Low Milage Car Plan

[piasabird]

I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

 

[Moonbeam]

It means I can trade my 96 De Ville in for a Smart Car for 99 dollars a month and save 100 dollars a month in gas.

 

[Venix]

"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: piasabird
I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

Have you checked your truck on http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ ?

My old 95 V6 Dodge Dakota (that is very rarely used) only gets 15 mpg combined. Unless you had a four-cylinder Ford Ranger (which would be shameful for a country boy), I have a very hard time believing that your truck was getting > 18mpg combined.

Note that the ACTUAL observed mileage does not matter at all, the only thing that matters is the combined number from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ .

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: piasabird
I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

Democratic House, Congress and president.... and you want it to make sense?

 

[0marTheZealot]

Originally posted by: Venix
"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: piasabird
I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

You understand that the vehicle has to be scrapped, right? They're not getting $4500 on top of trade-in value. The goal of the program is to do two things - 1. get those cars off the road (scrapping requirement), and 2. help the automakers (new car purchase requirement).

The program has some flaws that seem likely to make it less effective than it otherwise might be. For instance, the kind of person who drive a vehicle with a trade-in value less than $3500-4500 is unlikely to want to buy a brand new car. Time will tell if it is an effective program.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

And as it runs through the dealer rather than say a tax credit, all sorts of shenanigans to be had by dealers.

But oh, they aren't supposed to be able to charge/deduct/etc. from the program.

Hello? They're shitbags. That's why they are car salesmen.

 

[Andrew1990]

Too bad I only had insurance on my van for 1 month so far. It only gets a 14MPG Combined.

If I did have insurance for a full year though, would it have been possible to buy a cheaper "new" 2007 model for less than a new '08?

 

[MikeMike]

Under the program, you may purchase a new vehicle or lease a new vehicle, provided the lease period for the new vehicle is at least five years.

BWAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAA... what idiotic democrat decided that people should lease vehicles for 5 years?

 

[woodie1]

Best I can figure, this is an effort to help dealers sell cars and has little to do with helping the environment.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: 0marTheZealot

Originally posted by: Venix
"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

 

[babylon5]

My family has a Cadallic made in 90s that gets 17 mpg. It's mostly a backup car, so we don't drive it much.

We'll probably trade it with this program and get a Toyota.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: babylon5
My family has a Cadallic made in 90s that gets 17 mpg. It's mostly a backup car, so we don't drive it much.

We'll probably trade it with this program and get a Toyota.

Awesome :thumbsup:

My used car gets 30MPG combined already so I'm not eligible; it's a Toyota.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: piasabird
I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

they're not rewarding idiotass polluters... they're converting them. huge difference.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: 0marTheZealot

Originally posted by: Venix
"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

Definition: Still not an American Born Citizen, but he's Irish rather than Kenyan.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: 0marTheZealot

Originally posted by: Venix
"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

Definition: Still not an American Born Citizen, but he's Irish rather than Kenyan.

huh? wait, you think obama wasn't an american-born citizen?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: 0marTheZealot

Originally posted by: Venix
"O'Bamma"? What does that even mean?

Definition: Still not an American Born Citizen, but he's Irish rather than Kenyan.

huh? wait, you think obama wasn't an american-born citizen?

:gift: Open it, it's a surprise. Crap I can't wait, it's Batteries!!!

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: piasabird
I dont remember what this gas saving low MPG prevention car deal is that O'Bamma signed is called. So I took a look at some of the requirements. The vehicle you turn in has to be less than 25 years old and it has to get less than 18 miles per gallon Based on new car statistics. I have not own such a car for quite a while. Even my old Ford Truck got better milage than that. So basically it is a program that rewards complete idiots who purchased gas guzzlers. What is the point? They want to reward polluters. So if I owned a car like a Hummer I could get the $4,500 trade in on my gas hog.

What about this program makes sense exactly?

they're not rewarding idiotass polluters... they're converting them. huge difference.

You're wasting your time. Nothing but faux outrage here and several follow up posts.

 

[bobsmith1492]

I looked into the program; my '89 Bronco II would qualify, being rated at 17 (I get 22 the way I drive). The blue book value is only $1000 but if I get a car that gets 22MPG or more I'd get $4500 toward the new car.

Still, new cars are so freaking expensive it's not really an option. If there were a decent-sized vehicle available for <$15000 I might do it but I really need something bigger than a compact car. I don't drive much (walk or bike to work) but when I do I'm carrying stuff. An Escape is close but at $22K it'd still be over $300/month on the 0% interest plan. That's a crapload of money just to have a new car sitting around in my garage.

 

[dullard]

The program is called "cash for clunkers". It isn't "cash for people with newer cars". It isn't "cash for people with good used cars". It isn't "cash for people with antique cars". It isn't "cash for the poor or high-income car owners". No, it is "cash for clunkers".

