Cash For Clunkers Program Actually Benefiting Truck, Crossover Sales

The NHTSA list of the most purchased cars under the Cash For Clunkers programs favors cars. But if you look at it by model, and not by trim, trucks and crossovers are the true winners.

The original version of the list separated each vehicle by powertrain and configuration. This favors cars. For example, the Ford Escape is actually six different vehicles under this system (I4 FWD, V6 FWD, I4 AWD, V6 AWD, Hybrid FWD, Hybrid AWD). Vehicles like the Ford Focus and Chevy Cobalt are all FWD and have typically no more than one or two engines.

The folks at Edmunds.com put together the list with all the variations combined. The list puts the Ford Escape up top and gives eight-of-the-ten most sold vehicles to the not-so-Big Three with four SUV/trucks in the top ten. This still conforms to our math, which showed more people using the $4,500 voucher, but it just means people are trading in for trucks with the full 2 or 5 MPG improvement.

Click next for the NHTSA list and the modified list. (Hat tip to Ptschett!) [CNN]