Detroit's Big 3 emerge as auto sales heroes

Hail the all-American pickup truck.

And while we're at it, marvel at how Detroit's Big 3 automakers showed at the pinnacle of this month's Top 20 most popular vehicles list. One, two and three. Not bad.

That makes them this month's heroes when it comes to September sales.This month's big loser?That would have to be Toyota's wondercar, the Prius. On August's most-popular list, it was a respectible 13th. For September, it was knocked clean off the list.

What's changed:

•Gas prices are lower. That accounts for the newfound popularity of big, thirsty vehicles like pickup trucks. It also explains how a vehicle that represents the essence of gas savings might take a brief rest break from the best-seller list.

•Construction is picking up. Contractors need pickups. It's that simple. When the building industry is back on its feet, working people need a dependable truck.

There were other moves on the list as well. Arch-rivals Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 switched places. CR-V moved from seventh to sixth and RAV4 sank a notch from sixth to seventh. A new CR-V is on the way, which could shake up the relationship.

Likewise, Honda Accord fell back to earth. It was rated as the nation's second most popular vehicles of any sort last month, coming in on Autodata's 20-most-popular list at No. 2. Instead, its place was taken by a pickup truck, the Ram.k