Cash For Clunkers

The facts in the case of the White House versus Edmunds are essentially indisputable – but they are open for interpretation. The federal government's $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program generated 690,000 sales by providing $3,500 and $4,500 vouchers to car buyers who turned in their eligible car or truck in exchange for a more fuel efficient ride. From here on in, Edmunds and the White House seem to be at considerable odds.

Cash for Clunkers vehicles – Click above for high-res image gallery

October is coming to a close, which means we're within a few days of getting the bad news monthly auto sales tally. But October may not look as bad as many feared, at least according to the latest study by J.D. Power. The industry forecasting gurus see October sales down only six percent versus October 2008, s

New car sales have been in a downward spiral for over a year now, and the big beneficiaries appear to be used cars (and repair shops). A study by Manheim Consulting shows that the company's Used Vehicle Value Index has risen to a record high of 118.5 in the month of September, up 1.8% versus August. That's the ninth straight increase this year, as Manheim's index has steamrolled northward by 6.9% over the past 12 months.

The Italian cash for clunkers program was supposed to last until the end of 2009. However, there were voices that called for the extension of the program. Once such voice was Sergio Marchione, the CEO of Fiat, who said that there could be "severe social consequences" if the program was suddendly finished. Presto, the Italian Government has now decided to extend the program by 100,000 more vehicles

The success or failure of the Cash for Clunkers program that recently came to an end here in the United States has been and will continue to be debatable, but at least some good was accomplished by the legislation. According to data compiled by Wards Auto, the average new car fuel mileage hit a new record of 23 mil

There have been subtle signs that demand for new cars and trucks are improving. Several automakers plan to increase production over the next few months, and Toyota is no different. Reuters is reporting that the World's Largest Automaker has raised its sales forecast by 3% to 6.7 million units for the year ending March 2010. Toyota is also reportedly looking to increase production by a not-so-subtle 8% to a total of 6.45 million units. Toyota is neither confirming or denying the report,

One rule that all clunked cars needed to adhere to was a maximum rating of 18 MPG from the federal government, right? What wasn't required was that the clunked car be considered dirty. After all, it's pretty clear that CNG vehicles burn clean, but that didn't stop 232 of them from meeting their sodium silicat

One rule that all clunked cars needed to adhere to was a maximum rating of 18 MPG from the federal government, right? What wasn't required was that the clunked car be considered dirty. After all, it's pretty clear that CNG vehicles burn clean, but that didn't stop 232 of them from meeting their sodium silicat

As is all too often the case, unintended consequences appear likely to play a part in the aftermath of Cash for Clunkers. One of the points made in selling the whole idea was that it would save fuel by taking older fuel-guzzling vehicles off the road and replace them with new, more efficient vehicles. While this appears to have worked out – with the average mileage for the first quarter million trade-ins going from 16.3 mpg to 24.8 mpg – that figure is not the end of the story.

After a month of relentless Cash for Clunkers coverage, we were more than pleased when the Fed's buy-back program finally ended. Nearly every other day C4C was in danger of getting shut down because of a lack of funds. Then there were dealers were worried about getting paid and customers who had to sign responsibility forms in the event their clunker wasn't covered under the program. But while we've had more than our fill of C4C, the car-buying public wants more.

In the wake of the government's Cash for Clunkers program, analysts are crunching the data to determine who benefited the most from the month-long incentive program. Interestingly enough, it appears that "Blue States" (states where the residents predominantly vote for Democrat) benefited the most. USA Today reports that the 28 states that voted for Barack Obama have requested nearly $2.13 billion in rebates. On the other hand,

2010 Audi Q5 - click above for high-res gallery

With 690,000 vehicles sentenced to one final gargle of sodium silicate, thanks to the now-defunct Cash for Clunkers program, demolition-derby drivers seem to have been left holding the short end of the driveshaft. What the government seems to have forgotten is that many

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Cash for Clunkers was announced, most everyone was so fixed on government subsidies and the potential for a sales uptick that one big obstacle was apparently largely overlooked. How and when would dealers get paid? A couple weeks after the program officially ended, we're beginning to get an idea, and the answer is "slowly." According to Automotive News, a survey by the National Automotive Dealers Association on August 27 says that only 5.7% of all clunker transactions have been rei

FoMoCo sales up 17%, GM and Chrysler improve but still losing sales

C.A.R.S. ended Monday night and the numbers are in. At first blush, things look positive.