[Kraftwerk]

The myth of safety was a big selling point and unfortunately it is just a huge deadly misconception. An SUV is likely to survive a non-rollover crash. In rollovers SUV's are super dangerous (its much too heavy to support its own roof) whereas cars do much better. Also the first step in surviving a crash is to avoid it altogether. In a heavy SUV turning and braking times are delayed (compared to cars) just at the time when you need them most. In that sense you are much safer in a Miata than in a molasses vault on wheels. So while it can protect it's passengers in little scrapes it puts others-- pedestrians and smaller vehicles, at a grater danger, forcing more people to mistakenly jump onto the SUV band wagon.
( I cribbed these ideas from a New Yorker mag. article a few months back)

After driving in Europe for six months I didn't miss sharing the road with these beasts. Everyone can see and everyone stops better. We are talking from 118 mph to a stand still. That communal stopping distance would be impossible here. The proliferation of SUV'v suppresses our speed limits somewhat.
When Europeans need to haul stuff they have little trailers to attach to their cars.
Took me awhile to notice that.
I don't miss the $100 dollars it cost to fill the tank of the p car...