Say you had a $4500 Cash for Clunkers Credit......

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

What would you buy as your car? We'll just assume you get a $4500 credit. (Clunkers must get less than 18 miles a gallon combined fuel economy, as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency.).


Rules:
The new car you're buying must get at least 22 mpg
A new SUV or small truck must be rated at least 18 mpg
No minimum when you're buying an extra-large work truck or van.

What car/SUV/van would you get?

Would you finance the difference or pay in cash?

Use your own needs as justification and assume this will be your primary mode of transport (i.e. you won't have your current car).

 

[Shapecity]

What car/SUV/van would you get? Toyota Prius 2010

Would you finance the difference or pay in cash? Finance

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

Honda Civic

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-sedan/price.aspx?Model=FA1559EW

or

Toyota Corolla

http://www.toyota.com/corolla/trims-prices.html#?view=showroom&vehicle=3

I like these cars, cheap repairs, etc.

probably finance it if the rate was low or zero, otherwise, I could just pay cash I guess but sucks having $12k deleted out of your bank account at once.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Probably wouldn't. The Avalanche does a pretty good job of balancing roomy comfort with business needs (ability to carry about a ton), runs on E85 (if we ever got more than one station in western WA with e85 that would be a bonus--thank you US Gas in Longview!), gets 17mpg pretty consistently and better if I'm doing long highway drives.

I'd thought about a Sprinter before, but you can't load the wife up in a Sprinter and drive to Portland for the game.

 

[PapaG]

On a related note, isn't it amazing how many people jumped on what basically amounts to a tax cut?

Too bad there isn't a $4500 tax credit. That would really stimulate the economy overall, and not just auto dealerships.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

Probably wouldn't. The Avalanche does a pretty good job of balancing roomy comfort with business needs (ability to carry about a ton), runs on E85 (if we ever got more than one station in western WA with e85 that would be a bonus--thank you US Gas in Longview!), gets 17mpg pretty consistently and better if I'm doing long highway drives.

I'd thought about a Sprinter before, but you can't load the wife up in a Sprinter and drive to Portland for the game.

IF YOU DON'T DO IT NOW BY CHOICE YOU WILL BE FORCED TO LATER SO CHOOSE NOW.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Dodge Magnum.

I have wet dreams about owning one of those things.

 

[andalusian]

New car that I want to own... drawing blanks, pretty much. If the much rumored Subaru/Toyota RWD light-weight coupe was already in production - I might have been interested. Right now? Drawing blanks.

If I must choose something or your will decapitate me... Maybe a Honda Fit as an around the town runabout... but I do not really want it either.

 

[crowTrobot]

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

New car that I want to own... drawing blanks, pretty much. If the much rumored Subaru/Toyota RWD light-weight coupe was already in production - I might have been interested. Right now? Drawing blanks.

If I must choose something or your will decapitate me... Maybe a Honda Fit as an around the town runabout... but I do not really want it either.

if you don't have a lot of free way driving, a honda fit would be pretty sweet. like a go-cart.

 

[maxiep]

I'm thinking about trading in my beater pickup (1997 Chevy SS) for a Ford F-150. My other cars are pretty decent, however I could use more towing capacity and a larger truck bed, so if I take advantage of the program, that would be the one I'd go with.

 

[THE HCP]

My choice!
Audi S8!

 

[Sedatedfork]

HCP -- that's a good call.

I would think long and hard (that's what she said) about getting a Dodge Charger.

 

[crowTrobot]

HCP -- that's a good call.

I would think long and hard (that's what she said) about getting a Dodge Charger.

charger doesn't qualify - no model gets better than 21 MPG avg.

 

[hasoos]

On a related note, isn't it amazing how many people jumped on what basically amounts to a tax cut?

Too bad there isn't a $4500 tax credit. That would really stimulate the economy overall, and not just auto dealerships.

Except I will point out one thing to you. The government kicks in up to $4,500. They get the person buying the car to probably kick in over 20k into the economy. Where if you just give them a $4,500 tax cut, they may or may not spend it, and then they only inject $4,500 into the economy. So by the government giving them $4,500, they get a person to kick $20k+ (If the car cost that much, note disclaimer most cars do.) into the economy.

