It's not exactly fair to compare a V8 to a couple of four-cylinders (because you used the four-cylinder Element, not the six-cylinder Pilot), now is it? And the V8 Explorer gets the exact same milage as a 300C SRT-8, a muscle sedan with an extra litre and a half of displacement, and over 125 more horsepower. As I said, 4WD, extra weight, and poorer aerodynamics will lead to poorer fuel economy. There is absolutely no getting around that, and you'd be a fool to try and prove it wrong. There are alternatives, ways to reduce the waste, and so on. However, there is nothing you can possibly do to an SUV to make its economy better, that you can't do to a car, to widen the gap again. How about, for a laugh, you compare the Volvo V70 with the XC90, both with the 2.5T. Guess which one's got the better fuel economy?

As for safety, notice that the superminis average a two-star pedestrian safety rating, while the full-size SUVs average just one star. But, no one is trying to argue that an SUV can't be made safe for its occupants (and indeed, now that the public is aware that there are dangers, the manufacturers have taken action). However, it still doesn't get around the fact that bigger, taller, heavier vehicles possess a greater risk to the occupants of smaller cars.

It's great that you like SUVs, and try to use them properly, different strokes, and all that. But you've got to quit being so arrogant about it. Insulting other (smaller) cars, and talking about crushing them? No one wants to hear that.