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Old 05-07-2009, 05:38 PM   #5 (permalink)
cfg83
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1999 Saturn SW2 - '99 Saturn SW2 Wagon
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MazdaMatt -

Quote:
Originally Posted by MazdaMatt View Post
According to that article, they don't NEED to be scrapped, but they may be and you won't get any kind of rebate unless that car's EPA is less than the one you're buying to replace it.

Don't the japanese have a much more agressive scrapping program for engines?

I totally agree that a 1mpg EPA difference does not warrant a big government check. How about "scrap your vehicle and buy a replacement having 20% better EPA rating and we'll give you x dollars". This way there is some incentive for all those hummer driving soccer moms to get into a prius. Your list made no mention of ditching a truck in favour of a car.
(Someone chime in where I err)

From what I have read, the Japanese market is far more aggressive when it comes to planned obsolescence. They make the re-certification rules so stringent that you almost *have* to buy a new car every 4 years. This helps the Japanese domestic automakers because they have an almost "guaranteed turnover" when it comes to sales at home.

I think this is what makes the JDM aftermarket so lucrative. You can import an otherwise "young healthy" engine from Japan that was too old to pass Japanese certification.

I would have kept the "American Only" clause. Technically it's "my" tax money, so I want it to go to domestic manufacturing.

I would modify the rebate to be a scaling delta-T equation. Forget about a specific before/after MPG. How about $200 for every MPG better than the previous MPG? Changing from :



To :



Would yield => 29 - 15 = 14 => 14 * 200 = $2800

CarloSW2

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