Question

to be safe during a lightning storm, it is best to be

Answer 1

it is best to be in a metal car because the car acts like a Faraday cage. The metal in the car will shield you from any external electric fields and thus prevent the lightning from traveling within the car.

However, what happens if you have an imperfect Faraday cage around you?

for example, you had a window open. I think the car would still protect you a) because it still acts as a Faraday cage, a bit not perfect and b) because electrons will travel the path of least resistance which would be through the body of the car and not through you.