I'm looking to buying a car very soon but don't know exactly what to buy. I need a car that:
is spacious
good handling
good mpg
comfortable seating
4WD
safe
strong crash test ratings
good brakes
automatic
please tell me the type of car or suv i should buy!
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates how well cars perform on their tests. I would choose an SUV that got the "top safety pick" rating from the IIHS.
Here are their results:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
There is a lot of information from the IIHS's website. I hope you view the link. You can then select between small, midsize SUVs, or Large SUVs. If you have a specific vehicle you want to look into, then you can just select the brand and the model. And remember that the newer the vehicle, generally, the safer it is.
And remember to look for where the seat belt fits you! The lap belt should be on your hips, not on your stomach. Shoulder belt cutting across the neck isn't dangerous- just uncomfortable. Some vehicles have an adjustable shoulder belt anchor that helps get the seat belt off the neck if your short.
The IIHS does rate how well head rests protect passengers, but ensure that the head restraint can be adjusted tall enough to at least to the tips of your ears (eye level) to provide sufficient whip lash protection. Some vehicles with great ratings on protecting you from whip-lash generally have headrests pointing in to the windshield. Some people find these uncomfortable- so it is a fine line between whip lash and comfort!