pigmode, it's funny, because I feel very unsafe in trucks and SUVs. I trend towards sporty coupes, the best being a FC3S RX-7 I drove for a few years. I took it on fast trips through any curves I could find. When it slid (which wasn't often) it was predictable and easy to get back on course. I also enjoy motorcycles and being able to lean through curves. While I'm not ready for a hot bike, I still find a lot of confidence in the curves.
My family has a F-150 and an older full-size Bronco we use for the business. The F-150 makes me slightly nervous, but the Bronco is spooky. Driving it, I know that just a little more throttle at the wrong time will put it on its side. You don't have to be going very fast, either, to feel the center of gravity start to shift into a bad position.
To me, it's not the amount of steel you have around you. It has a lot more to do with handling and braking. If you're paying attention several distances out and continually scanning (they teach you this in the MSF motorcycle course) you can often head off trouble before it happens. I also have to do this with my old Comet. It still has drums all around. They'll lock and ends will swap if you panic.
This is why I'm into cars with strong handling and brakes. Between the RX-7 and tC (with some TRD suspension parts, otherwise stock) I've avoided nine or ten accidents that would have happened for sure in the Bronco.
Rise to the Top, my pet theory with European cars is that they're designed for that market. Lots of public transportation, expensive gas, short trips between cities, etc. Cars don't get beat on the way they do in the US. The long trip I take most often is a rough one, from LA to the desert, about 300 miles. During that drive, there's punishing LA traffic. Freeways that go from 70MPH to a standstill. Dodging crazy drivers, people not seeing you and trying to merge, and all sorts of traffic hell. On escaping LA, I go through a mountain pass (4,000' or so) and then drop into the desert. 100° is nothing. There was an extended period of temperatures from 115°-118° last summer. The Army and Marines do all their desert testing out there to make sure the gear can handle it. The roads are bad and blowing sand is common, too.
This is a matter of life and death. Break down when it's 115° and you might have just a few hours to live. I'm careful with tires and will be preemptively replacing my water pump and hoses before the blowtorch really turns on this summer.
If the Europeans toughened up their designs, they could handle the US. But if they did, then people in Europe would probably keep their cars for 10-15 years, cutting deeply into sales. Not to mention the brisk business they do here selling replacement parts and service to Americans who think they have the "ultimate" driving machine.
