be to that point. An X, being a smaller SUV, could be the "sweet" spot, but it is all speculation.
SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
Please note: The following Y-Tube clips show Moose crash test dummies. The speed is 70 km/h.
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SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
PLEASE NOTE: The following Y-tube clip contains footage of a real actual collision between the previous version of the BMW 1-series, and one moose. The driver in the BMW “was taken to hospital, but did not sustain any life-threatening injuries" [My translation.]. Not surprisingly – the moose died. (The voiceover is in Swedish and contains one common Swedish swear word that is repeated twice.)
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SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
The speed limit on that road could be anything from 90 to 110 km/h. So I guess it could have been doing any speed between say 85 and 120 km/h…
