This week, for instance, Honda is introducing a redesigned version of its Accord mid-size sedan with an infotainment system that pipes Facebook into the car.
The brand began offering push-button start in 2007 on its Altima mid-size sedan, a mainstream product if ever there was one, and has continued to expand the offering across its portfolio.
Diesel-version sales of the Volkswagen Passat already have reached about 26 percent of all U.S. sales of the Tennessee-built mid-size sedan, and Volkswagen of America executives believe that figure could soon range as high as 30 percent.