It depends on your priorities. A lot of people put higher priorities on gas mileage and cost than on safety, buying "unsafe" econoboxes instead of Volvos. I personally take a middle ground -- the only thing I really look for is a three-point seatbelt and 5+mph bumpers. I figure that 30mph collisions into brick walls aren't common enough for me to spend that much extra money for protection, but there are lots of low-speed collisions that do worry me.