Comments on: Revised ‘Cash for Clunkers’ bill gaining support on Capitol Hill

By: bailout

bailout — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:34:51 +0000

“NO” to North America and “YES” to made in the U.S.

This bill is ok only if it applies strictly to U.S. made vehicles. The vouchers will be funded by the taxpayer. In this case the domestics and the new domestics (transplants) workers,whom are U.S. taxpayers, should reap the benefits. Applying the vouchers to vehicles made in Canada and Mexico does nothing to support the American auto assembler and machinist.

The Canadians nor the Mexicans pay U.S. taxes and therefore should not reap any benefits at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer. If the bill applies to regions outside the U.S. boarders it clearly comes across as a method to clear dealer lots of low waged Mexican assembled vehicles.

Congress, please be informed…. Make the choice that benefits the U.S. worker building within our boarders.

By: winnipegjets

winnipegjets — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:33:03 +0000

is anyone else thinking that NMOFGM is betty sutton?
this is a good idea, but theres a lot of wrinkles that need to be ironed out with it. for starters, it should be SUVs5 years older or more, and cars 8 years older or more, trucks being somewhere in the middle. dont forget however, that imports have amuch higher resale than american cars do, so the people that already have old imports will be helped out more by this. for instance, last year my father traded in his 2000 toyota 4runner with 100000 miles on it for a new lexus sc430. he got 12000$ for it! that SUV was 8 years old and still worth 12k. considering he paid 34k to begin with thats not a bad loss. also, my sister is trading in her 2002 celica (bought it september 01) with 50000 miles on it, and she is getting 9K for it. shes trading it in on a bmw which is being delivered in the beginning of june. so she may lose 500$ on trade, but gain 4000$ in rebates.

By: yarddog82abn

yarddog82abn — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:16:49 +0000

I already did patriotic duty, I bought the wife a Ford Expedition…

By: elviososa

elviososa — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:56:07 +0000

hmmm…i want a Camaro…..

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:32:46 +0000

Not sure this is such a hot idea
Zeeck: you’re not alone.

By: carstuff

carstuff — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:27:43 +0000

I can see old 4wd trucks will be in demand. Any vehicle gets better gas mileage and you can pick them up cheap. Heck if the US does not watch out we will see scrap yards putting together junk vehicles out of junk and selling them.

By: bigjimid

bigjimid — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:26:33 +0000

miket – Good idea man. I wonder if there is a place to submit suggestions for the bill, because I’d submit this one if I were you. But they’d probably come back and say something about not getting enough older vehicles off the road or some bullsh!t like that.

By: shaver

shaver — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:25:43 +0000

Suddenly everyone in Mississippi with a front lawn just doubled there income.

By: nestle_s

nestle_s — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:21:29 +0000

the GM products i will own is the corvette, the new ford mustang and a 2002 firebird with the ws6 package thank you! ^_^

By: bigjimid

bigjimid — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:20:36 +0000

Even if people buy a used cheap a$$ car just to trade in, it’s still helping out. It would just be like they are only getting say $4000 instead of $5000.

The only way I could see it being abused is if someone first buys a ‘junker’, then trades it in for a new car, and then from there sells the new car for more than they paid for it, and then do it all over again. But I’m sure that there will be a clause where you have to own the new vehicle for a certain number of months following. Either way, that would still be a pain in the a$$ just to only make a couple thousand dollars on it.

By: miket

miket — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:07:18 +0000

If we are looking to stimulate the auto industry, and increase our US avg MPG, I propose we just offer a tax credit to anyone who purchases a new car that gets 10% better MPG than the one they are trading in. For most of us, we are talking about only 2-3 MPG better than what we drive now. That’s not too hard if you drive an SUV currently. On the other hand, if you already have a prius, you already got your credit anyway.

Everyone has an equal chance to get the credit if they purchase a new car.

By: save saab

save saab — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:03:47 +0000

Good idea, but they shouldn’t scrap Caprices (LT1 powered), Broncos or Firebirds, those will be collectibles in 2026.

By: carstuff

carstuff — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:52:31 +0000

devastating to used car market? It would quickly move the base price up to almost $5k over night. Your ready to buy a new car? Pick up a 70 junk accord for $1000 and turn it in for $5k.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:26:05 +0000

I pray that this won’t pass… it would be devastating to the used car market.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:20:31 +0000

Oh – RaineMan,

I believe OJ’s was a ‘94 XLT, it didn’t have the tan trim of the Eddie Bauer’s.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:17:52 +0000

So let me get this straight. Since I drive a newer car already, I’m getting punished? I won’t get a rebate since my car I’m driving is already fuel effecient and safe?

This is why I hate Democrats, I’m sorry, but giving handouts to people who should have be driving a new car anyway. If they have good enough credit and can afford a new car, why do we need to give them something to get a new car? This really makes me mad, I’m ready to go ballistic if this passes. My tax money shouldn’t be going to a bogus thing like this, what stops people from buying a 1991 Cavelier for 100 bucks, have it sit in their garage for a couple months, then trade it in and get an addition government rebate?

