I have driven some of those old boats, and they do handle very poorly, but not really worse than a lot of truck-based SUVs today. Looking outside of the US wher

I have driven some of those old boats, and they do handle very poorly, but not really worse than a lot of truck-based SUVs today. Looking outside of the US where large boats never caught on, the improvement in active safety appears even smaller. I came to the opposite conclusion regarding '90s Crown Victorias vs. Contours, however every Crown Victoria I've driven was a sport or police model with stiffer suspension than normal. Comparing to my grandmother's Buick Roadmaster, I'll agree with you. Again, I'm not saying modern cars aren't better. I'm saying the difference in active safety is not as big as the difference in passive safety, and I'm wondering why that is. Today's best handling cars are much better than the best cars of decades ago, but the average isn't nearly so improved.