I don't know if any of you remember this, but back when Ford came out with the Excursion, one of the features I remember was that it had a "blocker beam" under the front bumper that was designed to keep it from riding over smaller vehicles in the event of a collision. It's a good idea, and probably something that should be mandated (I'm not sure if any other carmakers have adopted anything like it).
I also remember, going a little farther back (probably early 90's), some automakers advertizing their new vehicles as having side impact protection. I didn't realize it at the time of course, but my thought now is "Wow, you mean like those heavy steel tubes in the doors of our Mercedes, which was built fifteen years ago?" If the seat belt holds you securely and the doors transmit the energy of the collision to the rest of the car rather than just the passanger compartment, you should be ok. I think Mercedes had these things in mind when they designed the 123's and 126's, long before the government mandated it. There aren't many new cars that I'd feel safer in than a 123 or 126.

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Once and future king:
'64 Ford Fairlane w/approx 238,000 - looks rough, but amazingly reliable if you know how to look after it; I will soon begin work to totally restore and modernize it.
Family vehicles that I lay some claim to:
'78 300D w/approx 350,000 original, '62 Ford F100 4x4, '90 Ford E150 w/171,000 original