There are a few things being overlooked
Bucket seats require: Harnesses (unless the 3 point belt is correctly routed), do not have cushion for whiplash effects and also do not "bend" in rollover scenarios as well.....that's what the cage is for (which should NOT be ran on a street car!). In addition to the shitty egrees, etc ergonomics the high thigh and rib bolsters can become a weapon in impacts. Which brings me to: if the rib bolsters are significant and you are NOT in a harness/suit during impact, count on replacing several of your ribs from when the 1side movement and subsequent forces drive those bolters right through your rib cage......
And for those saying "hey, go ahead and run some cheap off brand buckets because my friend ran it and it "seems" safe"......Good luck to ya!
But follow the crowd and do it anyways because all the cool people are
Just sit back and think for a moment
There is a reason why race seats are used WITH a cage and harnesses, with a full driver suit AND a helmet. And there is a reason no manufacturer (apart from the likes of a F40 to name one example) places full buckets in anything but a stripped out race car for the street.
You really think so many manufacturers with billions of dollars invested in safety are doing it wrong for the past 30 years?? Just think about that for a moment
As recommended by someone above: STI and EVO seats are a great compromise. Also, if you truly want a bucket seat, a set of Lotus Elise seats would fit the bill or if you really have the dough, a set of Recaro GT3 seats from a Porsche at a cool 5-8K will also fit the bill.
P.S Cheaping on seats and worrying about safety is on two opposite ends of the spectrum