Given the sparse information the government has released so far on the Cash-for-Clunkers program, I wondered yesterday whether it is purging Detroit models from the road. But an independent analysis suggests today that the government’s numbers are simply misleading. They treat two-wheel and four-wheel drive models of the same vehicles as separate automobiles, thus making SUV and truck sales under Cash-for-Clunkers appear artificially low.
The analysis was compiled by Edmunds.com based on data taken directly from auto dealers. It puts the Ford Escape SUV at number one, and includes in the top ten purchases the Chevy Silverado truck and the Ford F-150. The Department of Transportation, which has been very protective of the data behind Cash-for-Clunkers sales, has not yet responded to questions about the private survey.
