Archive for July, 2009
USA Today’s Best Clunker of the Day
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
We’ve been covering Cash for Clunkers in depth, but our friends over at Drive On, USA Today’s blog on all things automotive, have added a great feature — Clunker of the Day. Their initial post is terrific: A guy bought an Isuzu Rodeo two years ago for 600 bucks, complete with a real gunshot hole (not those tacky gunshot stickers), and just traded it in for $4,500 toward a new car. As the owner writes, “Thanks, Obama!” The editors at Drive On will feature clunkers regularly, so check back with them.
Clunker of the Day: Isuzu Rodeo trade-in with a genuine bullet hole (DriveOn)
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EPA Changes MPG Ratings Ahead of Cash For Clunkers Launch
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
In the ramp up to the official launch of the CARS program — better known as Cash for Clunkers — the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revised the fuel mileage estimates for 164 vehicles from the 1984 to 2004 model years. This move affects whether the vehicles are excluded or included in the program.
The reason for these changes boils down to four decimal points. The EPA guidelines for mileage ratings didn’t use decimal points to figure out a vehicle’s gas mileage estimates , but the CARS law requires mileage be figured to the fourth decimal point. Those fractional accounting methods led to 78 cars being disqualified and 86 others being included in the list of eligible vehicles. In addition to these models, more than 500 eligible models could see their trade-in value increase or decrease because of the ruling.
These changes took place before the official July 27 implementation of CARS, and there was plenty of small print stating consumers should wait to buy a car under the program until the final details were released. Actually, it was regular-sized print on the homepage of the official government site. However, that didn’t prevent dealers and car buyers from going ahead with Cash for Clunkers’ sales based on the earlier version of the EPA’s gas mileage list. Jalopnik has been diligently covering the fallout and was first to post a full list of excluded and newly included models, which we list below.
We’re not surprised that in a government-run project as complex as this there would be issues along the way.
In 2008, the EPA readjusted 25 years worth of data to reflect revised fuel economy standards for new cars, affecting some 30,000 models including every engine and transmission variation. However, in a statement released today the EPA says these mileage figures are just for “guidance,” and the new law has more stringent rules. For the CARS program, the government took out the calculator and double-checked each model gas mileage numbers to the fourth decimal point. It eventually confirmed the list on July 27 when the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov website was updated with the new numbers.
The question remains, what do the dealers and buyers who thought their cars qualified do now? We’d like to hear your stories if you’re one of the people impacted by these changes, for good or for bad.
Newly Ineligible Cars
1 1987 Alfa Romeo GTV
2 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano
3 1987 BMW 5 Series
4 1987 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 2WD
5 1987 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan/Ram Van 2WD
6 1987 Dodge Shadow
7 1987 Ford Aerostar Van
8 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
9 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Wagon
10 1987 GMC S15 Jimmy 2WD
11 1987 Lincoln Continental
12 1987 Lincoln Mark VII
13 1987 Lincoln Town Car
14 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis
15 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis Wagon
16 1987 Plymouth Sundance
17 1987 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
18 1987 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
19 1987 Porsche 944
20 1987 Toyota Truck 4WD
21 1988 Mazda 929
22 1988 Peugeot 505 Sedan
23 1988 Peugeot 505 Sedan
24 1988 Toyota 4Runner 4WD
25 1989 Mazda 929
26 1989 Peugeot 505 Sedan
27 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera
28 1990 Audi 80 Quattro
29 1990 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan/Ram Van 2WD
30 1990 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
31 1990 Saab 9000
32 1990 Toyota 1-Ton Truck 2WD
33 1990 Toyota Truck 2WD
34 1991 Audi 80 Quattro
35 1991 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD
36 1991 Dodge Ram 50 Pickup 2WD
37 1991 Lexus ES 250
38 1991 Mitsubishi Truck 2WD
39 1991 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
