Any RYF great Cash for Clunkers deals out there?

[mrbigstuff]

Carm wrote:
Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler - Double your cash $3500 or $4500

Joe

We rented a Dodge Caliber (?) recently and what a piece of junk that was.

[Carm]

I would never buy a Chrysler. Just passing on info.

[Robert M]

MrBig,

I checked out a Caliber. It's garbage. Absolute garbage. I'd take a used Chevy Malibu Maxx over a new Caliber in a heartbeat. There are other wagons that blow the doors off it that are good choices, too. Unfortunately, they're going to be more expensive.

I'm lucky my old Jeep gets an EPA estimate of 15 mpg. Most new sedans and wagons and many compact SUVs are going to make me eligible for the full $4500. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in a sedan, most of the wagons that are worth considering are too expensive and the smaller SUVS are way too noisy.

I was just about to buy a '09 RAV4 Limited V6 with all-wheel drive and walked away from the deal because the vehicle was way too noisy on the highway. I was shocked. My '96 Cherokee and my dad's 96 Suzuki Sidekick were a noticeable improvement when it came to ambient noise, wind noise and road noise. The Toyota V6 was very smooth and quiet, though. i even rented an '08 with the same specs and it was worse! And Consumer Reports didn't even mention noise as an issue in their reviews of both model years.

I drove an '09 Suzuki Grand Vitara with a 4 cylinder and all-wheel drive and enjoyed it much more than the RAV4 with either the 4 or the 6. The seats were more comfortable and the noise level in the car was a noticeable improvement. I'd buy one except the Grand Vitara has significant blind spots and a moronic system for folding down the rear seats. Once their folded completely, you need to actually strap them to the back of the driver and front passenger seat to ensure they stay folded down.

I'm checking out an '09 Honda CR-V. It's another highly recommended vehicle. Hopefully, it isn't as noisy as the RAV4.

Robert

[mikebw]

A lot of road noise could be coming from the tires.

[Robert M]

Mike,

It was road noise and wind noise. It's as if they swapped the glass of the windows out for mesh screens. Absolutely terrible. It's not horrible in the '09 for local driving but really bad at highway speeds. It's even worse in the '08 for local and a nightmare on the highway. I suspect the glass isn't as thick and they have fewer sound dampeners. A '09 Venza was a noticeable improvement and even then it was just on par with my old Jeep. That's pretty sad.

Robert

[mrbigstuff]

Acer wrote:
The Vibe is the best deal out there, because you can get a Toyota for close-out Pontiac prices. Up to July 31 (!), they have an extra $2500 off summer sale going on. That will indeed require running like a fool assuming they don't renew the promotion.

You'll need to get the smaller 1.8L engine with combined mileage of 28 to get the full $4500, though.

We decided to downsize from two minivans to one minivan and a gas-sipper with this program. Thought seriously about the Vibe, but we still need to squeeze in five people from time to time. We have a deposit on a Prius; hopefully coming in next week.

I called my local dealer and he said that within 200 miles of Boston, there are no 1.8liter engines available. The only one he had was an AWD and it gets 26mpg. Better than my other car by only one or two mpg, not worth it to purchase. I want the FWD model but what does one do when they're not around?

[surfer33]

Some friends of mine are also looking, so the news that the cash for clunkers program is being suspended tonight at midnight is disappointing.

The government is suspending the explosively popular "cash for clunkers" program fearing it would go broke before it could parcel out what it still owes dealers for a huge backlog of sales.

The pending suspension was confirmed by Bailey Wood, legislative director for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), which had been called Thursday night by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which administers the program. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., confirmed as well, saying she had been told by congressional leaders.

"Obviously the program has been an immense success in stimulating automotive sales," Wood said.

"The thing has exploded. It has exceeded everyone's expectations," said Miller, who was involved in writing the original legislation, known as CARS, for Car Allowance Rebate System. "Throughout our history, it has been auto sales that have pulled us out of recession. People are more likely to buy cars than houses. Not to be too Pollyannaish, but we're gettin' our mojo back. This could be the pivot" that begins an economic recovery.

The White House said Thursday night that "dealers and consumers should have confidence that all valid CARS transactions that have taken place to date will be honored."

[Psurfer]

Kind of like all the RYF deals.