Top ten ways your car has changed in ten years

The past decade has been revolutionary for much of our society, but few sectors have seen as much change since 2000 as the auto industry.

Ten years ago, automakers were touting the number of cupholders in the cabin and the increased off-road capabilities of family haulers. Today, these same companies are racing to offer increasingly hands-free mobile communication, eye-popping fuel economy and technologies aimed at helping drivers avoid accidents.

"Cars have become more like brains on wheels," said Sheryl Connelly, Ford's global trends manager. "Consumers today want to stay connected and they want the drive to be an experience, especially since the amount of time Americans spend in the car has nearly doubled in the last ten years."

Many of the changes in automobiles have been driven by the way people use mobile devices and the Internet to consume information, communicate with others and even engage in commerce.

As the calendar flips to 2011, and automakers kick off a new chapter of innovation at the North American International Auto Show, here are Ford’s Top Ten ways the industry has changed since 2000.

Infotainment:
Vehicle options ten years ago, such as in-dash compact disc players and speed control systems, are now standard features. Consumers' desire to have constant access to information helped spawn technologies such as voice-activated controls, real-time traffic and Wi-Fi mobile hot spots now found on many 2011 Ford products.