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Most cars in Europe and Japan are small, so it's much less of a threat for passengers in smaller cars.

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Anything else, though, can be avoided.

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Well, unless a car is literally a death trap then I'm going to value mileage over anything else.

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While I normally think that the consumer should have ultimate control in what he/she wants, I don't think that's fair for the car market. I only think that way because of the amount of cars on the road, at least in the US. Cars got so big for many reasons, with one being that they are "safer" than smaller cars. To me that thinking just leads to bigger and bigger cars.

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I couldn't say how bad it would have been if I was in a smaller car, but it doesn't seem like it would have been much worse.

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Mass is not the main problem.

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Midsize and Large Cars. The safest midsize and large cars (Avalon, Camry, and Accord)
are as safe as the safest SUV (Suburban); average midsize and large cars are just as safe
as the average SUV. However, SUVs impose a greater risk on drivers of other vehicles
than do all types of cars. The combined risk of the average SUV (129) is about 30%
higher than that for the average large car (100) and 25% higher than that for the average
midsize car (105), while the safest SUV (Suburban, 111) has at least a 40% higher
combined risk than the three safest midsize and large cars (Avalon, 63; Camry, 72; and
Accord, 79).
2. Subcompact and Compact Cars. The safest subcompact (Civic and Jetta) and compact
(626 and Altima) car models are as safe to their drivers as the average SUV (see Figures
2 and 3, and Table A5 in the appendix). When one considers the combined risk, including
those killed in the other vehicle in two-vehicle crashes, then the safest subcompact and
compact models are actually safer than the average SUV. Moreover, the combined risk
for the average subcompact or compact car (147 and 136, respectively) is only slightly
higher than that for the average SUV (129).
A critical aspect of the dispute regarding whether light or small cars are relatively
dangerous for their occupants is the very large range in the risk to drivers of subcompact
cars (see Figure 2). At one end are the low-risk Jetta and Civic models, as just mentioned,
but at roughly twice their risk are the Cavalier, Escort, and Neon models (and their
twins). Those three very popular models are responsible for increasing the average risk to
drivers of subcompact cars. Does the safety record of those three models prove that light
cars are unsafe? We present evidence that there is no such simple rule. Might it instead suggest that relatively inexpensive cars tend to be unsafe? Perhaps. In any event, the
argument that the low weight of cars with high fuel economy has resulted in many excess
deaths is unfounded; that by paying careful attention to safety in vehicle design, smaller
cars can be, and indeed have been, made as safe as larger ones.

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I like small, lightweight and powerful cars.

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RWD hurts the fleet average MPG too much in subcompacts.

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On most cars you can put 5 people inside, the average kids per family is slightly over 2, so 5 is enough.

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Most people buy a car that fits **all** their needs.