Cash for Clunkers Program

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by monster

Why does that make it bad? it's only very recently that manufacturers here have really been attempting to reduce the MPG, so a new car is likely to be more fuel efficient than a used one.

I think you meant increase.

Also, surely, we're only guessing at the MPG of a used car. Which is fine if you're getting rid of a probable gas-guzzler, but to be certain you're replacing it with something significantly more efficient surely it needs to be new which a known mpg? I suspect if the scheme were opened up to used cars, there would be much shennanigans afoot.

They use the EPA estimated mileage that's been published for every make/model sold in the US for the last 35 years.

Seems to me, the family driving a 1980 land-yacht getting 12/14 mpg because they can't afford to trade up, and could with the help of this program buy a 2 or 3 year old car that gets 24/26 mpg, would be a good thing.

I suppose they are trying to reduce the manufacturers inventories and get the factories/employment moving, with the new car restriction. But I think they are missing an opportunity to get some of the real clunkers off the road.