Will Rising Gas Prices Hurt Truck Sales? Why Didn't the Robot Car Cross the Road? Will Mercedes' E320 tdi Spark a Diesel Revival? Why is BMW Scrubbing the U.S. 1-Series? Is the New SLK the Best Roadster Yet? Get the Answers on TheCarConnection.com

DETROIT, March 22 -- It seems a matter of when, not if, gasoline prices hit record highs. What will that mean for fuel-hungry light trucks? Are Americans trading in HUMMERs, Escalades and F-150s for more efficient vehicles? Find out more in this week's issue of TheCarConnection.com .

Cutting your fuel bill may not have to mean downsizing. The timing could be perfect for Mercedes-Benz, which is launching the E320 tdi. This turbo- diesel could change the way Americans view these fuel-efficient engines, as TCC discovered during the first test-drive.

Mercedes also has an all-new version of its popular SLK roadster coming. One look and you know it's aiming for a more macho segment of the market. Do looks deceive, or is the SLK now the best ragtop in its segment? Take a spin with TheCarConnection.com and find out.

Then see what costly lessons DaimlerChrysler has had to learn with the launch of its ultra-luxurious Maybach sedan.

What was supposed to showcase cars smart enough to drive on their own turned out to be a demonstration that robot racers still aren't ready for prime time. Check out the news from the $1 million DARPA Grand Challenge in this week's issue.

TCC's spies have caught the first glimpse of what's in store for the Toyota Avalon. This week's second spy shot captures the seven-passenger 2006 Subaru Crossover.

The reliability of Detroit vehicles has surpassed the European scores -- but as TheCarConnection reports, reliability isn't everything.

What do you do when your car dealer hands you a lemon? This week's TCC Tip shows how to fight back and turn it into lemonade.

Other reviews this week include the 2004 Audi TT 3.2 and the revived BMW 6-Series.

Stay on top of the latest news, trends, tips and bargains with TheCarConnection's free newsletters: including Daily Edition, named Best-of- the-Web in the International Automotive Media Awards.

Let OnSite Mechanic solve your service problems. Find Kelley Blue Book pricing and more -- on the Web's Automotive Authority, TheCarConnection.com . Web users also can access TheCarConnection through the PR Newswire site www.prnewswire.com .