Data show last year’s gas spike had a marginal effect on buyer habits

Exerpt from Paul A. Eisenstein, msnbc.com contributor

What looked like a permanent divorce, triggered by $4-a-gallon gas, has proved to be just a temporary lovers’ quarrel between Americans and their light trucks.

According to new industry data, last year’s fuel price spike had only a marginal impact on the U.S. car market. After an initial, knee-jerk response toward smaller cars, most motorists went back to buying what they would have if prices hadn’t risen at all — including pickups, SUVs and other light trucks.