Having been a tow truck driver and seen many accidents, including a few fatalities, the #1 rule is remain inside the vehicle. This means wear your seatbelt even if the vehicle is stopped or disabled. DO NOT EXIT THE VEHICLE. It's like walking on the wing of a plane without a 'chute. Only takes 1 careless driver to hit you at even 25mph and you're having a very bad day.
Rule #1 out of the way, the rest is my preference:
I like german AWD sedans with side curtain airbags, ABS, traction control, stability control, and snow tires. I would never go without the ABS, Airbags or snow tires. I like import/performance cars, so the brand and features may vary, but I think if you can afford it, the important systems are in this order:
1) ABS - most cars since the mid 90's should have this as standard.
2) Front airbags. Seriously, don't buy a car without them.
3) Side curtain airbags - becoming increasingly standard
4) snow tires - helps you stop, turn, go... in all conditions from nov-march
5) stability control - keeps you from wiping out in a spin on the highway or while turning
6) traction control - helps you get moving in slippery conditions
7) AWD - i like it because I HAVE to be at work each day and push thru 6-12" of packed slush in the alley, but you don't NEED it.
anyone who is MMM should be able to easily find a used reliable car that has all these features for well under $10k. I got my Audi for $6800 and added snow tires for another $600. Non-gear heads should be able to find something that has these much cheaper. Pro-tip: get the manual. Often times it is cheaper to purchase, and it will be cheaper to drive in the long run. $400 for a new clutch vs $1500 for a rebuild on your automatic transmission.
MMM Small cars I like:
Toyota Matrix / Pontiac Vibe
Honda Fit
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla
Chevy Volt
Nissan Versa
Nissan Sentra
Chevy Cruze Eco
Medium/Large
Toyota Camry (4cyl only)