If you don't have a old, nearly worthless, crappy car that spews out pollutants, and that you are driving until it finally kicks the bucket or if you aren't middle class -- then the program isn't for you. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the program was meant to do anything else. It is severely underfunded to have impact on other car categories.

It is intended to get these crappy and often dangerous cars off the road. It is intended to get some new car sales going from people who can afford a new car but who are waiting. It is intended to get some better fuel economy and thereby make a small dent in our dependency on foreign oil. It is intended to reduce pollution and make people healthier. It should make a small impact on all of those categories. Nothing major, but then it doesn't have enough funding to make any major impact.

This type of program has been sucessful in other countries. It has a multiplying effect. $1B in US spending would cover approximately 250,000 new cars (assuming half get $3500 and half get $4500). If the average new car bought was $20,000, then the car manufacturers / part suppliers / dealers get 250,000 * $20,000 = $5B. Even if only half of that money went to US companies, then the US companies get $2.5B injected for just $1B of government money. That is far better than the US goverment just giving money to the car companies as it has been over the last few months (and it doesn't violate free trade agreements). Since that $2.5B is eventually profit or income for someone, the US government gets nearly the full $1B back in taxes AND it can get a nice profit from selling all those scrapped car parts.

Leave it to P&N to complain about a program that nearly pays for itself, is not full of government inefficiencies and in fact has a multiplicitive effect, reduces the need for government ownership of companies, helps US companies, reduces dependency on foreign oil, reduces pollutants, and helps middle class citizens.

 

[lupi]

Originally posted by: dullard
The program is called "cash for clunkers". It isn't "cash for people with newer cars". It isn't "cash for people with good used cars". It isn't "cash for people with antique cars". It isn't "cash for the poor or high-income car owners". No, it is "cash for clunkers".

If you don't have a old, nearly worthless, crappy car that spews out pollutants, and that you are driving until it finally kicks the bucket or if you aren't middle class -- then the program isn't for you. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the program was meant to do anything else. It is severely underfunded to have impact on other car categories.

It is intended to get these crappy and often dangerous cars off the road. It is intended to get some new car sales going from people who can afford a new car but who are waiting. It is intended to get some better fuel economy and thereby make a small dent in our dependency on foreign oil. It is intended to reduce pollution and make people healthier. It should make a small impact on all of those categories. Nothing major, but then it doesn't have enough funding to make any major impact.

This type of program has been sucessful in other countries. It has a multiplying effect. $1B in US spending would cover approximately 250,000 new cars (assuming half get $3500 and half get $4500). If the average new car bought was $20,000, then the car manufacturers / part suppliers / dealers get 250,000 * $20,000 = $5B. Even if only half of that money went to US companies, then the US companies get $2.5B injected for just $1B of government money. That is far better than the US goverment just giving money to the car companies as it has been over the last few months (and it doesn't violate free trade agreements). Since that $2.5B is eventually profit or income for someone, the US government gets nearly the full $1B back in taxes AND it can get a nice profit from selling all those scrapped car parts.

Leave it to P&N to complain about a program that nearly pays for itself, is not full of government inefficiencies and in fact has a multiplicitive effect, reduces the need for government ownership of companies, helps US companies, reduces dependency on foreign oil, reduces pollutants, and helps middle class citizens.

There's every reason to complain. This is the kind of shit sandwhich legislation we get when they decide to "compromise".

The environment nuts had been trying to push a car bill for awhile but it had no traction. Then the other side decided to push a version to move some of the bailout money from going straight to the auto companies to the consumers. The result is this abortion which rules out almost every car made during the last 25 years since amazingly enough, they weren't really that much of gas guzzlers.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: lupi
The result is this abortion which rules out almost every car made during the last 25 years since amazingly enough, they weren't really that much of gas guzzlers.

There is a real complaint - that it wasn't given enough funding. Thus, they had to limit it to fewer vehicles. But that lack of funding complaint wasn't in this thread before I posted (I mentioned that complaint myself). But, there are over thirty models that qualify. With various model years and various twins under different names that list becomes hundreds of potential car permutations that all qualify. Sure, there could be more, but it is a decent start.

 

[lupi]

That list you linked proves my point. Only something like a dozen cars, all but one of which were high $$ luxury cars or sports cars.

Thank god they are going to do something for everyone that's still rollin down the sarasota main strip in their 20 yo caddy a chance to get a new one.

 

[cubeless]

sheesh... it was just meant to be a rebate for government motors vehicles that got out of hand and had to apply to all those cars that aren't made in motown, too... bo needs sales for his new enterprises or he's gonna look pretty bad when they go belly up again...