pegster What are the cool new cars for 2006? How have hybrids developed over the years and should I wait to buy one?

Don_Chaikin Depending on what market segment you're in run the gamet from $135K Mercedes S-Class down to a pretty nifty Pontiac Solstice roadster, which is under $20K. As for hybrids, yes, they are going to continue to develop. But the technology in hybrids is changing slowly, but changing more rapidly is the number of vehicles using hybrid technology. If you're in the market for a specific vehicle or type of vehicle, there might be a version that you'd want to consider. But read a lot about hybrids because for a lot of people they are not all that they expected them to be.

pegster What direction do you see the industry going? More fuel-efficient hybrids or more muscle cars? There seems to have been a lot of powerful cars this year - kind of interesting when you take into account high gas prices, environmental impact, etc.

Don_Chaikin The industry is going both ways and there have been a number of high-performance cars that were introduced, but you must remember - they were all introduced pre-Katrina and while many people have been concerned about the cost of fuel, the current concern is all based on shortages related to hurricanes in the Gulf. With that said, the industry will continue to produce high-performance vehicles because people want them and many of the vehicles will be hybrids.

BostonDotCom I am looking for a good quality car for my family, but am having a hard time finding one with all the amenities I'm looking for in my price range. Can you make any suggestions?

Don_Chaikin What is your price range? There are a lot of good cars and lots of price ranges depending on exactly what your needs are, it's hard to make a recommendations. For instance, how large is your family? Some families need a minivan, some need a large SUV, some can do quite well w/ a subcompact.

convertibles I am looking for a new convertible and am considering either the Saturn Sky or the Pontiac Solstice. Which do you think is the better buy?

Don_Chaikin Since the Saturn Sky hasn't been introduced yet, it's hard to say. But the cars are essentially the same mechanically, so your shopping decision will be based on the style and dealer you want to work with.

Mel I was interested in heading to the show to see the Camp Jeep exhibit in particular. Is this purely a sales tactic? I would just like to get a feel for how these handle offroad since I live in Maine. Thanks

Don_Chaikin Yes, it's a sales tactic, but it's a tactic geared to show what a Jeep will do in a very controlled, off-road environment and the environment of Camp Jeep may not be anything like what you'll be facing in Maine. Remember, its artificial, its indoors, it has severe rock-climbing and a little water. What things will be like after the Spring rains in Maine with the axl deep mud, that will not be at Camp Jeep. I would still go to get a feel for it.

enthused I was looking at the new Chevrolet HHR - I have a small business and need to transport cargo as well as kids. Is this a good choice? Is it mechanically-sound?

Don_Chaikin It's too soon to say how mechanically sound the HHR will be. It may or may not be a good choice based on the size of the cargo, but it should have no problem handling a couple of kids in the back seat.

Don_Chaikin Every year in the industry is an interesting year. It's been that way since the beginning and will be until the end. The coming year will be particularly interesting as things shake out on the financial side. Both GM and Ford are facing a very severe financial future, possibly crisis, and depending on how these things shake out remains to be seen. It will be impacted by not just sales of their products, but retirees, healthcare costs, wages, and other overriding social issues. These companies are kind of in a catch-22 situation right now because they need the money to develop exciting products to get them out of the situation, but they also are facing cutting back research development, design, and engineering expenditures to help them find the money.
Roger What's the best new sports car coming out in '06

Don_Chaikin The definition of best if a very personal decision. The Porsche Cayman looks exciting, but for less than 1/3 the cost, the Mazda MX5 is also an awful lot of fun. For sheer central excitement it's hard to beat either the Corvette Z06 or the Viper coupe.

Roger Which '06 models improved the most in gas efficiency?

Don_Chaikin You have to define what you mean by model improving. If the 2006 version is really a slightly re-worked 2005 version (which most 2006 models are), the improvement in fuel economy will be very marginal. But if you're talking about a vehicle that's all new for 2006, then you have to look at things like the Civic hybrid, the Accord hybrid, etc., so any new model to be introduced in the months to come will be better than the model it replaces.

ade when do you think we'll start to see used hybrid's on the market? i heard there is a wait list for toyotas?

Don_Chaikin There's a wait list for all the new hybrids, and certainly the new Toyota hybrids. Used hybrids are probably already on the market, there will certainly be the first-version Prius and also early Honda Insights. Sometimes people sell their place in line on the wait list for more than what they put down to hold the car.

allison79 what are the most economical cars for city driving, and city living? if I'm not going to move the car everyday, and probably just do weekend trips what are my options?

Don_Chaikin It depends on how long and how far your weekend trips will be. If you're going to leave the city on weekends, maybe go to the White Mountains, then you're going to want more than just a city car. If you really just want a car for knocking around the city and running errands, your best bet is a few years old, used, subcompact such as a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or Mazda 3.

dagodfather Hi Don, isn't it true that American manufacturers got their butts kicked again by the Japanese because they sunk all their effort into making huge SUV's. It drives me crazy that we're so behind on the eight ball when it comes to new technology. As far as I'm concerned, Japan and foreign auto makers really have it together. What's the US auto industry doing to stay ahead of the curve?

Don_Chaikin Everything possible. The American manufacturers fell victim to the lure of high-profits and in the pre-Katrina days, which really was not that long ago, people were gobbling up big SUVs and big cars. In fact, Chrysler is still selling lots of 300s, Dodge Magnums and Dodge Chargers, so while some of the importers (notably Toyota) have been investing in hybrid technology, those hybrids really represented a really small percentage of their sales. But it is true that right now the American makers have been caught short on the latest technological front (hybrids) because they have been looking to the future and have been working on fuel-cells, which in all likely-hood, will be replacing hybrids in the not so distant future.

Don_Chaikin Most of the world's manufacturers should will start introducing fuel-cell cars in about 5 years.

David Hi Don, I saw a Discovery channel show on how Brazil is almost totally independent of foregn oil due to ethanol. Their cars can burn both ethanol and gas. Why can't America seem to embrace this t echnology, which already exists elsewhere?

Don_Chaikin A number of reasons - Most of the domestic manufacturers have been producing some cars that can run either on gas or M85, which is only 15% gasoline. However, the fuel itself is scarce even in the farm belt because American farmers are still very dependent on growing their crops for food. The Brazilian economy, by the way, is in total shambles even though they are not dependent on foreign oil. It would take a major major initiative among Americas farmers to produce enough crop to feed us and fuel us.

Regis Don: I pass those hybrids on the highway more frequently now. How safe are they in an accident? Some of them look like pregnant go carts. Are they relatively safe?

Don_Chaikin Safety is a relative issue. However, every single vehicle sold in the US must meet the same safety standards. Of course some vehicles exceed the standards, but all must meet that minimum. However, that said, one of the most important factors in passive safety is the vehicles weight. Other things being equal, the heavy vehicle will do better than the lighter vehicle should they meet in an accident.

Don_Chaikin So small hybrids are no less safe than other small cars, and large hybrids are no less safe than other large cars.

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