Auto News 5

Ahhhhh, the Cadillac Escalade. While it's helped define post-millennial Cadillac, this bling-mobile stands as a poster child for conspicuous consumption. The Escalade comes by its reputation honestly, because a 2009 edition with the 403-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 sucks petrol at the criminal rate of 12 mpg city, and either 18 or 19 mpg highway, depending on whether you're powering one axle or two. The fact that the SUV attracts attention-hungry rappers and other ne'er-do-wells doesn't help the Escalade's reputation any.

Despite the sudden drop in gas prices, the long-term trend toward green cars appears solidly in place. But if green machines are the new reality, when are they going to look like something other than dull or dorky little nerd-mobiles? The just-introduced redesigned Toyota Prius and the new Honda Insight, for instance, are the twin geeks of hybrid propulsion. And the boxy new Lexus HS250h hybrid has all the visual dynamism of a shrunken Toyota Camry. None of the mid-size hybrid sedans are anything exciting to look at, and neither is Volkswagen's Jetta TDI. Where is the style? Where is the swagger? Where is the sex appeal?