Are Teslas Really That Much Safer Or Is It All Smoke And Mirrors?

I have never heard anyone bragging about "Tesla safety." Mind you, I don't absorb any "Musk", if that's the source ;-)

It's Volvo that's known for being "the safe car" (NOTE: Volvo is not "the safest car". They just have a reputation for being "the safe car" because they were amongst the first to adopt numerous safety features, like standard seat-belts.)

@colecole: I have to give credit to Honda for great work, and an affordable price. A recent comparison of Honda's safety features (e.g., adaptive cruise, lane-change assist, etc.) costs about three grand for everything they offer. The same functionality from Porsche is about triple the price (because they can).

Honda's may be safer but man their quality seems to be fading. Recently went with a friend to look at the Pilot SUV and other cars on the lot. The panel gaps are seem much more pronounced and uneven than a few years back. Has anyone else noticed this on Hondas?

Do you guys have bots that go out and look for press about Tesla? Because that seems to be 50% of what gets posted here... especially the last few days.

I think the name AutoPilot is misleading enough already.

Secondly, the original article nailed it: Autopilot, like many similar features being developed by other automakers, has great potential. But there's a reason that other automakers don't roll out such technology without the kind of lengthy, exhaustive testing that Tesla is apparently counting on the general public to conduct.

I believe (As I remember) that Volvo was the first with a 5MPH bumper - or nearly the first at least. THAT is when it took the "safety title"

WE already know that Lithium Batteries are subject to combustion - which has happened in a number of applications - so until they come up with another Battery Technology - ALL Hybrids and EVs will have similar problems - not just a Tesla thing - your Iphone could be the source of the ignition in high temperatures.

AS far as the rest of the Tesla - well yes - there is no gasoline to combust - so that might be better than the battery problem (WHich is rarer than car fires) - but there is nothing otherwise more safe about a Tesla than most other cars. If you want safe - a car is not the way to go - planes are far safer per mile than cars.

Musk has stopped touting Tesla's as "safe" or the "safest vehicle in its class" because that statement was only possibly true in 2012 when the Model S was introduced.

Since the Model S has been basically unchanged then, it is still 2012 "safe" but it is defintely NOT 2018 "safe".

The Model X was a derivation of the Model X structure and the Model 3 is so poorly assembled that it is unclear how well it will do in a crash test - but it is small and it will likely crumble into a small metal ball if it gets in an accident with a large SUV such as an Escalade.

The other Tesla scandal is that the lineup is OLD but the "Center Screen" has distracted everyone from the age and rapidly approaching obsolescence of the lineup.

Oh...and then there is the "FIRE" issue.

So no, Tesla's are not really safer.