Which Is Safer: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban vs. 2021 Ford Expedition

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Both the 2021 Chevy Suburban and the 2021 Ford Expedition have appealing qualities: they’re large SUVs capable of carrying a big family or a small sports team, with plenty of cargo space to spare. Yet car buyers need to know more than how many DVD players are built into the roof. Safety ratings are a major concern for most shoppers. So which is safer, the 2021 Chevy Suburban or the 2021 Ford Expedition?

A 2021 Chevrolet Suburban | Chevrolet

What’s great about the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban?

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban comes standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking for the city, and pedestrian detection. An optional automatic braking system for the highway lets your Chevy Suburban slow down even at higher speeds, which is key if you’re barreling down the highway and need to stop suddenly. The Chevrolet Suburban also has optional lane departure warning and keeping assist. 

Not being able to see behind the vehicle is one of the biggest dangers of owning a large SUV. The 2021 Chevy Suburban has an optional rear traffic crossing warning and a blind spot warning. It comes standard with a rear view camera, which should be thought of as an assistant to looking behind you, and not a replacement. 

As far as airbags, the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban has standard front side airbags, which protect the torso (but not always the head) in event of an accident. Additionally, it has side curtain airbags standard with rollover, which drop down from above the windows. Not only do curtain airbags protect passengers’ heads, they may also help keep people from being ejected from the car by staying deflated longer.

What does the NHTSA think of the 2021 Chevy Suburban?

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The overall crash, overall frontal-crash and overall frontal-crash passenger scores for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban were pretty good, at four out of five stars. On the driver side, the overall frontal-crash score was excellent, at five out of five stars. 

The overall side crash, overall side-crash driver, and overall side-crash passenger ratings were also excellent, at five out of five stars. The side pole-crash rating, which measures how well a car does sliding sideways into a pole at 20 MPH was also fantastic at five stars. 

Large SUVs are known for being more inclined to rollover. The NHTSA tested the likelihood of the 2021 Chevy Suburban doing that. Both the 2WD and 4WD Suburban scored three out of five stars.

So what about the Ford Expedition?

A 2021 Ford Expedition sits on farmland with cows and a farmer in the background.
2021 Ford Expedition | Ford

The 2021 Chevy Suburban’s safety ratings are pretty good, but how do they compare to the 2021 Ford Expedition? Which is really the safest large SUV?

The 2021 Ford Expedition comes standard with forward collision warning and automatic braking for both the city and highway, while the automatic braking on the highway was only optional for the Suburban. Pedestrian detection is also standard in the 2021 Ford Expedition, as is lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and blind spot warning. 

The 2021 Ford Expedition also offers standard front side airbags as well as head protection standard with rollover. 

Well, what does the NHTSA think of the 2021 Ford Expedition?

Safety ratings for the 2021 Ford Expedition are very similar to the 2021 Chevy Suburban, except in one area: the overall frontal-crash passenger score for the Ford Expedition is five stars, while the Chevy Suburban has four stars. This gives the 2021 Ford Expedition an edge, though a slight one, over the Chevrolet Suburban. All other crash test ratings are the same, as well as the rollover ratings. 

So which large SUV is safer, the 2021 Chevy Suburban or the 2021 Ford Expedition?

The safest large SUV, a Ford Expedition, sits in front of the ocean while a man takes photos.
A 2021 Ford Expedition | Ford

If you go by the numbers, the 2021 Ford Expedition is slightly safer than the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. Taken into account with the road test, predicted reliability, and predicted owner satisfaction, and Consumer Reports agrees that the 2021 Ford Expedition is a better choice this year.  

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘Never Really Loved’ Racing From the Pole Position During His NASCAR Career

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Whether you’re specifically talking about NASCAR or just using a general figure of speech, pole position is generally considered as a positive. Starting from the inside spot of the first row, conventional wisdom dictates, lets a driver jump out to an early lead and dictate the terms of engagement. During his time on the stock car circuit, though, Dale Earnhardt Jr. did things a bit differently.

Although he couldn’t quite live up to the high standards of his famous father, Junior still had quite the NASCAR career. For all his success, though, he didn’t really love being at the front of the pack.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a respectable NASCAR career

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From a cynical perspective, you could argue that Dale Jr.’s racing success stemmed directly from his last name. On the track, though, Earnhardt still proved to be a capable driver.

