You could get $3500 or $4500 off of the price of a new car on top of any other incentive that the dealer or factory is offering as long as the replacement car gets at least 2 to 4 Miles Per Gallon better then your trade in. The determination of your current trade in MPG is decided by it's fuel rating when it was new. The trade in can not be older then 1984 and must be a car that was registered the previous year. If the car is worth more than the $3500 or $4500 you would be better off just selling it or trading it in outside of the CARS program as it is called. If a car is paid for you will have a car payment now if you can not afford to pay cash. You do not get the cash. The approved dealership reduces the price of the car and submitts a mountain of paperwork to the federal government and the dearlship will get reimbursed the $3500 or $4500. The dealerships are worried that they may not get reimbursed for sales already completed and approved but have not recieved their reimbursement from the federal government.

 

I don't want this thread to get political, but it seems that if the powers-that-be really were interested in helping the American auto industry, then the only replacement brands that would be eligible would be from the Detroit Big 3.

 

Does anyone remember a few years ago when they tried to get people to turn in their really old outdated cars cause they were causing high emissions and people who have 50,000 streetrods said Go To HELL your not getting my car.. well i look at it this way, this is another way to get older cars off the streets so dealers can rape you on getting a new car,..............lemme tell ya their not geting my 84 Elcamino with a 454 or my 49 ford p/u with a corvette 327 in it ..........my 93 chevy conv van or my blazer,,,they can kiss my Grass, for any $ dollar amount...

 

That's the main crux of the program, no? Getting inefficient and polluting cars off the road. Allowing drive-train transplants would defeat the purpose.

Personally, I prefer to see my tax dollars go to programs like this, rather than bank handouts, and AIG bonuses!

 

I feel you...but in 2009, I don't think it's that simple any more. So many "foreign" cars are actually built right here, so their sale does create jobs and stimulate the economy at home. Industrial globalization is here, it's really no longer a matter of us vs them.

Over the years, I've noticed most of the AC/Delco parts I've bought for my Blazer were made in Mexico. It might be an American vehicle, but it's got a Spanish accent!

 

Although my truck is worth more through this trade-in, I could never do it. My parents tried pressuring me into it but I wouldn't do it. My truck is in too good a shape for it to just be crushed (or whatever they do to it). I'd rather have my old truck that gets crappy mileage but is much appreciated by everyone who sees it than a new truck that just fades into the rest of traffic. It makes me sad to think of all the nice old K-5's and S10's being crushed for this program. Although I can see it being helpful if you need the money or whatever, but it's still sad..

 

I think the whole program is pointless. It will not make a dent in the used cars on the road. Why not let the taxpayers keep more of thier own hard earned cash to spend as they see fit. Tax revenues increase to the treasury every time that tax rates go down. But you will never hear that in todays climate.

 

yes it does. i was told this yesterday that hidden in the bill is a line about the cars having to be crushed for the dealers to recieve the credit.

i was told by someone involved with SEMA who deals with bills that affect auto enthusiasts

 

yes but an old 350 carb motor that gets rebuilt and used as a block for a new fuel injection crate motor would do the same thing

 

It's not just getting cars that do less then 18MPG off the road, there are other ways of looking at it. The US has already given $$ to the car industry and it's made little or no difference, this way not only is it all car makers but it also parts that need to be made.

Say 20,000 new cars are sold, thats parts for 20,000 cars that need to be made, spare parts for 20,000 cars that need to be made, etc etc. So it all trickles down and now another 2 billion thats even more cars, parts, etc, etc. Is that not better then just giving car makers a blank check?

But there is also a down side. What do you pay for your vehicle license tax on your old truck? And if you got a new one? In the USA is the vehicle license tax not based on the value of the vehicle.

Just my thoughts.