By: BuyUSA

BuyUSA — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:13:31 +0000

Yes, I am typing this from prison right now…they gave me internet privilidges as part of my plea agreement.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:59:01 +0000

BuyUSA: Are you OJ Simpson?

By: BuyUSA

BuyUSA — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:29:38 +0000

Why do they have to put a picture of a Bronco on this story? Man, those things were sweet…wish i still had my 93 eddie bauer.

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:05:04 +0000

MercMark, true. Do they all together account for sale of about 300K units as only Civic does (in the former years with decent economy)?

By: carstuff

carstuff — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:02:34 +0000

Raineman, the replacement vehicle would be the 4 door Malibu which is rated at 22/30 which still beats your old 22/31. It also has 173 hp which is so close to your 180 hp.

jpruden, this is not a trade in. It is a scrappage program. The vehicle has to be scrapped so whatever you bring in should be worth less than $5k.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:57:49 +0000

Well jpruden… some of us will just have to suffer because we were deluded by the idea that $1.50 gas would be around forever and foolishly went out and spent a ton of money to buy a 2-ton oversized offroad hauler to commute back and forth to work in. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard your story repeated… “The WIFE had to have a (Hummer/Escalade/Suburban/Expedition/etc.) to get around town in.” You didn’t need it then… you could barely afford it then… and look at where you are now.

The week after Katrina hit the gulf coast I went and traded in my 15MPG Ford truck for a 25MPG Chevy car. Do I miss the utility and power of the truck, oh yeah… do I miss the weekly fuel stops, oh no.

History is one h3ll of a teacher, ain’t it? Hopefully a lot of Americans will learn something from this crisis.

By: jpruden

jpruden — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:42:37 +0000

The problem is that it’s not allowing those of us with more recent SUVs to trade them in for something more efficient.

I’ve got a 2004 Expedition that my wife *had* to have… and this program is not making it easy for me to trade it in on something smaller because it’s *only* 5 years old. The 14 mpg I get driving it around town isn’t helping.

Ugh.

By: Mutant@DCX

Mutant@DCX — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:35:40 +0000

That’s a good looking Bronco pictured… i’ll give you $5100.00 for it.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:29:56 +0000

A valid point MercMark… with the “new” EPA numbers the car is rated at 19 / 29. My odometer calculations have me at around 20MPG in town… so I’d say that’s fairly accurate. You have to admit… for a 20 year old car that ain’t bad.

By: Hazdaz

Hazdaz — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:21:49 +0000

In a way I think this is a good idea, in a way I think it is a waste.

On the one hand, it will be good to get some of these older cars off the road – that alone will help with lessening our reliance on oil because the newer car would get better mileage and newer cars should be much cleaner on emissions. Also it would help stimulate demand in the car market and a large % of the cars bought in the US are made here (be they from “foreign” nameplates or not) so that would help with jobs.

On the other hand, that $5k tax break has to come from someplace, so is this the best way to stimulate the economy – by borrowing all this money to help offset some costs for people that would have (possibly) bought a new car anyways? There are already dealerships that run these type of deals all the time – “push, pull or tow your old car and get $XXXX off a new car”. If these dealerships can make those deals on their own, why have the government help them? I also could see a bunch of corruption in this – be it from the dealerships themselves or individuals buying up $500 cars just to trade them in for $5000 rebates.

By: MercMark

MercMark — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:02:23 +0000

posted by:
RaineMan
That’s too bad…
My 1990 Beretta GTZ is EPA rated at 22city / 31hwy.

Aren’t those the old EPA numbers? They changed the way they calculate them so I’m sure by that standard your Baretta’s numbers are lower.

By: non_biased_enthusiast

non_biased_enthusiast — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:59:49 +0000

I’m sure many people will forgo the extra $1,000 and buy whatever they want. I am also sure that some will trade an 8 year old GM vehicle for a new import.

By: FSVT_ROCK

FSVT_ROCK — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:59:33 +0000

haha @ NMOFGM

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:58:06 +0000

That’s too bad…

My 1990 Beretta GTZ is EPA rated at 22city / 31hwy. I don’t know of many new cars that do better… especially domestics. Calibur can’t beat it… Focus is a joke… and I don’t want an Aveo or a base model Cobalt. Not to mention that there are even less new ones that can beat the Beretta’s 180hp. Guess I’ll just keep have to keep it.

By: tripleonefive

tripleonefive — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:53:26 +0000

I love how they always have a D3 car as the picture Suiting

By: MercMark

MercMark — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:52:21 +0000

Ohio also makes the Chevy Cobalt & Pontiac G5 at Lordstown and Jeep Liberty in Toledo.

By: Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3

Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:49:03 +0000

I believe the rebates should have the caveat of being solely used for purchasing an American manufacturer’s vehicle.
.
And NMOFGM, please STFU!

By: zeeck

zeeck — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:41:15 +0000

I would take my old Bronco over a new car any day, I miss the 10mpg, the stalling (even though it was an automatic), the trouble of starting it on cold days, and especially how that 5.8L v8 would shake the truck, the offroading was nice too damn expedition ruined all that…

And NMOFGM, you are dumb, I plan on using my 2000 Accord for a very long time

By: shaver

shaver — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:40:40 +0000

The right thing to do? Hell no. But it is an easy fix.