It's blizzard time. Soon we'll see sliding cars, and hear that familiar post-blizzard sound of spinning tires and curses. What better time to talk about all-wheel-drive, and the battle for the snow belt among compact crossovers. The latest one is Chevrolet's new compact crossover, Trax, which just went on sale.

Honda said 2015 would be the year of Honda. Cadillac said it will be the year, or maybe the decade, of Cadillac. It was definitely the year of Cobo Hall, as everyone says it was the best Detroit show since before the recession.

Generalize about the different auto shows, and what they represent? Makes no sense. But that doesn't mean you can't do it: The Tokyo auto show is outrageous design and auto ontology; Frankfurt is, well, just big; Los Angeles is about who has the best new technology, drivetrain advances and buttons and buzzers. And the Detroit show, the North American International Auto Show, that is, is about hype, heritage, iconography, and even a little histrionics.

Gasoline prices are incredibly low. I was upstate last week and had to do a double take: It was close to $2 a gallon. December's strong sales numbers certainly reflect that fact, as the month was driven by an appetite for crossovers, SUVs and pickups. Gasoline prices won't stay low for long, and most consumers understand the inherent volatility at the pump. So the influence of dollar-per-gallon on auto sales might have as much to do with the fuel-efficiency technology SUVs/crossovers and cars have now. It might just make it easier for a skittish consumer to consider an SUV, even …