By RICHARD WILLIAMSON, Scripps Howard News Service

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS
TYPE: Front-drive, hybrid-powered, compact hatchback.
PRICE: $22,000 base.
WHERE BUILT: Toyota City, Japan.
POWER: 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, 98-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine; electric motor boosts power to 134-horsepower.
FUEL ECONOMY: 51 city, 48 highway mpg; 50 mpg combined.

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS
TYPE: Front-drive, hybrid-powered, compact hatchback.
PRICE: $22,000 base.
WHERE BUILT: Toyota City, Japan.
POWER: 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, 98-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine; electric motor boosts power to 134-horsepower.
FUEL ECONOMY: 51 city, 48 highway mpg; 50 mpg combined.

When environmental concerns took a back seat to economic fears in the United States last year, sales of hybrid-power cars fell sharply.
So severe was the sales slump that Toyota shuttered its nearly completed plant in Mississippi that was designed to produce hybrid Priuses for the American market.

When environmental concerns took a back seat to economic fears in the United States last year, sales of hybrid-power cars fell sharply.
So severe was the sales slump that Toyota shuttered its nearly completed plant in Mississippi that was designed to produce hybrid Priuses for the American market.

Buying a full-size hybrid pickup is a much bigger leap of faith than buying a conventional truck, especially when the maker is flirting with bankruptcy.
But if you're willing to bet that General Motors will be around for parts and service over the next decade or so, the 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid looks like a good investment.

2009 GMC SIERRA HYBRID
TYPE: 4-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger, full-size, hybrid-powered, crew-cab pickup.
PRICE: $47,675 base, $49,645 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
KEY RIVALS: Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid (platform mate), Dodge Ram Hybrid.

If Chevrolet had no other reason to survive, the Corvette would suffice for many of us. In the six generations since its introduction, the maestros of Bowling Green continue to find new ways to improve this iconic sports car.

2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE COUPE
TYPE: Rear-drive, two passenger, high-performance sports coupe.
PRICE: $48,565 base, $64,710 as tested.
WHERE BUILT: Bowling Green, Ky.
KEY RIVALS: Nissan 350Z, Porsche 911, Dodge Viper.
POWER: LS3 6.2-liter, 430-horsepower V8; six-speed manual transmission.
PERFORMANCE: 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

Watching the movie "Vertigo" the other night, I suddenly realized that I couldn't identify the two-tone coupe that detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) was driving. This began to bother me because the Hitchcock classic is one of the greatest exemplars of 1950s style. Pausing the DVD, I zoomed in on the lettering above the toothy grille.

One of my more memorable drives was a 1923 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost once advertised as "the best car in the world." It made today's worst car in the world seem unimaginably luxurious by comparison.