The CARS program (CASH 4 Junkers) will officially launch July 24th, 2009, so says the government’s toll-free information line. Until then, steer clear of dealerships advertising the program as $4500 rebates good now. This will only add insult to your intelligence when you discover your trade-in value rebate is being added to the selling price of the new car.
NOTE: there are many things you will need to do BEFORE racing to the dealership.
1. GO ONLINE and find out what your trade-in’s current COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY is, based on the listing posted on the NTHSA website. Print out a copy for your files.
2. GO ONLINE and research the various NEW CARS you are considering for their COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY. Also listed at this website.
3. Go to WWW.CARS.GOV to determine exactly how much your rebate will be, based on the category of FUEL IMPROVMENT you will experience between your trade-in and the proposed vehicle you have decided to purchase.
4. Consider having your credit report reviewed and auto loan financing arranged BEFORE car shopping. This could save you hours of hassles and embarassment. If you need a credit pre-approval contact me for assistance.
FROM THE www.cars.gov website: “-As noted above, at the time of the transaction at the dealer, the consumer who is trading in the “trade-in vehicle” will need to provide evidence of ownership of the vehicle and proof that the vehicle has been continuously registered and insured to the same person throughout the last 12 months. To prevent repeated use of the program by the same person, we anticipate that the consumer will need to provide evidence of identity, such as a driver’s license, and permit that information to become part of the documentation of the transaction. The dealer will have every reason to avoid entering into a transaction for which the dealer cannot be reimbursed under this program. The dealer will be expected to verify that the vehicle being traded in and the vehicle being purchased or leased are both eligible under the program. This will entail, with regard to the trade-in, making sure that the registration and insurance information is accurate and that the vehicle is in drivable condition. For both vehicles, the dealer will need to verify their combined fuel economy.”… from cars.gov the OFFICIAL government website on the CARS program.
HERE is an example of the comparison chart for old vs. new. It saved me 1 gallon of fuel.
2009 Jeep Liberty 4WD
2002 Jeep Liberty 4WD
Switch Units:
Gallons/100 Miles
Liters/100 km
New EPA MPG 
Regular Gasoline
15
City
17
Combined
21
Hwy
Regular Gasoline
14
City
16
Combined
18
Hwy
MPG Estimates from Drivers Like You
User fuel economy estimates are not yet available for this vehicle
Average based on 13 vehicles.
16.3
Lo
14
Hi
21
Disclaimer
Fuel Economics
Cost to drive 25 Miles
$3.59
$3.81
Fuel to Drive 25 Miles
1.47 gal
1.56 gal
Cost of a Fill-up
$42.82
-
Miles on a Tank
298 miles
-
Tank Size
19.5 gal
-
Annual Fuel Cost*
$2152
$2288
Based on 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15000 miles/year and Reg.: $2.44 per gallon
Click to use your gas prices and annual miles
Annual Petroleum Consumption
(1 barrel=42 gallons)
20.1 barrels
21.4 barrels
10.8
11.4
3.5
16.2
3.5
16.2
Show Scores for California and Northeast States
Show Detailed Air Pollution Information
NA
EPA Size Class
Sport Utility Vehicle – 4WD
Sport Utility Vehicle – 4WD
Engine Size (liters)
3.7
3.7
Cylinders
6
6
Transmission
Automatic 4-spd
Automatic 4-spd
Drive
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Gas Guzzler
no
no
Turbocharger
no
no
Supercharger
no
no
Passenger Volume
NA
NA
Luggage Volume
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
CLKUP
How are fuel cost estimates and miles on a tank determined?
Fuel cost estimates are based on45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and the following fuel prices:
Regular Gasoline: $2.44 per gallon
You may customize these values to reflect the price of fuel in your area and your own driving patterns.
Fill-up cost and the distance you can travel on a tank are calculated based on the combined MPG and the assumption that you will re-fuel when your tank is 10% full.
What’s the difference between air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions?
The Air Pollution score and Carbon Footprint measure different types of vehicle emissions. Air pollutants harm human health and/or cause smog. Carbon Footprint measures greenhouse gas emissions (primarily CO2) that impact climate change.
Why do some vehicles have more than one air pollution score?
Some vehicles are available in multiple emission versions that look the same but have different air pollution scores. Unfortunately, it is difficult to distinguish between similar models.If you click on the link “Show Detailed Air Pollution Information” above, it will display the emission standard and the 12-digit underhood engine ID. You can identify the cleaner car by matching the engine ID listed above to the Underhood Label Identification Number on the vehicle.Note: In some cases, manufacturers choose to certify identical vehicles to different emission standards. In these cases, the vehicles will have the same engine ID.
