List of New Car Rebates

Thanks to the kindness of the folks at Edmunds, we’ve just added a list of current new car rebates. This is something that’s been often requested and discussed at length. Until now, we lacked the resources to maintain the data. Now that the federal government’s cash for clunkers program is a fading memory, a new … Read more

Cash For Clunkers Qualifications

Hold onto your hats (and your wallets). Uncle Sam’s Cash for Clunkers program is roaring down the track. The federal government’s Cash Allowance Rebate System (CARS), has set aside $1,000,000,000 to jump start ailing automotive sales by giving individual consumers $3,500 or $4,500 credits towards the purchase of a new vehicle with a higher fuel economy rating.

The CARS program is set to run until November 30th of this year, or until the funds are exhausted. Congress may or may not renew the program when the allocation runs out.

The Cash for Clunkers rules include eligibility requirements for both the surrendered and new vehicles. Unfortunately, the vast majority of folks will not qualify.

The car, truck, or SUV that’s turned in must meet the following requirements:

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22 MPG Combined?

The time to retire old paint might be just around the corner. If your old car is rated at 18 miles per gallon (MPG) or less, you might be eligible to receive up to $4500 towards the purchase of a new (and perhaps only slightly) more fuel efficient car. To be eligible for the new Cash for Clunkers program as proposed by the House of Representatives, new cars must be rated at a minimum of just 22 miles per gallon (MPG) combined.

What’s next … members of Congress appearing on car commercials?

More as this develops …

2009 Cars that Achieve 22 MPG Combined or Higher

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Cash For Clunkers: Family Unfriendly?

There’s an unfortunate wrinkle in the Federal Cash for Clunkers proposals. As proposed, the programs discriminate against large families.

The Clean Car Rebate Act of 2009 (H.R.1808) offers a modest sliding scale of rebates for vehicles that have a combined average of 28 miles per gallon (MPG) or more.

That’s all well and good for folks that can get by with a vehicle that fits into those criteria. A compact four passenger car should have no problem averaging 28 MPG.

But what about families that need to transport five or more people safely and comfortably? How many vehicles qualify for the program?

Under this proposal, large families will not receive funds to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle that fits their needs … because the criteria for qualification is flawed.

One solution might be to fund swaps with a specific vehicle-by-vehicle MPG improvement qualification threshold. For example, a 6 MPG improvement threshold might provide a rebate for folks swapping a Ford Expedition for a Ford Flex.

Take a look at the vehicles that currently qualify for H.R.1808 (as initially proposed) and envision how six people would fit into any one of them. Then, consider how many of these vehicles are built in the United States.

This bill while well-intentioned, needs tweaks …

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Cash For Clunkers to Get Green Light?

In a letter to the American people yesterday, President Obama weighed in heavily on the Cash for Clunkers proposals that are currently floating through the halls of Congress. … we will also find ways to increase car sales while modernizing our auto fleet. Such fleet modernization programs, which provide a generous credit to consumers who … Read more