Most 'power point' type receptacles in autos are fused at 5 - 10 amps. (Power point means for use as an auxillary device power supply cell phone charger, Ipod, radar detector, CD player, or some such., if you plug a cigarette lighter in one, you will have to replace the receptacle and fuse.)

Cigarette lighters usually fused at 25 - 30 amps. Which can lend itself to recharging the battery sufficiently in a few minutes (as many as 20, as few as 5) to start the engine most of the time. If the battery is totally dead, (lights won't even glow), in extreme cold, or heat, most likely will not.

Spent a lot of years swinging a wrench, had this discussion many times. I have grown very fond of those portable power-pack type jumpers. They work very well and are reasonably priced.