The carbon footprint measures greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalents. The estimates presented here are “full fuel-cycle estimates” and include the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Full fuel-cycle estimates consider all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. Vehicle manufacture is excluded. (U.S. Department of Energy, GREET Model 1.7, Argonne National Laboratory)NA – Not AvailableColor vehicle photographs have been provided by the vehicle manufacturers or their representative and are used with their permission. Black and white photographs are as published in Ward’s Automotive Yearbook(R), 1985-1999 and are used by permission of Ward’s Communications, a world leader in automotive information.
DISCLAIMER: The user estimates shown above are based on data from Your MPG users rather than official sources. Since the source data cannot be verified, neither DOE nor EPA guarantees the accuracy of these estimates. this information was taken from the www.fuelgeconomy.gov. website as an example of my own vehicles.
The 2002 Jeep Liberty Trade-in value is $6800.00 so getting $3500 on the CARS program doesn’t help me. It won’t take this gas hog off the road. The dealership will resell it to cover my trade-in value. I’ll have to either drive it for another couple years or trade it for something with better fuel economy to really see a net savings.
—————————————————————————————————————————————READ MORE ABOUT CASH FOR CLUNKERS HERE
NEED AUTO FINANCE HELP or CREDIT report repair go to tell them MY CARLADY: Sarah Lee sent you. It’s a free consult and they do the right thing by you, fast, easy, cheap.
Top learn more about getting your best car deal click here: CAR DEALS
Sarah Lee is an automotive executive with 20+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. Her company: MY CARLADY is a car buyer’s service committed to getting you the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle. You can reach her at www.mycarlady.com
Doing these things AHEAD of TIME will SAVE you COUNTLESS hours and DOLLARS! It would also help to have your credit reviewed and financing arranged, to spare yourself any embarrassment or hassles at the dealer.
I f you need more information on credit PRE-APPROVAL, contact me at: www.mycarlady.com.
2009 Jeep Liberty 4WD
2002 Jeep Liberty 4WD
Switch Units:
Gallons/100 Miles
Liters/100 km
| Regular Gasoline | ||
|---|---|---|
|
15
City |
17
Combined |
21
Hwy |
| Regular Gasoline | ||
|---|---|---|
|
14
City |
16
Combined |
18
Hwy |
|
User fuel economy estimates are not yet available for this vehicle
|
|
Average based on 13 vehicles.
|
||
|
16.3
|
||
|
Lo
14 |
|
Hi 21 |
Click to use your gas prices and annual miles
(1 barrel=42 gallons)
|
|
|
|
3.5
|
16.2
|
|
|
|
|
3.5
|
16.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Show Scores for California and Northeast StatesShow Detailed Air Pollution InformationHow are fuel cost estimates and miles on a tank determined?
Fuel cost estimates are based on45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and the following fuel prices:
Regular Gasoline: $2.44 per gallon
You may customize these values to reflect the price of fuel in your area and your own driving patterns.
Fill-up cost and the distance you can travel on a tank are calculated based on the combined MPG and the assumption that you will re-fuel when your tank is 10% full.
What’s the difference between air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions?
The Air Pollution score and Carbon Footprint measure different types of vehicle emissions. Air pollutants harm human health and/or cause smog. Carbon Footprint measures greenhouse gas emissions (primarily CO2) that impact climate change.
Why do some vehicles have more than one air pollution score?
Some vehicles are available in multiple emission versions that look the same but have different air pollution scores. Unfortunately, it is difficult to distinguish between similar models.If you click on the link “Show Detailed Air Pollution Information” above, it will display the emission standard and the 12-digit underhood engine ID. You can identify the cleaner car by matching the engine ID listed above to the Underhood Label Identification Number on the vehicle.Note: In some cases, manufacturers choose to certify identical vehicles to different emission standards. In these cases, the vehicles will have the same engine ID.
The carbon footprint measures greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalents. The estimates presented here are “full fuel-cycle estimates” and include the three major greenhouse gases emitted by motor vehicles: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Full fuel-cycle estimates consider all steps in the use of a fuel, from production and refining to distribution and final use. Vehicle manufacture is excluded. (U.S. Department of Energy, GREET Model 1.7, Argonne National Laboratory)NA – Not AvailableColor vehicle photographs have been provided by the vehicle manufacturers or their representative and are used with their permission. Black and white photographs are as published in Ward’s Automotive Yearbook(R), 1985-1999 and are used by permission of Ward’s Communications, a world leader in automotive information.
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