When I was living in Saigon, I noticed a strange phenomenon - almost all of the 4-wheeled vehicles were newer, and stronger and thicker looking. Which is to say that they looked like if they got into an accident, there wouldn't be much damage to the body of the cars. Same thing here in Bien Hoa, except here there are fewer cars. Because, compared to motorbikes, there are so few personal vehicles on the roads (those who own vehicles are considered rich), many of them include the more elite brands - BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, etc. ( One day I even saw a shiny, red Ferrari downtown!) I don't know if being gone from the states for 3 years has left me void of what the latest cars look like, but I suspect this is an Asian thing - heavier duty vehicles to protect against the countless motorbikes.