Despite his father’s NASCAR success, though, Junior didn’t always seem destined for racing success. His early experiences behind the wheel didn’t exactly inspire confidence; on a professional level, he earned an automotive degree and started working at the family dealership. One painful reality, however, would eventually change the course of motorsports history.

While Earnhardt Jr. never had the greatest relationship with his dad, he eventually realized that racing provided them with a common ground. He then climbed into the driver’s seat and, from there, the rest is history.

Although he didn’t rewrite NASCAR’s record books, Junior still won 50 races across both levels of competition. He also claimed two Busch Series titles and proved to be both a fan favorite and a commercial powerhouse.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘never really loved’ racing from the front row

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Even though he failed to win a Cup Series championship, Dale Jr. still knows a thing or two about racing success. One of his preferences, however, flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

“I never really put a lot of stock in [starting position],” Earnhardt explained on the I Am Athlete podcast. “Because it’s a 500 mile, typically a 500 mile, race. Lot of time to figure out how to get yourself toward the front.”

In a vacuum, that point makes sense; if qualifying position directly determined your success, there’d be no point to running the actual race. Junior, however, wasn’t done there.

“Sometimes I even liked qualifying [at the back of the grid] because I liked to move forward,” Earnhardt continued. “I never really loved qualifying on the front row because you’ve got all those guys behind you. The pressure, right? You can feel that energy. They’re chasing you, man. And you start there, so you gotta keep them there the whole time. You gotta keep them behind you the whole time. When you start at the back, you get to enjoy sort of working your way toward the front and climbing a mountain, if you will. And I always enjoyed that.”

Does pole position actually provide an advantage?

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As mentioned above, pole position is traditionally viewed as an advantage. Earnhardt Jr., however, pushed against the grain with an interesting personal take. Which take, however, is the right one?

As with most things, it seems like the solution lies somewhere in the middle. Craig A. Depken, II, an economics professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, looked at NASCAR data through 2005 to determine just how much pole position matters. He concluded that, given the parity of modern stock car racing, “the probability of the pole-sitter winning a particular race has declined considerably.” Earning the top spot on the grid, however, still provides a commercial advantage through name recognition, if nothing else.

While he might have articulated it in his own way, Earnhardt Jr. seems to have been onto something about pole position. Starting in the front row may seem like a dream scenario, but every driver knows what works best for them. After all, it’s how you finish, not how you start, that really matters.

The post Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘Never Really Loved’ Racing From the Pole Position During His NASCAR Career appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

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Woman Trades a Ford Mustang, a Mini Cooper, and More in Her Bid for a House

by Gabrielle DeSantis

House shopping is typically a straightforward, albeit arduous, process. Almost universally, money changes hands. But 29-year-old Demi Skipper is sidestepping traditional capitalism. Instead, she’s thrown her energy into a project to obtain something she can trade for a house. The many objects she has bartered include a Mini Cooper, a Ford Mustang, and three tractors.

A new way of house hunting

Although the idea of using a bartering system to purchase a house might seem strange to most people, Skipper isn’t the first to do this in recent years. She was inspired by a TED Talk from a man named Kyle MacDonald, who traded his way from a red paperclip to homeownership in 2006.

Speaking with the Guardian, Skipper explained the rules of her trading project: “I can’t buy anything. I can’t use any money. And I can’t trade anyone I know.” Skipper connected with traders through eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace to begin a series of increasingly impressive swaps starting with a simple bobby pin.

First, she traded her hairpin for a pair of earrings, followed by items such as margarita glasses, a snowboard, and a used Apple MacBook. Slowly progressing, Skipper eventually traded a new iPhone for her first vehicle: a Dodge Caravan.

How Skipper went from a Dodge Caravan to a Mini Cooper

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According to the Guardian, Skipper’s Dodge Caravan trade didn’t work out as she had hoped. The excited family that made the trade drove the red minivan all the way from Minnesota to San Francisco, a total of 29 hours. By the time the Caravan made it to Skipper’s door, it had broken down. In keeping with her own rules, she wasn’t allowed to spend money to fix the van.

So Skipper had to downgrade for her next trade, swapping the Caravan for an electric skateboard. But after a few more trades, she made her way back up, eventually trading an electric bike food cart for a Mini Cooper. She traded that for a diamond necklace. It proved to be a bad choice — the jewelry was worth only $2,000, compared to the Mini Cooper’s $8,000 value.

