C4C Countdown: Some Great Clunker Replacements
Combine a $4,500 Cash For Clunkers (C4C) rebate with the applicable federal hybrid tax credit ($1,700) and you can get yourself behind the wheel of a 2010 Fusion Hybrid for only $21,795.
So you've got a clunker that qualifies for the $4,500 rebate, and now you're wracking your brain for options for a replacement car. We're thinking along the same lines even though we aren't likely to cash in -- at Edmunds, we go fantasy car shopping all the time. So we put together a short list of vehicles, their combined fuel efficiency ratings, and figured out what the net cost would be after the government's C.A.R.S. (aka Cash For Clunkers) incentive.
We're not saying these are the only choices out there. We're not saying these are the greatest cars ever built. We're just saying these are 10 great cars you should take a look at if turning in a clunker. And we tried to put together a variety of makes and body types to jog your thinking. For a complete list of eligible trades and replacements, see our Cash For Clunkers page.
Keep in mind that final details of the program are not expected until July 24, and that all the vehicles listed here are the base model with an automatic transmission. We also assumed for the purposes of this exercise that these replacements would get the maximum credit amount of $4,500. Take a look after the jump.
- 2009 Mini Cooper 29mpg TMV: $20,450 - C4C = $15,950
- 2010 Mazda Mazda3 iSport 27mpg TMV: $17,030 - C4C = $12,530
- 2009 Honda Fit 30mpg TMV: $15,912 -C4C = $11,412
- 2010 Toyota Prius II 50mpg TMV: $22,750 - C4C = $18,250
- 2009 VW Jetta TDI 30mpg TMV: $23,835 -C4C = $19,335 ($1,300 Fed Tax Credit Available)
- 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 39mpg TMV: $27,995 - C4C = $23,495 ($1,700 Fed Tax Credit Available)
- 2010 Chevy Equinox LS 26mpg TMV: $23,185 - C4C = $18,685
- 2009 Nissan Cube 29mpg TMV: $16,305 - C4C = $11,805
- 2009 Hyundai Elantra GLS 28mpg TMV: $14,851 -$2000 rebate (ends 7-31-09) - C4C = $8,351
- 2009 Saturn Aura XE 26mpg TMV: $23,375 -$2750 rebate (ends 7-31-09) - C4C = $16,125
- Posted by
- Philip Reed July 22, 2009, 10:00 AM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Car Buying, Car Loans and Financing, Car Negotiating, Family Cars and Concerns, Fuel Economy
- Technorati Tags:
- Cash for clunkers, Fuel Economy, Incentives, Mileage, Rebates, Replacement vehicles
You know what's funny is that I have a friend that i'm helping find a new car. I thought he was going to be a perfect candidate for this. He just graduated College 2 years ago and is a realtor now. He is still driving around his grandma's 1996 Deville that he drove all through college which qualifies for C4C. The bummer is that to get just the 3500 credit he has to go with a 4 cyl car and since he is a realtor he still needs a midsize car at least. So we were looking at a 2009 Malibu 4cy (his mother in-law also worked for GM so they get the employee discount). Only problem is he doesn't feel super comfortable with going all the way from a v8 to a 4cyl. there are only a couple of v6 sedans that qualify but their price is up there. So I started looking at 1-2 year old cars and it makes the C4C worthless! I found him a fully decked out 2008 Impala with 28k miles and fully decked out, big v6 for only 14,900!!! And I've found a couple of 2006-2007 Altima's for cheap too. It's a hard program to find someone that actually qualifies for this!
"he doesn't feel super comfortable with going all the way from a v8 to a 4cyl"
followed by:
"It's a hard program to find someone that actually qualifies for this!"
It's not that hard to find someone that qualifies for this. Your friend does. It turns out that he doesn't consider it worth $4500 to go with the program. So be it.
I guess I meant more that its hard to find people that are a good fit... if wasn't a realtor and over 6' tall he probably could go down to a compact 4cyl car.
That makes more sense. I think the key is his job. He needs to be able to haul clients around and that requires a sizable vehicle. Seeing that he's trading in a car and not an SUV, the mpg needs to be pretty darned good. A Fusion/Milan hybrid or Escape/Mariner hybrid might be good options, but they may be out of his price range.
That does hit on the key issue with this program (aside from being stupid to begin with). Most people that have clunkers, can't afford a new car, much less a hybrid.
Have him get a Lexus RX Hybrid 10. That should impress his clients and give him plenty of room. 30 mpg so he gets $4500 instead of $3500. All he needs is about $40k. (Needs to keep it below $45k to quality.)