Posted on 09/05/2017 7:30:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As I see it,it did a couple things. 1. It scrapped out some decent used cars & really messed up that market to some extent. 2. It took taxpayer money from some who didn’t need a new car or couldn’t afford one & helped others into a new car. Why should one taxpayer’s money be helping another into a new car?
My first really new car was a 1990 Corolla. As a field service engineer, I did a lot of driving. In 10 years and 240,000 miles, it only saw 3 non-maintenance service incidents. 2 of them were covered by warranty, the third was a freak occurrence: The exhaust manifold cracked, blowing a hole in the radiator. I was able to go 50,000 miles between brake jobs, and in 2000, as I was actually pulling into the Toyota dealership to trade in my car, the original clutch went out. The only reason I wanted to get a new car was a "perfect storm" of repairs: I needed a new clutch, timing belt, tires, brakes, struts and shocks, all new front end components (all the adjustment had been used up,) oil, & transaxle fluids. I'm sure I'm forgetting something else too. The car was burning about a 3/4 quart of oil every 3000 miles, and was getting 34MPG on the highway. But it didn't make sense to sink nearly $5,000 into a decade old car.
So I traded it in on a 2000 Corolla. And I got similar service from that car.
Due to arthitis and degenerative disk disease, I could no longer get in and out of a low sitting car like that, so I now dive a Toyota RAV4.
I LOVE my Toyota.
Mark
I have three vehicles, one of which I regard as a sort of modern-day Model T or VW Beetle. It’s a Corolla, 2007 model. Very calm, competent, reliable and comfortable car. No sense of driving a “penalty box” whatsoever. Only complaint I have is the odd long-arm, short-leg driving position. It sorely needed a telescopic steering column. But, I adapted. It’s tough to get that car below 30 mpg driving it like I stole it, and driving it carefully it can do 40 mpg at highway speeds. Nothing more than oil changes, tires, and alignment thus far, although it’s coming up on a big scheduled service interval involving timing belt replacement. I haven’t the slightest doubt that it will be good to go for another 100K afterwards, though.
Used cars got more expensive in the wake of Cash For Clunkers and stayed there. It’s very hard to find a decent car for less than $5K or so now, and the good, reliable ones run around that price even with 200K miles on them.
I bought my current car in 09 right before CFC went into effect. Got 20% off list price. It was a great time to pickup a gas guzzler if you had some spare cash. I concur about used car prices. I have relatives that have had a hard time finding affordable safe cars for their kids or just a second car. I don’t think you can find a 10 year old Mercedes SUV or something similar near $10K
Unable to afford a car to get to work is a major factor in unemployment statistics of the working poor. When I had a job finding jobs for the working poor, one of the biggest challenges was arranging transportation.
I have a new co-worker who bikes about 5 miles or so here from a bus stop then bikes some more to get home. $2,000 down and $210 a month for 3 years got me a 2003 Honda Accord some 3 and a half years ago.
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