Those old cars had some charm, but they were pigs to drive for the most part, didnt last long, and rolled and swayed in the corners. Accidents were much more likely to cause fatalities than just about anything we are likely to drive today.
I am not a fan of SUVs because many tend to be gas guzzlers, and they are in general more prone to rollovers. At least, so the statistics say.....
I drive a full size Dodge conversion van, and I give it a due amount of respect, because I know it doesnt handle like a sports car. It was pretty bad when I first got it, but a set of Bilsteins, good tires, and a rear sway bar helped tame the ride. It gets decent mileage for such a large vehicle (about 18 mpg), but I no longer need a vehicle with the features that the Dodge provided so amply. When gasoline once again surges to over US$3 per gallon, the van with its 30 gallon tank becomes a burden.
My next car will be much more fuel miserly, lower roll center, and able to gobble up highway miles with creature comforts and little or no 'jitter' at turnpike speed. I havent made the choice yet, but am still leaning toward an Avalon or something similar.
I just heard this morning that the Chinese are pulling away from the American market for a few years. Their vehicles are not quite right for this market, either in safety or quality, and they will observe the Korean and Japanese products for a while. They are active in Russia and to some extent in Europe, where small cars are the rule, largely due to gasoline prices.