Canine carriers may qualify for ‘Cash for Clunkers’
By Keith Turner
July 27, 2009
The new “Cash For Clunkers” program is creating quite a stir in auto dealerships across the nation, as many people realize that incentives like this don’t come around very often in the auto industry.
The “Cash for Clunkers” program, initiated by the federal government as a part of the stimulus packages for the auto folks, allows customers to trade in their current gas-guzzling vehicle and get credit for buying or leasing a new one that gets better mileage.
Of course there are several caveats to the plan – such as your car must be no older the 25 years old, and it must get less than 18 mpg in fuel economy. But if you do qualify, the deal is pretty attractive: You get a credit (sorry, despite its name, no cash is provided) toward the trade-in value of your clunker for a new vehicle that gets four mpg ($3,500 credit) or 10 mpg ($4,500) better than your beast.
The program is funded by a $1 billion federal grant, and when it’s gone, so is the deal. That’s why many DogCar owners are wagging their tails. Because lots of us have been driving gas-guzzlers just to accommodate our canine crates and barriers. Now we can take a good look at what’s out there in the new car market and see what DogCars would fit those “Cash for Clunkers” guidelines.
Over on our sister site DogCars.com, reviewer Kim Campbell-Thornton just offered up a critique of the 2009 Mazda5, which she says “looks like a minivan that shrank in the wash.”
The Mazda5 gets up to 22/27 mpg in city/highway driving, which certainly is an improvement over the 12 mpg that old minivan in your driveway is getting. And the Mazda5’s price starts at just over $18,000 (although Kim tested the Grand Touring edition that sells for $23,425).
OK, it may be efficient and economical, but is it DogCar worthy? We’ll let you track the answer to that over on DogCars.com.
But here’s a hint: They don’t call it the Mazda5 for nothing.
I drive a Mazda5 and have since 2006. When we park near standard minivans, it is positively diminutive. You actually can’t see it behind a regular sized minivan. But it has an enormous amount of room on the inside, including three rows of seats when you need to ride with 6 people (7 if at least three of them are kids). With the third row seats down, we can fit my wife and I up front, my two kids in the second row, and the two dogs in the back. With the standard mini van sliding doors on both sides, and the hatch back, it is a great dog friendly, family friendly car. Perfect for hiking with the pooches and the kids. We all pop out of our own doors and are ready to hit the trails. We even gave the car a motto: “it just makes sense.” Maybe not Madison Ave. worthy, but it is true. And able to park in San Francisco’s tight spaces also…
Comment by Nathan Winograd — July 27, 2009 @ 10:48 am
And in an interesting but not very surprising twist:
http://consumerist.com/5323983.....fying-some
According to Consumerist (via Jalopnik) it seems that some cars that were rated 18mpg are suddenly 19mpg for no apparent reason…other than making them ineligible for this deal.
This seems to be a developing story, so I don’t know if it will hold up.
Comment by Original Lori — July 27, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
makes me wish i was in the market for a new car. Alas, my Sebring will have to do.
Comment by Sarah — July 28, 2009 @ 9:52 am