Average new car mpg levels hit record high in August, spurred by Cash for Clunkers
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Sep 30th 2009 at 8:19AM 
The success or failure of the Cash for Clunkers program that recently came to an end here in the United States has been and will continue to be debatable, but at least some good was accomplished by the legislation. According to data compiled by Wards Auto, the average new car fuel mileage hit a new record of 23 miles per gallon in August, which is a gain of approximately eight percent from August of 2008.As far as individual automakers go, Toyota came out on top with an average of 26.9 mpg for all cars sold in August, followed by Kia at 25.1 and Hyundai at 24.9 mpg. American nameplates made the biggest mileage jump, rising about four percent from August of 2008 to 20.4 mpg – a new record.
Nobody knows exactly what will happen when the sales figures from September are calculated, but many experts are predicting that fuel efficiency will take a nosedive now that C4C will no longer be offering up to $4,500 to trade up to a new, more efficient car or truck. Overall though, fuel efficiency is likely to steadily increase over the next few years in correlation with the latest CAFE requirements.
[Source: Wards Auto via Green Car Reports | Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Glock23 8:49AM (9/30/2009)
Winners:
Car Companies
Environmental Lobby
Losers:
Low income people looking for a used car
Charities that get donated cars
People who didn't get a chance to buy a car in time
The National Debt
More losers than winners.
Reply
DayShifter 9:16AM (9/30/2009)
Losers:
Low income people looking for a used car - Yeah right, provide some stats on that.
Charities that get donated cars - Already debunked by the charities themselves!
People who didn't get a chance to buy a car in time - This contradicts your category for losers.....think about it!!
The National Debt - That's debatable with a government that has been spending money, with no responsibility, for decades...
Photo Phil 9:23AM (9/30/2009)
more losers:
-those who needed a car and bought a car last year
-those who are not wasteful and dont have a car that gets less than 18mpg
i'm also on the list for losers of the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit:
-those who bought a house in the worst time ever: the year 2006
I'm really lucky when it comes to government incentives. I want the "every american person with citizenship bailout" Wheres our $900 billion ($250k per person)??
James 10:09AM (9/30/2009)
You forgot to add one more loser...a perennial loser at that:
The American Taxpayer
Glock23 10:15AM (9/30/2009)
Forgot to include in losers:
Autoblog readers who have to endure comments by dimwitted Obama worshipers (e.g. Dayshifter)
Luis 10:15AM (9/30/2009)
Hey pronto if you bought a house in 2006 you have no one to blame but yourself. The signs were quite clear that the market was way overinflated and would bust, yet financiers and real estate agents only thought the market would go up up up, contrary to what prominent economists were saying. If buyers had done any research they would've known they were buying at the worst time.
Obviously DaMinority 10:25AM (9/30/2009)
If you're being cynical, I have a few more winners for you
>Car DEALERSHIPS who are the real winners in the provider side of the equation
>US Representatives and Senators who get a significant amount of campaign funding from car dealership owners
If you're being realistic I have a few more winners
>All users of petroleum products as an increase in fuel economy means a shift in the demand curve, it doesn't change where we are on the demand curve, but it shift the ENTIRE curve. By doing so everything from gas to plastic buttons go down (or go up more slowly) in price.
>Employees of car dealerships
>Scrap dealers
Obviously DaMinority 10:25AM (9/30/2009)
900B / 300M is 3,000 not 250,000.
jv2k 10:36AM (9/30/2009)
-those who bought a house in the worst time ever: the year 2006
Do you mean because they decided to buy just before the housing bubble burst and prices sunk or because they took out one of those variable loans and wound up getting kicked out on their asses?
Either way it's the individual's fault.
DayShifter 10:57AM (9/30/2009)
....for losers don't forget
- People who arguments are so weak they have to resort to the labeling and name calling. It's sad because you play into it all the time LOL!!!