40 1991 Toyota Camry
41 1991 Toyota Camry Wagon
42 1992 Acura NSX
43 1992 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD
44 1992 Dodge Ram 50 Pickup 2WD
45 1992 Jeep Cherokee 4WD
46 1992 Jeep Comanche Pickup 4WD
47 1992 Mitsubishi Truck 2WD
48 1992 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
49 1992 Saab 900
50 1992 Saab 900
51 1993 Dodge Ram 50 Pickup 2WD
52 1993 Dodge Stealth
53 1993 Jeep Comanche Pickup 2WD
54 1993 Mitsubishi 3000 GT
55 1993 Mitsubishi Truck 2WD
56 1993 Toyota Camry
57 1993 Toyota Camry Wagon
58 1994 Mazda B2300/B3000/B4000 Pickup 2WD
59 1994 Mazda MPV
60 1994 Mitsubishi Diamante Wagon
61 1994 Volkswagen Corrado SLC
62 1995 Kia Sportage 2WD
63 1995 Mazda MPV
64 1995 Toyota Tacoma 2WD
65 1996 Jeep Cherokee 2WD
66 1996 Nissan Truck 2WD
67 1996 Toyota Supra
68 1996 Volkswagen Jetta GLX
69 1997 Chrysler Concorde
70 1997 Chrysler New Yorker/LHS
71 1997 Dodge Intrepid
72 1997 Eagle Vision
73 1997 Kia Sportage 4WD
74 1997 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG
75 1997 Nissan Truck 2WD
76 1997 Toyota Supra
77 1997 Toyota T100 2WD
78 1997 Volkswagen Jetta GLX
Newly Eligble Cars
1 1987 Buick Regal
2 1987 Cadillac Brougham
3 1987 Chevrolet Caprice
4 1987 Chevrolet G10/20 Van 2WD
5 1987 Chevrolet R10 Pickup 2WD
6 1987 Chevrolet T10 Blazer 4WD
7 1987 Chevrolet T10 Pickup 4WD
8 1987 GMC G15/25 Vandura 2WD
9 1987 GMC R15 Pickup 2WD
10 1987 GMC T15 Jimmy 4WD
11 1987 GMC T15 Pickup 4WD
12 1987 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD
13 1987 Jeep Comanche 4WD
14 1987 Nissan 300ZX
15 1987 Nissan 300ZX 2×2
16 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
17 1987 Porsche 911
18 1988 Alfa Romeo Milano
19 1988 BMW 3 Series
20 1988 BMW 3 Series
21 1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E
22 1988 Mercury Cougar
23 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Classic
24 1989 Alfa Romeo Milano
25 1989 Austin Rover Sterling
26 1989 BMW M3
27 1989 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 4WD
28 1989 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 4WD
29 1989 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan/Ram Van 2WD
30 1989 Ford Taurus Wagon V6 A/C
31 1989 GMC S15 Jimmy 4WD
32 1989 GMC S15 Pickup 4WD
33 1989 Mercury Sable Wagon V6 A/C
34 1989 Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager 2WD
35 1990 BMW 325i Convertible
36 1990 BMW 525i
37 1990 BMW M3
38 1990 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue/Imperial
39 1990 Chrysler TC By Convertible
40 1990 Ford Taurus Wagon
41 1990 Isuzu Pickup 2WD
42 1990 Mercury Sable Wagon
43 1991 Alfa Romeo 164
44 1991 BMW M3
45 1991 Ford Taurus Wagon
46 1991 Jeep Cherokee 2WD
47 1991 Mercury Sable Wagon
48 1992 Alfa Romeo 164
49 1992 Chrysler Imperial
50 1993 Acura Legend
51 1993 Alfa Romeo 164
52 1993 Buick Park Avenue
53 1993 Mitsubishi Diamante
54 1993 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
55 1994 Eagle Summit Wagon
56 1994 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
57 1994 Ford Thunderbird
58 1994 Isuzu Pickup 2WD
59 1994 Lincoln Lincolin Town Car
60 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII
61 1994 Mercury Cougar
62 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis
63 1994 Mitsubishi Expo
64 1994 Plymouth Colt Vista
65 1994 Volkswagen Passat
66 1994 Volkswagen Passat
67 1994 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
68 1994 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
69 1995 Eagle Summit Wagon
70 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII
71 1995 Mitsubishi Expo
72 1995 Volkswagen Jetta III GLX
73 1995 Volkswagen Passat
74 1995 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
75 1996 Chrysler Concorde
76 1996 Chrysler New Yorker/LHS
77 1996 Eagle Vision
78 1996 Mitsubishi 3000 GT Spyder
79 1996 Volkswagen Passat
80 1996 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
81 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420
82 1997 Toyota 4Runner 2WD
83 1997 Toyota T100 2WD
84 1997 Volkswagen Passat
85 1997 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
86 2004 Mazda RX-8
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$858 Million Left in Cash for Clunkers Pot
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
If you remember the movie “Brewster’s Millions,” you might recall how hard it was for Richard Pryor to spend $30 million in 30 days with nothing to show for it in order to later win an inheritance of $300 million. The 1985 comedy showed how hard it was to spend money and get nothing in return, but now the U.S. government has put Brewster to shame. It’s spent $67.5 million in just one day, in the form of its CARS program, aka Cash for Clunkers.
