Cash for Clunkers Government vs Edmunds

Trucks win in Cash for Clunkers game (8/7/09 CNN)

"What are people trading their clunkers in for? It depends on who you ask.

"The government's results showed small cars as the top choice for shoppers looking for Cash for Clunker deals. But an independent analysis by Edmunds.com disputed those results, and showed that two full-size trucks and a small crossover SUV were actually among the top-ten buys.

"The discrepancy is a result of the methods used. Edmunds.com uses traditional sales measurements, tallying sales by make and model. The government uses a more arcane measurement method that subdivides models according to engine and transmission types, counting them as separate models." [emphasis is mine]

I see. The government's method was certainly not what I had expected.

So here's top 10 list, the government version and the Edmunds' version:


5 of top 10 are crossover SUVs and trucks, according to the Edmunds' version.

The article continues:

"Sales of GM's Silverado truck, under the government's counting method, were divided among five different versions. So were the Ford F-150s. If the different versions of these trucks were considered the same vehicle, as auto sales are normally reported, sales of these trucks would look much heftier."

I'm sure it's just the matter of the government's bureaucratic, arcane way of counting, and NOT about presenting a convenient result to protect the perception that this program is (supposedly) about "protecting the environment".

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