There's nothing like $100 fill-ups to put your big bruiser on the endangered list. Large-SUV sales have plummeted 30% this year, large pickups have dropped 22%, and nonluxury large-sedan sales are off by 24%, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Motor City can't shut down truck and SUV assembly lines fast enough, and General Motors may put the suddenly uncool Hummer brand on the chopping block. Owners of trucks and SUVs are trading them in (when the dealer accepts them) at a breakneck pace. Switching to a fuel-efficient car seems like a no-brainer -- for reasons both environmental and economic. But before you shop, crunch the numbers. A smaller fuel footprint makes financial sense if you're going from a bruiser to a fuel sipper. But trading to a vehicle that offers a marginal gain in fuel economy might not pay off anytime...
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