[daepp]

I respectfully disagree. There is no substitute for sheet metal. What percent of an Acura is plastic? Having been rear ended twice in the ML, I've seen what's under the bumper covers. It's a solid piece of heavy gauge steel channel. It's a real bumper.

As for rollovers, the ML has a state of the rollover and traction control, and having driven it off road on some very aggressive trails, I can tell you it works. It applies a brake on the opposite side of car which forces is back down on the ground. Both its effectiveness and its simplicity impressed me.

There will always be a possibility of (16 y.o. girl) driver error, over correction, etc. In any vehicle. But the chances of surviving an accident are also better in that car.

And finally, what about the accidents that are not your/her fault. I was rear ended by a Suburban in the ML. The guy was going approx 15 to 20 mph and never hit his brakes (I honestly thought I'd been hit by a big rig!). The seat belt pretensioner deployed, I survived, and the rear hatch still opened, closed and latched.

I am truly impressed with how stout that car is. But don't get me started on ride quality...