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Airbags are very important to reduce neck /head injuries, but I wouldn't put them as my top safety device. Most important I would say are Seat Belts and Crumple Zones - these two work together, and without one the other serves no purpose. Airbags and headrests being adjusted properly are next and are about equal as far as safety in my book.
That said, Click and Clack do have reason to be suspicious of older cars in general, and the swift. Older cars don't have as well-designed crumple zones. Smaller cars (size / length, not mass) are more dangerous in general because they have less room to crumple. Arguing based on a car's weight is a bad argument IMO; it only matters in vehicle - vehicle crashes (mainly head-on) whereas size and design of crumple zones, seat belts, and air bags work no matter what you hit. If a large vehicle and a small vehicle are in similar accidents with a stationary object (tree, wall, etc..) the vehicle with the better design will win regardless of mass.
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