The New York Times has a piece on how people who were previously wedded to larger, gas-guzzling vehicles are beginning to accept the fact that high gas prices are here to stay. "News of wrenching dislocations in the car industry arrive daily," the report said. And it's not as if these customers will turn passionate about economy cars all of a sudden; instead, it's more of a resignation. "I'm willing to not love it," said one person in the story that's considering replacing his 10-year-old Volvo wagon with a Prius.

"Automobile sales are at a 10-year low," the report said. "Ford is converting factories from making high-profit trucks to subcompacts like the unlovely Fiesta. General Motors is trying to convince investors that it is not at the precipice of bankruptcy."

Still, there's more about today's cars than room and outright straight-line performance. Styling doesn't have to take a dive. (I sure don't want to drive something that looks like a Yugo.) Many cars continue to accelerate well with smaller engines, as well as handle well (though the low-rolling resistance tires common to hybrids could be a problem). And—of course—there's plenty of interior, audio, navigation, safety, and performance technology to go around. But whether that's enough for some car buyers remains to be seen.