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Cash For Clunkers: The Data On Why It’s Working: I’m generally suspicious of government programs in this country, as the U.S. government rarely improves something when it takes it over.  However, the initial data coming back on Cash for Clunkers is quite positive.

[…] the US Transportation Department data showed a mileage gain of nearly 10 miles per gallon overall on the vehicles purchased as compared to the ones traded in, from 15.8 mpg for the trade-ins to 25.4 mpg for the new vehicles. That is far higher than the minimum requirement of a 4-mpg increase for cars and a mere 2 mpg for light trucks.

[…] Moreover, the program is significantly shifting the new vehicle mix from light trucks to cars. While 83 percent of the vehicles traded in were sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, six out of 10 of the new vehicles purchased were cars.

I suspect there are several sheiks in Saudi Arabia who are really hoping this program doesn’t get expanded again.

CNN has collected some success stories, which are fairly compelling if they extrapolate to a larger population (the first one is a woman that went from a 15 mpg Trooper to a 40 mpg Jetta). There are also some stories of people who didn’t qualify and are a little bitter.