The comparison is between identical cars except that one has an engine between you and what you're hitting and one with empty space there and the engine behind

The comparison is between identical cars except that one has an engine between you and what you're hitting and one with empty space there and the engine behind you. Also, I'm more than a little skeptical about the frequency of accidents in which a vehicle is launched into the air and rolls over due to the engine being pushed under the passengers. And even if that scenario is common, I'm skeptical that the risk of that happening offsets the benefit of having an engine between you and a colliding object.