cashforclunkers - Jalopnik

posts about #cashforclunkers more →
Daily Show: Cash For Clunkers Killing "$14 Billion" Demolition Derby Industry
Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
Cash For Clunkers Vehicles Still Crowding Junkyards
Clunkerized Mercedes-Benzes Clog Up Junkyards, Ghost Of Karl Benz To Haunt White House
The Full List Of Every Cash For Clunkers Trade-In
Avg. New Vehicle MPG Soars In August, Thanks To Cash For Clunkers
Cash For Clunker Trade-Ins: Subaru SVX to Volvo XC90
Cash For Clunker Trade-Ins: Mercedes 380SL to Subaru SVX
Cash For Clunker Trade-Ins: GMC Vandura to Mercedes 380SL
Cash For Clunker Trade-Ins: Ford Crown Victoria Police Intercepter to GMC Vandura

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

Franzouse
11/18/09

Yes, even french people read the Detroit News!
Found this nice interactive: State-by-state numbers for the 'cash for clunkers' program:
Detroiters will be happy to learn that their state has the most patriotic car-buying habits.

[detnews.com]

#tips
#cashforclunkers
#clunkers
Reply

Franzouse was starred Franzouse was unstarred

that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/12/09

In reply to Daily Show: Cash For Clunkers Killing "$14 Billion" Demolition Derby Industry
The 60's footage brings tears to my eyes.

I spy a '58 Oldsmobile coupe.

/curls up into a ball in the corner #cashforclunkers
Reply

AmishJohn
11/12/09

In reply to Daily Show: Cash For Clunkers Killing "$14 Billion" Demolition Derby Industry
I'm waiting for the commercial that riffs on the old littering commercials. A hillbilly wandering through a deserted demo arena... walking down the street as an endless parade of new cars, stickers still in the windows roll past... Then a hauler loaded with old cars goes past, he turns to the camera, we see a single tear roll down his face. Then he takes a big drink out of his mason jar of hooch, and we get the 1-800 number for the National Demolition Recovery & Support System, or some such. #cashforclunkers
Reply

AmishJohn was starred AmishJohn was unstarred

Brimful of Ash on the 78
11/12/09

In reply to Daily Show: Cash For Clunkers Killing "$14 Billion" Demolition Derby Industry
$2 billion in drop in clutches? Yeah, just wait until those DSG buyers start having problems. #cashforclunkers
Reply

Rabbi Dave
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
I had written a long comment but it got deleted before I could post but Basically...the AP is sensationalizing the govt numbers. They use the term "swap" to say more swaps were for the F-150 than anything else, meaning straight up, model for model. Well duh. Per the program rules you couldn't trade a Camry for a Camry!

The fact is avg MPG went up 9.2 mpg per transaction.

8200 F-150 "swaps" vs 700,000+ transactions.

100,000 more cars bought than trucks (which included light CUVs like Escape).

The AP should print a retraction and apologize for sensationalizing something that was mentioned from the earliest reporting of the program. #cashforclunkers
Reply

Rabbi Dave was starred Rabbi Dave was unstarred

skierpage
11/05/09

@Rabbi Dave: Indeed, the story can't see the forest for a handful of truck swaps. Towards the end: The data show the average fuel economy was 15.8 mpg for the old vehicles and 24.9 for the new ones. Overall, the program worked extremely well as a stimulus measure and environmental benefit; anyone who think the economy didn't need stimulus is pretty divorced from reality.

And people's fake concern about the pollution from all that manufacturing is unwarranted. 11 tons CO2 to manufacture a car vs. avoiding 19 lbs CO2 for every gallon not burned saves tons of CO2 overall. To increase the fuel economy of the US fleet you have to swap old cars for new, unless you're proposing engine swaps, EV conversions, and adding lightness. #cashforclunkers
Reply

skierpage was starred skierpage was unstarred

torreys71004
11/06/09

@skierpage: How exactly does one add lightness... helium or hydrogen in the tires?

Just because the average fuel economy went up doesn't mean that it's all good. I'm not just talking about saving the penguins and tree hugging. I'm talking about my money that went to other people and I got zero benefit because I own a car that wasn't "clunkery" enough.

We have no idea how these cars will be used. Daily drivers, secondary cars, bought it just to have? People could drag whatever they wanted in irregardless of whether they drove it. They could be driving a 30+MPG appliance (Corolla) daily, but traded in an old Cadillic Fleetwood that used to be their grandpa's for another 30+MPG appliance. The government just threw our money out the window.

In my father-in-law's case there is a net loss in CO2 emissions. He traded in a full size pickup that hadn't run in 2 years and was barely worth scrap metal cost. Now that he has a new shiny pickup, he drives it constantly and stopped driving his car, which gets 50% better MPG.
Reply

skierpage promoted this comment torreys71004 was starred torreys71004 was unstarred

skierpage
11/06/09

@torreys71004: None of what you say refutes what I said. This was a stimulus program that increased the fuel efficiency of the US auto fleet. Give us your better proposal. A gas tax would get people driving less (I support one phased in over a long period), but is probably not a good idea in an economic downturn. #cashforclunkers
Reply

skierpage was starred skierpage was unstarred

snapoversteer 'bout to get told
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment

Largesse! Praise be to the Emperor for our slightly more fuel efficient vehicles! #cashforclunkers
Reply

Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
Building a new, mid-sized car apparently uses up 6.9 tonnes of CO2 (Ford numbers) or up to 14 tonnes (Toyota's numbers). If one assumes the average 10.5 tonnes (presumably also averaging SUVs and compacts) we could expect some savings in about four years time. For now, the environment is decidedly worse off, but the median age of US cars is 8.9 years. The total remaining savings would be 9.5 million tons of CO2, equivalent to 12 hours and 45 minutes of total US CO2 emissions.

