Ask yourself why is one club much cheaper to rent from than another? Could it be that they are cutting corners on maintenance, for instance.
Possibly. Or it could be that the cheaper club has better instructors and/or a higher standard of maintenance and/or more stringent requirements for solo rental = a better safety record (and therefore lower insurance premiums to be paid). Or perhaps the cheaper club is run by members who prefer to volunteer their time rather than paying for hired help. It's dangerous to make decisions without full (or at least, the best available) information, and more expensive does not always mean "better". But I'm sure you know that.
Unfortunately, I have to agree that those who think that its safer in a car than in a light aircraft are simply kidding themselves.
Two American AOPA books worth reading are
Crises in the Cockpit and (especially)
Defensive Flying (both by Norbert Slepyan). They provide practical and specific advice as to how you can decrease the odds of an accident.