dealer mike ettleson says buyers are primarily interested in better technology and fuel economy. >> we're selling some cars not with all the bells and whistles. we're selling cars that are transportation for people. i don't think they're stepping up to the absolute top of the line, but they're buying what suits their needs. and the cars today come with so much more standard equipment that they're happy with what they got. >> reporter: u.s. auto sales are slowly pulling themselves out of one of the worst slumps in the industry's history. sales plummeted in 2008 and 2009. they've been slowly improving since then. consumers tired of driving old vehicles with high mileage began heading to dealerships this fall after a slow summer. some industry watchers fear those robust sales could taper off after the first of the year. but jeffery schuster, j.d. power's director of global forecasting, doesn't think that will happen. >> i think while there are fears, there is uncertainty, there is risk in the first quarter, i think we're actually going to push through this. i don't know if we'll hit a speed