Euro NCAP recently crash-tested some smaller 4x4s - including the BMW X3 and the Daihatsu Terios.
As you'd expect, the Terios is a good deal cheaper than the BMW X3. But the surprise was the NCAP results - which concluded that the Terios was the safer of the two cars in crash-testing!
So what do you get for your extra cash on the BMW if not extra safety? That's right; you get to be seen in a BMW, not a Daihatsu. That's how our vain world works.
Conclusion: if you want to be nice and safe, lease a Daihatsu Terios and spend the change on a good hat-and-shades-based disguise to wear when driving it. If you want to look cool, lease a BMW X3 but don't crash whatever you do!
