Guys, cars explode in this game because its an action movie staple. Its the same reason that assaults reload their shotgun with one hand.
Remember that conversation about how the first terror mission is a difficulty spike? Well, my first playthrough it pretty much finished off xcom, there was a total squad wipe and I lost my best soldier. Second time around, we don't have laser rifles because we're one engineer short, and the terror mission occurs in mexico, which is at max panic, and the rest of North America isn't far behind. I decide to go all in, and send our best men and equipment. If the squad gets wiped out again we'll be down to one squad of low level troops, and mexico will leave the council.
I got the achievement "As a Scalpel". That's right, excellent in all categories. The squad splits into two groups, one meets the first cryssalid in a doorway and and do just enough damage to finish it off. The other goes into overwatch in the entryway to the police station, and a cryssalid leaps into their midst from a second story balcony... immediately dying from a shotgun blast and a hail of close range machinegun fire. All cryssalids are dead on the second turn, all floaters on the forth. Only four civvy deaths, North America goes down to one pip away from min panic, all five squad members get promoted, the named characters are singing my praises.
I feel SO good about this playthrough. I think we might actually save Earth this time.