Now then if you consider the fact that the car companies are going to have to pay taxes on that money, and that workers who work for them that keep their jobs have to pay taxes on their income, the program will partially pay for itself. I can guarantee a mathmatician/economist went through the math and figured out that over the haul, when the taxes come back in, this program will almost completely pay for itself.

 

[Sedatedfork]

charger doesn't qualify - no model gets better than 21 MPG avg.

Oh -- guess I was looking at highway mpg.

 

[crowTrobot]

Oh -- guess I was looking at highway mpg.

if anyone is serious about doing this here's the official NHTSA guide that lets you check eligibility
of clunker vs. new -

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/CarsSearchIntro.shtml

 

[bodyman5001]

I would buy a Scion Xb if it is eligible. Then I would buy one that needs rebuilt from a salvage yard. Then I would rebuild the wrecked one using the parts from the new one I just bought. Then I would sell any of the parts I had from the new one that were still good.

Then i would quit paying the loan on the new one and when they came to repo it I would tell them to bring a flat bed and then I would lift the small pieces that were left and place them on the flatbed myself.

Then I could file bankruptcy and not worry about needing a car for at least ten years.

There might be some flaws in this idea, but those could be worked out if I really thought about it.

 

[Haakzilla]

Honda Civic Si

 

[Boob-No-More]

I would buy a Scion Xb if it is eligible. Then I would buy one that needs rebuilt from a salvage yard. Then I would rebuild the wrecked one using the parts from the new one I just bought. Then I would sell any of the parts I had from the new one that were still good.

Then i would quit paying the loan on the new one and when they came to repo it I would tell them to bring a flat bed and then I would lift the small pieces that were left and place them on the flatbed myself.

Then I could file bankruptcy and not worry about needing a car for at least ten years.

There might be some flaws in this idea, but those could be worked out if I really thought about it.

That's exactly what I'd do. Only I'd stop after "I would buy a Scion Xb".

Yes, it is eligible and I also have two trade in vehicles that are also eligible - but one is worth way more than the $3500 rebate I'd get. I want the limited edition Red Release 6.0 model:

[video=youtube;BjocIH1nctE]

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

Probably get what I have now. The Lexus LS Hybrid.

It gets 22 hwy.


Then again, maybe I would get somethng cheaper and invest the $4500 in GM stock. It's bound to bounce back at some point. those .50 shares should be worth $10 or so in a few years.

 

[barfo]

Then again, maybe I would get somethng cheaper and invest the $4500 in GM stock. It's bound to bounce back at some point. those .50 shares should be worth $10 or so in a few years.

Aren't those 50 cent shares shares in the non-continuing businesses? I think GM itself is not currently trading.

barfo

 

[crowTrobot]

Probably get what I have now. The Lexus LS Hybrid.

lol $45k cap on MSRP, so sorry you can't get a $4500 discount on your $100k+ car

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Chevy Malibu Hybrid.

Great gas mileage and they look great.

 

[bodyman5001]

That's exactly what I'd do. Only I'd stop after "I would buy a Scion Xb".

Yes, it is eligible and I also have two trade in vehicles that are also eligible - but one is worth way more than the $3500 rebate I'd get. I want the limited edition Red Release 6.0 model:



BNM

Limited edition with hubcaps? I guess they expect people to add different wheels?

 

[44Thrilla]

Oh -- guess I was looking at highway mpg.

Not sure what it's rated at, but I usually get 21-24 in my charger.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Limited edition with hubcaps? I guess they expect people to add different wheels?

They have three alloy wheel options, but I may go with some aftermarket alloys.

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

lol $45k cap on MSRP, so sorry you can't get a $4500 discount on your $100k+ car

Bastards. Shows how much I know about the plan LOL.

 

[andalusian]

Bastards. Shows how much I know about the plan LOL.

I have no real interest in trading any of my cars or buying any new cars (well, in theory I do not think any of my cars qualify) - but this program was pretty dumb ethically and logically.

The idea that someone going from 18MPG to 22MPG qualifies but someone that wants to go from 24MPG to 42MPG does not is just... dumb.

On top of the logic failure - there is an ethical failure as well, assuming you believe in the dangers of energy dependency - you reward the people that had no regard to it - so even under this premise you reward failure. A strange way to look at the American dream, if you ask me.