Cars.com 2009 Auto Show

Plug-Ins: What Will it Take?

After the parade of electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles introduced at this year's Detroit auto show, a few questions remain: Do consumers really want plug-in cars, are they willing to pay significantly more to get them, and do they have the patience to wait for the first mass-produced ones to hit the market?

2010 Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius

With the recent introduction of Honda's new 2010 Insight hybrid, comparisons to the Toyota Prius are inevitable. Both are relatively affordable hybrids, and each is a model unto itself, with no gas-only version offered. Each is a four-door hatchback with five seats (or at least five seat belts), and to top it off, all it took was some early Insight photos several months ago to drum up accusations of copycatting.

Production Car Winners and Losers

Our crew was a bit surprised at how many new production models were shown in Detroit this year. What was even more surprising was how good most of them were. Of course, a few losers wormed their way into the hall as well.

Concept Car Winners and Losers

In a change from last year's Detroit auto show, there were fewer concept debuts than production-model introductions this year. There were still a number of interesting concepts that emerged at the show, however, and Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder have weighed in on which ones hit the mark and which fell flat.

Economic Downturn Dents Detroit Show

The Detroit auto show is the nation's most prestigious automotive extravaganza, but this year's show is shaping up to be a more subdued event, with fewer big-name automakers hosting press conferences and unveiling vehicles. That's not surprising when you consider the challenging times facing the auto industry, but even so a number of significant new and redesigned models are slated to appear in Detroit in January.