Products come and go, such as fads or trends, and this goes on in the automobile industry as much as anywhere else. Check out all the shifts that have happened over the last decade in the car market. Way back in 2002, you would probably have been surprised at how fast the new cars could go, even basic, budget cars like the Nissan Altima.

The arrival of the 240 horsepower engine heralded in speeds considerably higher than what the 90's had made us accustomed to. It wouldn't quit there either, because today the Volkswagen Passat, a family car, comes with 280 horsepower under the bonnet. Camaros are being left for dead by smaller Mitsubishis that run you $30,000. A Dodge Viper having its 500-horsepower is now quite as average a car. You'd be hard-pressed nowadays to get a car that was under-powered. Each new car model is apparently bigger than its predecessor. A brand new Toyota RAV4 happens to be 14 inches longer than the last one, and current Honda Civics, are bigger than the Accords from the past.

Nobody wishes to pay more for their new car, but buy one that's the same size or smaller. When they are going to have to pay for it, they want their cars bigger and better. Bigger, regrettably, comes packaged with heavier, nevertheless the car makers are not going to stop because of that, as long as consumers keep buying. United states vehicle buyers want to pay less money for their gasoline, but they don't want to sacrifice speed to get it. Spending more to retain the privilege of speed is preferable, and that's why there is such a long line of people waiting for their hybrid, the Toyota Prius. And Corollas, readily available off the same dealer's showroom floor, continue to be unsold. To keep up, all automakers are bringing hybrids to the marketplace, even those like Nissan Altima, which is using a system developed by Toyota, a competitor.

Automobiles with pizazz, that's what present-day buyers want, not the flat, insipid styling popular in the 90s. Power steering, automatic windows, airbags and robust sound systems as being standard features are now par for the course. All of these have a price, which probably is the reason for the $28,000 price tag of the average new car. The SUV today seems to be bought by silly people, so perhaps we are going back to the days when a car was a car. Maybe it was a fashion that had its day, because the worst-hit in terms of sales are the bigger SUVs. Better than ever are the sales and profits of smaller cars, even the Neon and Sentra, while the Ford Explorer and Expedition are receiving very few sales.

Cars definitely don't require being as fast as they are, or so big, so the car companies should recognize this and change accordingly. We are at the outset of the hybrid time now, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. A decade from now we can look back at all the crazy stuff that took place between now and then.