Are autonomous cars almost here?

"The buzz phrase" at the 2016 Detroit auto show, according to Jim Kenzie, is autonomous driving.

"Every manufacturer is showing technology that is leading to the self-driving car," he says.

"Now, personally, I think it's at least five years before there's a fully-autonomous automobile available to the general public, and maybe 10 or 15 years before they take a big share of the market."

From logistical, technical and legal issues, to the prohibitive cost to own one, Jim says it's realistic to think that it will be some time before autonomous cars take over our commuting duty.

Keep in mind that even Mercedes-Benz project that it won't be until 2030 that the public will be driving its autonomous cars.

"Personally, I'd rather drive," Jim says. "But I see an awful lot of people out there who probably should let the car do the driving for them."

This segment originally appeared on Episode 13 of Motoring 2016.