So that, and an unnatural blip in car sales, is what your $3 billion bought you. #cashforclunkers
Reply

Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/05/09

@Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est: And these numbers also don't reflect how many of those people were in the market for a new car already. #cashforclunkers
Reply

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
"In California, the Honda Civic was the No. 1 new car and no pickups ranked higher than 18th. In New York, the Hyundai Elantra was No. 1."

The Elantra is perfect for NYC. Don't care about the car, don't care about the dings. Still don't want. #cashforclunkers
Reply

Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
If I had the energy, I would dig up all of my old posts filled with doubt and despair and say "told you so".

The article says that 1.87 million tons of CO2 will be saved yearly (sounds more impressive than it is). Could someone find out approximately how much CO2 is released by building the 677,081 new vehicles involved? Then we'll find out if any possible reduction was worth $3 billion, or if they could have been better spent elsewhere. #cashforclunkers
Reply

PowerTryp, Starless wonder.
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
Well Duh. #cashforclunkers
Reply

bzr promoted this comment

Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
Oh really? Who'd have ever thought?

Actually, I did. There's always some ruse to take my money and throw it at someone else. #cashforclunkers
Reply

bzr promoted this comment

Old Grimey
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
In response to the fact that Cash for Clunkers wasn't as good for the Earth as was originally thought, I will cut my hair, wear black all through the rest of the year, and change my cell ringtone to a funeral dirge in order to mourn the passing of the Maseratis, the TVR 280i, the Buick GNX, the Bentley Continental R, the Astons, the Taurus SHOs, the LaForzas, the rest of the enthusiast-type cars, and even the Zimmers and Excaliburs, ugly things that they are. Yes, really. I will. #cashforclunkers
Reply

bzr promoted this comment Old Grimey was starred Old Grimey was unstarred

bzr
11/05/09

@Old Grimey: #cashforclunkers
Reply

bzr was starred bzr was unstarred

Old Grimey
11/05/09

@bzr: RIP, streak-o'-lightnin' cars!
And Godspeed, John R. Cash.
Reply

Edited by Old Grimey at 11/05/09 1:20 PM Old Grimey was starred Old Grimey was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
11/05/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Not That Great For Environment
It's not like a government run program ever worked. No surprise there. #cashforclunkers
Reply

Pessimippopotamus was starred

UDMan
10/24/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Vehicles Still Crowding Junkyards
As I have outlined in previous posts before, most of the vehicles would have never received anywhere near the trade in value that they did during the C4C program.

I have worked with a lot of dealers, and most (if not all) of them usually offer around 60% of KBB trade in value. Sometimes it may look like they are offering more, but this involves some dealer cash given by the factory. Anyway, it is the dealers job to pay as little as possible for the trade, and that is why they use other books to determine trade values.

One book, not available to the public is Galves, a NJ based company that determines values on actual auction results across the country. Speaking of auction results, many of the auction companies that run these auction produce a booklet for the dealers use.

Also, determining trade in value for the car, the dealer uses the base trim level, not the upper trim level. You have an Accord ES? Too bad, because the dealer will use the Accord VP pricing level. You have a sunroof? Not counted. Alloy wheels? Good luck. Leather Interior? May as well be plastic.

Oh, but all that gets thrown out the window when they want to sell it, sometimes adding in equipment that doesn't exist to wring out the most money from the consumer. Anyway, this isn't my point.

My point is that the average everyday consumer, one that hates negotiating with the dealer, would have never received this moch on trade in as they did during the C4C program. #clunkpocalypse
Reply

UDMan was starred UDMan was unstarred

MushyHeirloom
10/24/09

@UDMan: What's sad to me is that they could easily have made that money via private sale - but that's not an attractive option due to the number of mouthbreathers on Craigslist who try to lowball you and jerk you around.

That's right, it's the legions of Craigslist fucktards who're truly responsible for the destruction of some of the nation's cleanest Toyota pickups. I hope they're happy. #clunkpocalypse
Reply

MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred

postjosh
10/24/09

In reply to Cash For Clunkers Vehicles Still Crowding Junkyards
wasn't it a requirement that the clunkers had to be crushed? #clunkpocalypse
Reply

UDMan promoted this comment postjosh was starred postjosh was unstarred

UDMan
10/24/09

@postjosh: The engine had to be destroyed, but the car could be "recycled" for up to 90 days before they were crushed. That way, other parts could be sold like sheet metal, interior furnishings, and electronics. All of these items had to be stripped out before it was crushed anyway. #clunkpocalypse
Reply

UDMan was starred UDMan was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO Jalopnik

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment