Higher gas prices lead to smaller cars

Having a high MPG is now sexy...

In the land of $3-a-gallon gasoline, the Samurai warriors roll with pride.

Car buffs used to drool over such stats as horsepower, torque and top speed, but there's a new status symbol in the motoring world: miles per gallon.

Because automobiles live on petroleum-based products - gasoline powers their engines, oil keeps them running and is used to manufacture their belts and gaskets - the price of putting just about everything into a car gets incrementally more expensive when oil prices crest at $60 a barrel.

Faced with those hikes, one of the few costs that drivers can contain is the amount of gasoline they consume. In a car town like Los Angeles, ditching your ride's not an option for most, so motorists can either drive less or find a new way to get around.