When I heard about the "Cash for Clunkers" program, I got excited. I drive a dilapidated 1995 Saturn SL1 that, while reliable as Rollings Reliable Baking Powder, looks atrocious. That's just part of my passive theft deterrent system. The program, however, is a misnomer. It's about fuel economy, not about getting old cars off the road, meaning that my 41mpg car doesn't even come close to qualifying.
In the days just before the program went active, the government shot itself in the foot. People discovered that the EPA had adjusted their efficiency to 19mpg, just over the 18mpg limit so that their cars didn't qualify. Like so many other things the government does, this had unintended consequences.
Some cars reclassified now qualified as improvements over previous versions, and Americans showed what cars they really want. People started buying trucks and crossovers which scrape by with 19mpg ratings under the new system. While official government sources tout Toyota and Honda as the cars being replaced, Edmunds.com reports that luxury SUVs and trucks are at least as commonly sold under the program. Notice the lack of SMART cars, mopeds, and the like being sold. Shoot, I remember an official in Obama's administration saying he was going to buy a Ford Explorer a few weeks back. So much for setting an example.
If I'd qualified, I planned to buy a GMC Canyon or Chevrolet Colorado for its utility. I take lots of trips into the mountains and desert and to the lake, and the chassy of my Saturn just doesn't cut the mustard. When I buy a home, it will be useful to haul things to work on, move into, and then customize my home. These are the cars Americans buy when given the choice. However, my clunker doesn't qualify, so I continue to drive it, matching at much lower expense the efficiency of the way more expensive to acquire, maintain, and operate Prius.
In the days just before the program went active, the government shot itself in the foot. People discovered that the EPA had adjusted their efficiency to 19mpg, just over the 18mpg limit so that their cars didn't qualify. Like so many other things the government does, this had unintended consequences.
Some cars reclassified now qualified as improvements over previous versions, and Americans showed what cars they really want. People started buying trucks and crossovers which scrape by with 19mpg ratings under the new system. While official government sources tout Toyota and Honda as the cars being replaced, Edmunds.com reports that luxury SUVs and trucks are at least as commonly sold under the program. Notice the lack of SMART cars, mopeds, and the like being sold. Shoot, I remember an official in Obama's administration saying he was going to buy a Ford Explorer a few weeks back. So much for setting an example.
If I'd qualified, I planned to buy a GMC Canyon or Chevrolet Colorado for its utility. I take lots of trips into the mountains and desert and to the lake, and the chassy of my Saturn just doesn't cut the mustard. When I buy a home, it will be useful to haul things to work on, move into, and then customize my home. These are the cars Americans buy when given the choice. However, my clunker doesn't qualify, so I continue to drive it, matching at much lower expense the efficiency of the way more expensive to acquire, maintain, and operate Prius.
No comments:
Post a Comment