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Heavy |=| Safe.
The only type of crash where weight "helps" -- if all else is equal -- is in a direct head-on crash.
A heavier vehicle has a lot more energy to slow down (i.e. braking takes longer), it is harder to turn to avoid an accident (i.e. it handles more sluggishly), and they require larger crumple zones. In accidents that only involve one vehicle, more weight always is a bad thing, if all else is equal. Greater weight often means a higher Cg, and vehicles like SUV's and vans rollover way too often. A large portion of SUV accidents involve rollovers.
Direct head-on collisions are about 3% of all accidents, or maybe even less than that.
Back on topic: I'm glad that Chrysler has chosen to at least enter a car in the competition for high(er) mileage 4-5 seat cars. I'm glad they are at least adding some aerodynamic features. The Fiat engine is a really good one. I like the Dart heritage and the name. I think that like GM and Ford and Honda and Nissan and Chrysler need to join with Toyota in offering a car or cars that get >50MPG and have Cd <0.25.
Who is going to be the first to sell a car with a Cd equal to or better than the Audi A2 or the GM EV1? We need lots of cars that have Cd's <0.20. If they could do this back in the 1930's (Schlörwagen "Pillbug" and Maybach Stromlinienkarosserie in particular!) then we certainly can do it now.
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