Photo Phil 11:56AM (9/30/2009)
luis, its easy for you to say that now. yes, now i know i was stupid for buying a house in 2006. but the logical side of me, graduating in dec2005, i did not want to "waste my money" by renting anymore. well i 'lived the american dream' and bought my own house. i dont think too many others would have disagreed with my decision in that year (before the bust), but lots will call me stupid today, as if everyone actually knew the bust was going would happen (liars). anyway...my point wasnt the $ ive lost on my property value, but rather that i didnt get the $8000 government handout!!!
Obviously DaMinority, i meant every adult, but either way 900billion is the real number...
jv2k, "Do you mean because they decided to buy just before the housing bubble burst and prices sunk " and you the all-mighty knew for a fact there was going to be burst as bad as it was? sure we all knew it couldn't go forever, but to what degree the bubble would burst no one knew, i don't care what you say today. Its easy to look at the past and call someone stupid, but stock market shows no one can predict the future, no matter how smart you think you are. anyway again, my point was not the $ i lost (only lost if i sell my house, which i wont), but rather that i didnt get the $8k gov handout... btw 30yr fixed, and ive since refinanced with a nice rate..
Smokem 12:11PM (9/30/2009)
Winner:
The American worker
Car dealership
Photo Phil 12:17PM (9/30/2009)
Smokem, or the Korean or Japanese worker, since seems like the most cars sold were non-american cars. (final assembly in America is not really Made in America) from what ive seen, most car parts are not made in the USA, any brand.
2004m3driver 12:40PM (9/30/2009)
@ Photophil
Sorry dude. You bought, with emotion, one of the biggest purchases of your life. Even if you were to have continue renting for another year at 2 grand a month, you could have came out on top buying a house a year later. It is not always dumb to rent now and buy later.
Also, I am sorry, but if you were to do any research or make any connections you would have figured it out. Too many people were getting rich fast buying on credit with imaginary money. Hrm kinda like the big market bust before the great depression right? Ten straight years of rapid real estate prices increasing. But man if you can afford it, it shouldn't matter t0o much if you can weather the storm prices will be coming up soon.
montoym 1:40PM (9/30/2009)
quote from Photo Phil:
- "I want the "every american person with citizenship bailout" Wheres our $900 billion ($250k per person)??" -
followed up by,
- "Obviously DaMinority, i meant every adult, but either way 900billion is the real number..." -
Come on man just admit that you found that stat somewhere online and didn't do the math to realize that it was idiotic.
900B/250k = 3.6million. So, you're saying now that out of the 300million people in the US, only 3.6million of them are adults?
Photo Phil 5:52PM (9/30/2009)
@2004m3driver
yes, i would have been better of renting. I know that now, and you know that now. But i guarantee you no matter how smart all the naysayers calling me stupid for 'living the american dream' and buying a house are, they did not know to not buy a house at that time. "do research, be smart" blah blah, thats BS everyone can say "oh yes, i knew not to buy a house, the bubble was going to burst", but in 2006 that same person would have bought a house just like i did ... BTW because i made a bad decision in 2006, and wont make as much $ on my house, I bought an investment property in march this year.... prob the best time to buy a house? maybe I "did research" and "figured it out" that the market might have been at its lowest then...
@montoym
yes, i am idiotic. giving the adult citizens of USA $900billion is ignorant. we should give it to big banks and big companies for them to throw away...you'd rather drill me on my silly 250k figure..its wrong, ok? if there was an edit button, itd be gone... i'll take your portion of the $900 billion we'll never see...
the4thheat 7:42PM (9/30/2009)
@Photo Phil
What are you talking about, the Camry's parts are almost all made in the USA, as are the Taurus' parts.
Of course this doesn't apply to all cars but some of the most popular cars have very high US parts content in addition to being assembled here.
Photo Phil 11:18PM (9/30/2009)
@the4thheat
lemme repeat: "from what ive seen, most car parts are not made in the USA" ... where are your facts coming from? any links? I'm not saying your wrong I just have seen different.
Rob47 8:57AM (9/30/2009)
Really 20.4 is a record???
How come American MPG is so low?
Reply
Polly Prissy Pants 9:17AM (9/30/2009)
Probably because they sell a ton a trucks.