mdsh00

So I was driving around in L.A. on Wednesday afternon and for anyone that knows West LA and especially Westwood knows that it is a nightmare for drivers (keeping track of pedestrians and traffic from multiple directions). Anyway I was coming out to make a right turn but then stopped aprubtly when another car came from out of my blind spot and to the left. I then heard this thump sound and a small jolt from the back and realized I god bumped. I remembered the TSX's ratings in low speed bumper collisons and got really worried after being angry about my new TSX being bumped.


I got out of the car and went to see how much damage there was....but I couldnt believe that there was NOTHING! Not a dent or even a scratch!! And my CG would easily show off any scratches it has. I was really impressed with my TSX at that moment

Has anyone ever had any similar experiences like this where thier faith in their car has been reaffirmed? Most importantly...should I have even expected there to be damage at that low of a speed?

slo007

You forgot to mention the other side of the equation: what did the other car have for bumpers? I was rear-ended at 5mph in a 4Runner. The bumper in that SUV is made of cheap plastic. The other car, a Tercel, had a thick rubber bumper. Guess who suffered a $315 loss?

Had the other been a vehicle with thick rubber bumpers or a steel brush guard, you'd be crying right now.

mdsh00

I'm not sure. The other car was an early to mid 90s Taurus...the one before the design that made the car look like a salamander.

jcg878

LOL

slo007

mdsh00

For a visual comparison....







but this is the type that hit me...

slo007

Ouch! That looks scary. What the driver look like?

When my 4Runner was hit, the driver of the Tercel was a girl in my English 12 (HS) class. She was so embarassed, she missed class a whole week. Oh, and she cried a lot right after the accident. I just gave her a hug. Wouldn't help anything to be upset.

mdsh00

It was interesting actually. The driver was this middle aged lady. I think she may have been Jamaican or from somewhere in the Caribbean. She got out and started taking a bunch of pictures of the car and explaining that she was doing it just incase I were to go after her. She seemed really paranoid. I'm thinking that she may not have had insurance. I was asking her for her info "just in case" but she got really defensive...so I just dropped it.

Your story reminds me about high school when my dad was dropping me off. He got broadsided by this 16 year old girl in a VW (his fault) and the the girl got out of the car and was in hysterics like her passenger died or something. It was quite a scene. Anyways...she later tried some BS aboud whiplash and therapy and all that.