And now you can watch the money disappear, too. The government has added a countdown of how much money is left in the program to its Cars.gov website. It’s 24 hours behind, but shows how much is left in the pot for all consumer vehicles — $858 million as of yesterday morning — and a separate kitty for Category 3 trucks — $74.5 million — those large commercial trucks most consumers won’t be trading in a beat-up minivan for. You can check out the countdown here.
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Minnesota TV Station Details Cash for Clunkers Pandemonium
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
The report also shows the 20 pages or so of paperwork required for each vehicle to get processed through the program. One dealer perfectly illustrates the problem, saying “I hate to complain, but…”
Basically, they’re happy for the business, but not happy for the headaches attached.
At the end of the broadcast, the newscaster postulates that at the rate of business witnessed in the report, the $1 billion in funds for Cash for Clunkers could be gone much sooner than the program’s Nov. 1 end date.
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Review: 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T Track Pack “Classic”
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
Smart consumers know there are plenty of ways to save money on one’s chosen hobby while preserving enjoyment and/or utility. A Gibson Les Paul Studio is very nearly as good a guitar as a Les Paul Standard, and it costs half as much. The Allen-Edmonds MacNeil uses the same Horween shell cordovan as the Alden Long Wing and can often be had for up to a hundred dollars less. The Omega Speedmaster does everything a Rolex Daytona does except create the false impression that one has won an iconic American race. With that said, here’s eight thousand dollars that you would be a fool to “save”: the price gap between the Dodge Challenger R/T Classic and the Challenger SRT-8.
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Cash for Clunkers Shows Promising Signs for Detroit Dealer
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
It’s too early to tell if the CARS program will be a success, but initial reports from a metro Detroit auto dealer show a lot of positive signs, according to the Detroit News.
Jay Sturtz, office manager of Village Ford in Dearborn, Mich., reported that on Monday, the first day of the program, his dealership was packed with “double or triple” the normal traffic, and that all 20 of his salespeople had a frantic day.
Sturtz said this led to 16 Cash for Clunkers deals that day, not including the 45 deposits he took in the previous two weeks from car buyers waiting for the program to kick off. He also sold cars to several customers who didn’t qualify for the program but were lured in to make a purchase by other incentives.
Nearly 16,000 auto dealers have registered to participate in the CARS program so far, and the government website, cars.gov, has gotten 1.5 million hits since Friday. This brings the site’s total to 4 million hits since it went up about a month ago, not to mention another 45,000 calls that have landed at the government’s hotline, 866-CAR-7891.
Congress allotted $1 billion for the program (good for about 250,000 vehicles), but that money will expire Nov. 1 if it hasn’t all been used. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the administration hasn’t decided if it will seek additional funds if the program proves a success.
Metro Detroit Auto Dealers Busy as ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Begins (Detroit News)
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Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Honda Odyssey
Posted on 29. Jul, 2009 by admin.
One of America’s best-selling minivans, the Honda Odyssey has made a strong impression on Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays. Now he wishes Honda would take its successful formula and add the kind of creative features that its competition, like the Chrysler Town & Country, do so well. Check out his full review to learn where Mays thinks the Odyssey could improve its high marks even further.
2009 Honda Odyssey Review
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2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Towing Rating Increases
Posted on 28. Jul, 2009 by admin.
Following last year’s top-to-bottom redesign of the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck, the upgrades continue in 2010, including a significant bump in maximum trailer towing and a marginal increase in payload.
To achieve the higher numbers, Dodge has increased the half-ton Ram’s maximum gross combined weight rating by 1,500 pounds, to 15,500 pounds. GCWR is the maximum allowable weight, including cargo and passengers, that a pickup pulling a trailer can handle without risking damage.
The increased GCWR gives the Ram a new 10,450-pound maximum towing capacity for the regular cab, long-bed, two-wheel-drive model with a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. It also requires a 3.92 rear axle and 17-inch wheels.
Last year’s Ram with an identical configuration was only rated to tow up to 9,100 pounds, a figure that drew some criticism from serious light-duty towers and smack talk from other manufactures because the new Ram had the lowest rating in the segment.
Chrysler’s response was that the Ram’s exclusive coil-spring rear suspension gave the Ram much improved ride quality versus the competition (something we wholeheartedly agree with), and that truck buyers who need to tow more than 10,000 pounds should look to the heavy-duty segment to find the right truck to meet their needs. At its introduction last year, Scott Kunselman, then Chrysler’s vice president of body-on-frame products, told PickupTrucks.com that Chrysler’s research during Ram 1500 development showed that 80 percent of light-duty owners towed trailers weighing less than 6,000 pounds. Chrysler didn’t see the need to chase seemingly endless increases in maximum towing figures in the half-ton segment.
