Many Cars, Many Truths

The ForTwo, depending on the model chosen, can get 50 miles per gallon. (I once drove a diesel version that got nearly 60 mpg.) I am so convinced of its safety and reliability that I am planning to drive one coast-to-coast in the United States.

Truth: American families want attractive, affordable, safe economy and mid-size cars. They resent the idea that "family" in past automotive thinking has all too often meant "boring" and that "economy" too frequently has meant "cheap."

GM, at long last, has gotten the message. It is offering a bevy of market-ready cars as proof. They include the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura, priced in the $20,000 range, fully capable of going against successful mid-size rivals such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which also have been given more family appeal.

Ford, somewhat yielding to American demands that it sell the European version of its Focus compact car in the United States, at least is bringing to the nation's economy-car buyers a new Focus that looks and feels as good as the European model, though it continues to use the same old American market platform.

Nissan will ensure that none of its competitors can rest in the arena of compact and mid-size family cars. Nissan's new Altima sedan is a hands-down winner inside and out, and the company is showing something more at the Detroit show -- a concept Altima coupe that is attracting as much attention as the concept Honda Accord Coupe a few aisles away.

Truth: Big trucks are forever, even in an era of rising fuel prices. Just because the truck poseurs -- people who bought them more for image than need -- are leaving the market doesn't mean that big pickup trucks are going away.

Anyone doubting that should look at the big-truck offering from greener-than-thou Toyota -- the Tundra CrewMax. It is designed to go against the 2007 North American truck of the year, the Chevrolet Silverado.

This is the beginning of an ugly fight. The Tundra CrewMax is entering the ring with a 5.7-liter, 382-horsepower V-8 engine. The comparable Silverado has been doing extremely well with its 5.3-liter, 315-horsepower V-8.

Interestingly, Toyota isn't bragging about fuel economy in this brawl. Its new CrewMax gets 16 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway, about the same as the Silverado.

To the extent that there is something that might pass for a single theme at this year's Detroit show, it is represented in the one best characterizing the truck battle: More power, less fuel.