It seems many Americans are buying smaller cars these days. Escalated gas prices and generally higher prices for bigger cars are the big reasons (not to mention that Japanese cars, renowned for their low-maintenance quality, dominate the American small car market).

But, what if you make enough money that the higher gas prices mean little to you and you can essentially afford any vehicle you want? Do you still have a good reason to buy a small car?

You've got more than one good reason, probably. Here are 4 tips for you to think about with regards to why you should consider buying small regardless of the size of your bank account...

1. Small cars are "hottie" cars. The small car of the 21st century is not the cramped, uncomfortable, boxy budget-mobile of the 1970s and early 1980s. When you by a small car today, you can easily find one that is sleek, aerodynamic, magnificently maneuverable, luxurious on the inside, and "hot roddy" regardless of your budget.

Think Honda Civic and Fit, Toyota Corolla, Mazda, BMW 1, Audi 3, and even the Kia. The small car of today can be a perfect blend of luxury sedan and sports car thanks to ever-advancing engineering and ever-miniaturizing electronics. Blend of sedan and sport equals sexy car!

2. Did we say magnificently maneuverable? In fact, a small car is easier to handle and deal with in every way except one compared to a larger vehicle. (That one advantage of the larger vehicle is its ability to haul more stuff.) Think how much easier it is to park, to get out of a parallel parked position, to make a K-turn, to back up, to shift lanes with a small car.

3. These days, small cars are safer cars. Time was that larger cars sold better because they were, indeed, safer. And it's still true that if you have a head-on collision you've got "more car" up there to protect you if you have a larger car. But don't believe the fallacy that if you are sitting higher you are safer. You are more likely to roll over if you get clipped or skid in in a higher-sitting vehicle than if you are in a smaller one.

And these days, technology has equipped smaller cars with things like side air-bags, noise-dampening, and electronic stabilizers. Furthermore, today's small car can come with big tires, giving you yet more protection. When all is said and done, when you buy a small car today you buy the safer car.

4. Better use of space. With a smaller car, you can actually walk around in and store stuff in your garage again, and fit in a guest's car, too. Then there are the engineering innovations that enable many small cars to easily have their own interiors changed around to fit more or bigger people if need be in comfort and class.

If you buy a small car today, you get more than just better gas mileage. You get sexy, sporty, safe, practical, convenient, and efficient.