Most trucks are more attractive for 2005 because they're walking away with half the vehicle market and their producers must make models that are more competitive to stay in the game.

Trucks have been around forever, but cars dominated the market for about 80 years because only a few trucks could comfortably do anything but work duties.

Arrival of minivans in the 1980s and many new carlike sport- utility vehicles in the 1990s changed all that, along with four-door extended-cab pickup trucks with luxury car features. "Crossover vehicles" that are classified as trucks with car and sport-utility attributes have become increasingly popular in the past few years.

Most trucks provide greater utility than the majority of cars, providing roomier interiors for people and cargo and greater towing capacity for such things as boats and trailers. No wonder the top two selling vehicles are Ford and Chevrolet pickups.

Here is the 2005 truck lineup, which offers more comfort, convenience and safety than ever:

Acura: The MDX luxury sport-utility adds standard XM satellite radio, six-disc in-dash CD player and a larger fuel tank, which should be welcome with its 17 mpg city, 23 highway economy ratings.

BMW: The X3 sport-utility accepts an Apple iPod music player. The stereo of the larger X5 sport-ute connects with the iPod and has small trim upgrades.

Buick: Curtain side airbags are newly optional for the Rainier. It can be had with a 290-horsepower V-8 and additional wood and leather trim.

Cadillac: There are Escalade, Escalade ESV and EXT models. The two- wheel-drive Escalade gets a 345-horsepower V-8, and there are minor revisions to trim and accessories. The SRX receives a new instrument cluster with chrome accents. The V-6 is offered with an optional trailering package, and trailer capacity increases to 4,250 pounds.