Interestingly, Dodge achieved the towing increase without any hardware changes, such as the introduction of heavier-duty springs and shocks, or an upgraded transmission cooler. So, how did the rating change occur?
“When developing the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram, the goal was to match the previous-generation Dodge Ram tow capabilities. These goals were achieved and delivered on the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500,” Dodge truck spokesman Roger Benvenuti told PickupTrucks.com. “For 2010, engineers determined the Dodge Ram was capable of towing much more than previously tested. Subsequently, the tow ratings were reassessed and the 2010 Dodge Ram increased its gross combined weight rating by 1,500 pounds without any component or calibration changes to the vehicle.”
Benvenuti also said Dodge truck engineers followed new testing protocols established by the Society of Automotive Engineers and a group of truck manufacturers to standardize tow testing, which we covered in late 2007.
“While all manufacturers use a slightly different tow-rating criteria when evaluating their vehicles, several common factors must be maintained by all when determining tow ratings,” Benvenuti said. “These include design requirements such as engine, transmission and axle cooling, while still ensuring a durable vehicle when towing. Our engineers performed both simulation and real-world tests to ensure that all of our internal targets and all the guidelines set by the new proposed SAE tow standard were achieved. The 2010 Dodge Ram 1500’s towing capability was re-rated without sacrificing performance, quality or reliability, and now exceeds both Ford and Chevy on comparably equipped vehicles.”
Dodge isn’t the first manufacturer to magically increase the tow rating of its half-ton pickup without changing hardware. Ford pulled a similar move when it upped the 2008 Ford F-150's max tow rating to 11,000 pounds from 9,900 pounds the year before, after the 2007 Toyota Tundra arrived with a 10,800-pound tow rating. The Ram’s new 10,450-pound rating is likely to wind up as a bragging point in Dodge’s 2010 marketing efforts.
In addition to the towing increase, the Ram’s maximum payload has increased by 50 pounds, to 1,900 pounds, for a regular cab two-wheel-drive truck when equipped with the standard 3.7-liter V-6.
Other welcome changes for 2010 include optional manual or power-folding trailer-towing mirrors – so you can tow that bigger trailer – an optional integrated trailer-brake controller, and an 18-mm (.7-inch) deepening of the front air dam to improve aerodynamics. An added fuel shutoff feature during deceleration should marginally improve fuel efficiency.
Smaller changes include a fuel-saver indicator light for the 3.7-liter V-6 model, iPod integration — so the music player can be controlled through the stereo controls or steering-wheel buttons — new passive head restraints, and new 22-inch wheels for the Ram R/T.
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More Than 4,000 Cars Already Turned In With Cash for Clunkers
Posted on 28. Jul, 2009 by admin.
According to the Detroit News, as of early this morning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had reported 4,026 vehicles turned in as part of the Cash for Clunkers program. The newspaper did the math, which came to about $17 million in federal cash. Add in the $50 million it costs to run the program, and there’s roughly $933 million left. If it takes one day to get $17 million in Clunkers vouchers, the program will run out of funds in 54 days, more than a month before the Nov. 1 end date for the program.
Interestingly, NHTSA says 2,550 of the 4,026 vehicles turned in were passenger cars, with the rest being light trucks.
More than 4,000 vehicles purchased under 'Clunkers' incentive (Detroit News)
Cars.com’s Guide to Cash for Clunkers
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Ferrari Unveils F430 Replacement: 458 Italia
Posted on 28. Jul, 2009 by admin.
Looking for a new sports car to plaster on your computer’s desktop? You now have the all-new Ferrari 458 Italia, which will surely make co-workers ask, “What the heck is that?” The 458 Italia is a replacement for the current F430, Ferrari’s mid-engine V-8 sports car.
The 458 Italia has a few wild exterior features besides its already-Enzo-like appearance, including three exhaust tailpipes and winglets that create downforce, then deform at high speeds to reduce drag.
The Italia’s name comes from what’s under the skin: a 4.5-liter V-8 that makes around 560 hp and 398 pounds-feet of torque. The F430 made 490 hp out of its 4.3-liter V-8, and despite the additional power and increased displacement of the new engine, Ferrari says it’s improved gas mileage as well.
You may remember the recently introduced Ferrari California. Well, Ferrari calls that a “sports car with a practical edge,” but the 458 is a road car designed for owners who want track-day capabilities. The 458 goes from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph. That should hold up well at the track, while the looks will ensure a space at the front of any valet line.
While pricing hasn’t been announced, the current F430 starts at $188,425 for the Berlinetta coupe.