Trading a Ford Mustang, Jeep Patriot, and more

Fortunately, Skipper traded her way back up again. The next vehicle she snagged was a Ford Mustang GT. The Guardian described it as “run-down,” but judging by the photos on Skipper’s Instagram page, Jalopnik thought it looked “in pretty good shape.”

After the Mustang, Skipper bartered for a Jeep Patriot. Then she traded for a tiny cabin and swapped that for a Honda CR-V. Closing out her most recent automotive streak, she exchanged the CR-V for three tractors.

Skipper then found an unlikely party interested in her tractors. Chipotle stepped in, offering to exchange the machines for a Chipotle celebrity card. According to the Guardian, it’s one of only three Chipotle celebrity cards in existence. They provide the holder with a free year of meals from Chipotle and a catered dinner for up to 50 guests. 

Although it might seem strange for a chain restaurant to insert itself into this project, it’s a good marketing tactic. Skipper has about 5 million followers on TikTok, where she’s documenting her journey.

Although she hasn’t yet achieved her goal of a house, Skipper has come far in the past year. She has obtained diamonds, electronics, five cars, and three tractors. And it all began with a bobby pin.

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Consumer Reports: 3 Best Years for the Toyota Highlander

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota makes some interesting and reliable SUVs, one of which is the Highlander. Since there are many variations of the Toyota Highlander on the market, which ones are the best to buy right now? The 2013, 2015, and 2020 years all have high reliability ratings from Consumer Reports. In addition, these SUVs offer high safety ratings to keep drivers safe.

The 2013 Toyota Highlander is a reliable used SUV

The Toyota Highlander SUV is a reliable pick | John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The 2013 Toyota Highlander might be harder to find, but it also might be worth the effort. Consumer Reports says the price for one today lingers between $14,200 and $17,925. The reliability score received a full five out of five, while the owner satisfaction received a four out of five.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) scored most of the categories four out of five stars. Areas like the overall side-crash ratings received the full five out of five stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the front-moderate overlap and side crash sections the rating of “good.”

There are three open recalls for this year. The first one relates to the seats not locking into the track properly. An inaccurate label might result in drivers overloading the vehicle at the risk of a tire failure. The last but most important recall is concerning the front passenger airbags. The passenger seat occupant sensing system could be out of calibration and result in the airbag not deploying properly.

If you have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), you can enter it into the Recall Look-up box to check for unrepaired recalls.

The 2015 Highlander is a reliable SUV

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In 2015, the Highlander was the SUV to get. The price of this SUV is around $18,900 to $25,325, depending on the mileage. The reliability score received the same five out of five, while the owner satisfaction received a four out of five. Some of the optional safety features are forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and anti-lock brakes.

The IIHS rated the side crash, rear crash, roof crash, and front moderate overlap as “good.” The front small driver and passenger overlap both received a slightly lesser score of “acceptable.” From the NHTSA, the overall crash rating was five stars. Only two areas, overall frontal-crash and roll over for the four-wheel-drive model received a score of four stars.

There are only two recalls for the 2015 year. The electrical system might be damaged and result in the engine stalling. There is another recall about a sudden loss of steering from the steering wheel. Both of these can result in a crash if not fixed in a timely fashion.

A newer option in the 2020 year model

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The 2020 Toyota SUV received a reliability score of four out of five, while the owner satisfaction received the same score. Since this is a newer vehicle, it has more standard safety features than the other listed years. Automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning are all standard. Since this is a relatively new model, the price is a bit higher. Consumer Reports offers a price of anywhere between $33,625 and $46,075.

All of the IIHS ratings for crash testing were rated as “good.” The overall frontal crash rating only received four stars and both the driver and passenger side ratings.

The 2020 Highlander has two recalls. An improperly mounted seat airbag could result in an injury should a crash occur. The second is related to the fuel systems. The fuel supply system might be improperly programmed, resulting in a crash if the vehicle stalls.

Overall, any of these options are a sound choice. If you find a 2020 Highlander, it might even have some time left on the warranty. If you happen upon a higher mileage Highlander, be sure to get it inspected before buying. That way, you can know what repairs might be down the line.

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