WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2014 -- Who can forget the Griswold's famous cross-country station wagon trip in "National Lampoon's Vacation"?  While the 31-year-old movie was made long before the days of in-car movies, and the only "portable electronics" available were cumbersome cassette players people carried around, it seems that – interestingly enough – some things have stayed the same.  

The Auto Alliance's latest Auto Index consumer survey found Americans still mostly pass the time on long road trips by looking out the window and taking in the scenery, much like they did in their childhood. In fact, 41 percent of respondents said that's how they spent the road trips of their youth. Today, 40 percent of the public report watching the scenery as their favorite way to pass the time on car trips.