Honestly, would you think a guy in a Mercedes was trying to kill you?

If he had no neck, was dressed in an Italian suit, and answered to the name "Guido", then the Merc would simply complete the picture and reinforce that fear.

I dunno, what did the guy use to smash the window? A crowbar, a very large rock, what? If someone came at me with a crowbar, even from the passenger side of the car, I would feel my life being threatened.

I seem to recall that the car in question was a CR-V. My wife drives a CR-V, and honestly, there's little difference in distance and perceived threat to the driver, regardless of which side the attacker's coming from. Those things are not very wide at all.