Just to expand on one point already made about SUV safety, rollovers are the biggest single problem (of many) with SUV safety. SUVs are 18x more likely to be involved in a rollover (per mile driven) than is a sedan. No mystery here, as it is virtually impossible to roll over a sedan on flat asphalt - the tires have to hit something to induce a rollover (per US safety requirements that do not apply to SUVs, and cannot apply to an SUV due to too high of CG). Also, by regulation, sedans have to have strong enough pillars to support the roof in the case of a rollover where SUVs do not; it would require significantly stronger pillars due to excess weight while raising the CG even higher causing additional rollover tendency. Collapsing roofs contribute to increased injury and death in rollovers, which is why a rollover in an SUV is twice as likely to kill an occupant as a rollover in a sedan.

On the other hand, it is obvious that SUVs have much higher emotional safety by virtue of their popularity in spite of their actual reduction in physical safety for both occupants and external victims. By "feel safer" were you just referring to your emotional safety?

-- Alan