What with necessity being the mother of invention and all that, it's good to see Chrysler making some cost-cutting decisions that are just, well, smart. Such is the case -- in our opinion, at least -- with the newly announced move to switch most of its owners manuals to DVD format. Rather than a massive paper manual, 2010 models will come with a DVD meant to be viewed at home or, in some cases, through the vehicle's entertainment system. The move to DVD manuals was tested on 500 owners of 2009 Jeep Wranglers, and repeatedly put under focus-group scrutiny. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

There will still be an abbreviated, in-car guide, but meant for emergency references such as flat tires and dead batteries; the difference will be a manual with 60 to 80 pages, rather than the 500-pages-plus behemoth found in many models today. The DVD will pick up the slack in terms of warranty information, towing assistance, and navigation and entertainment system how-tos. And, where necessary, the DVD will also have instructional videos, such as the tutorial on folding down the Wrangler soft-top that was such a big hit during the concept's test runs.

The move will save paper and make the owners manual more interactive in the process.