Auto makers realize, 20% unemployment does not matter

As long as 80% have jobs, and America heads more toward socialism (spending
money they haven't got) they can continue to ramp up the upper ends of car
making segments. In reality, true American unemployment is now within 4% of
Depression-era numbers. But you don't see hobos riding the rails, and
people don't knock on your door looking for food. This keeps the auto
sector going. Hence, despite a tiny increase in econo-boxes, and the gas
price increases, sales of SUVs and trucks and very powerful cars will
continue. If gas prices really did matter, we'd all be driving 1L cars that
got 50mpg and would reserve the powerful car use for special occassions.
But this is not the case. Gas isn't that costly, for various reasons. The
basic goods market sector has been cost-cut to the bone by outfits like
Walmart who buy 90% of their goods from China and now dominate U.S. basic
goods sales. This has allowed people to direct money more toward
automobile purchases and upkeep. Electronics as well. This is important
for the automakers as the econo-box divisions make the least profit per
car.