By RICHARD WILLIAMSON, Scripps Howard News Service

You might not expect to drive a Buick with a six-speed stick that was made in this century.

In recent years, the near-luxury division of General Motors has represented sublime detachment from the rigors of the road. Anything that could be automatic was, from the climate control to the gearshift.

2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT SE

TYPE: Front-drive, five-passenger, subcompact hatchback.

PRICE: $15,795 base, $15,830 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Ulsan, South Korea.

KEY RIVALS: Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Aveo.

POWER: 1.6-liter, DOHC, 138-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine; six-speed manual transmission.

Have you seen the lean, green, driving machine?

If you drive the 2012 Hyundai Accent in a coat of "Electrolyte Green" you will be noticed. I have witnesses.

"That's a cute car!" a woman in the supermarket parking lot informed me as I was loading groceries in the lime-colored hatchback.

"And affordable, too!" I added.

After driving 400 miles on a crowded interstate highway, I've been thinking about changing lanes in an SUV. There's more to it than you might realize.

Thanks to the amazing array of sensors that are available on a top-of-the-line luxury vehicle, today's well-heeled driver can discover where his own senses end and danger begins.

2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND SUMMIT

TYPE: 4-wheel-drive, five-passenger, full-size sport utility vehicle.

PRICE: $42,995 base, $49,890 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Detroit.

KEY RIVALS: Land Rover Range Rover, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Tahoe.

POWER: 3.5-liter, 360-horsepower V8; six-speed auto transmission.

The Mercedes-Benz SLK350 glows in the dark.

It glows in the daytime.

It goes really fast, day or night.

That such a thing of beauty can take you from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds or from hardtop to convertible in 20 is a reminder that motion can be emotional.

Most drivers are probably familiar with the Nissan 370Z sports car. But fewer are aware of an even higher performance coupe that has been in the Nissan fleet for more than three years.

At a base price of nearly $90,000, the Nissan GT-R is an elite track star that blows the doors off most street-legal production models and sends exotics like Lotus into a defensive posture.

Welcome to the 2012 episode of "Survivor," also known as the North American International Auto Show.

Gone from this year's cast is Sweden's iconic Saab, the "born-from-jets" brand that crashed after a series of failed rescue efforts. Word on the street is that some dealers were able to sell their inventories through drastic discounts and makeshift warranties.

In the world of tow-and-show, nothing makes a bigger impression than the Cadillac Escalade.

The luxurious behemoth can haul seven passengers and 4 tons of trailer weight while dazzling passersby with its bejeweled exterior. This is a workhorse and a show horse.

Let's give credit where it's due.

If Suzuki hadn't brought us the Sidekick in 1988, we might not have so many compact sport utility vehicles or "crossovers" on the road today.

The little Japanese maker was the trailblazer with its Jeep Wrangler knockoff that was also sold as the Geo Tracker. It was cheaper than a Wrangler, but similarly entertaining.