| Look at the Honda Element! It's on a modified CRV chasis... 5 star crash ratings front and side even with the suicide doors :) and it gets COOL POINTS. The 2WD model is coming in a stick late summer and will get even better gas mileage (closer to 30 according to buzz). AND you can get a fully loaded 4WD one for under $22K. On the 30+ MPG side -- we own a Toyota Echo (40MPG) and it's well rated in crash tests. Good passenger cage, but the car itself would turn into twisted metal in a strong impact with a large SUV ... which I could care less about as long as the passenger cage doesn't lose integrity (which according to the tests, does just fine). I've been rear-ended once by a mid-sized car -- sustained bumper minor damage while their front end was toasted. On the down side... I had my entire life flash before my eyes this morning after narrowly avoiding a side impact from some idiot in a large Mercedes that was traveling at about 70 MPH THRU a (very) red light. By some act of god(dess) my front wheels chose to spin on ice and delay my entry into the path by just enough to save my friggin life. My hair is now grayer. The idiot never even slowed down. I doubt my Echo's passenger cage would have handled a full side-impact crash into the drivers door from a large Mercedes. | 
