What Car Buyers Want

"Consumers have voted with their wallets: Hybrids are here to stay. In part, it's because most hybrid buyers want to keep a little more money in those wallets rather than spend it on gasoline...the sudden rise of gasoline prices after the invasion of Iraq in 2004 and the uncertain direction of future fuel prices dramatically changed buying patterns, catching off-guard the Big Three - Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG...Japanese automakers are pushing cheaper, smaller passenger cars...Most Americans see hybrids as environmentally friendly and the best way to boost mileage."

"Consumers have voted with their wallets: Hybrids are here to stay. In part, it's because most hybrid buyers want to keep a little more money in those wallets rather than spend it on gasoline."

"American manufacturers have been late to the hybrid market as consumers have snapped up the more fuel and environmentally friendly gas/electric models made by Asian manufacturers."