Car Myth Busters #25: Longer cars are more stable By Frank-Ling / Mar 21, 2014 share Facebook Twitter Google + LinkedIn Pinterest Email Share... By Frank LingNews stories in the past few years have reported instances where some SUVs, vans, or crossovers become unstable when making sharp turns. In some cases this causes one side of the car to lift off the ground.In worst case scenarios the auto can flip or rollover. Those who are safety conscious want to buy cars with longer wheelbases or a greater overall length between the front and rear axles.So for more stability a longer wheelbase should provide more peace of mind while on the road. Or does it? Physics will show that this common perception about wheelbase length is more than meets the eye.Gravity rulesThe thing that determines whether a vehicle is more prone to rolling over is whether its overall center of gravity is high or low.We encounter this phenomenon all the time in everyday life by riding bicycles. Because most of the weight is positioned high on a bike when we ride one, it’s easier for us to tip over when we lose balance.But if we ride on a two wheeled recumbent bike, it is more stable because our center of gravity or weight is closer to the ground.This principle holds true for the wheelbase of cars. Even though a car may have a long wheelbase, if its center of gravity is high, it will be more prone to rollover or flip than a car with a shorter wheelbase and lower center of gravity.SUVs and vansHigh occupancy passenger vans and SUVs have the largest incidents of flipping or rolling over than any other vehicles on the road, even though some of them have long wheelbases.Most of these autos have high center of gravities or in other words, most of the weight sits high.However there are now ESCs or electronic stability controls on most cars and all SUVs. These safeguard devices automatically adjust power and brakes when a car starts to lose traction or control.Three pound computerWhile ESCs and other safety devices on cars help to prevent accidents, the three-pound central processing unit we all carry around, otherwise known as our brain, is one of the most important safeguard against accidents.Stay alert, keep your speed down, and don’t make sudden turns.Source: CarMax.com