Edmunds.com continued tracking vehicle sales as usual while the Cash for Clunkers (i.e., CARS) program was active. But early on, our data analysts noticed they were coming up with different numbers than the Department of Transportation.
It turned out the government was keeping track by drive configuration as the EPA does to rate fuel economy. For example, it appears the government counted front-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive and hybrid versions of the Ford Escape individually. However, as you'll see on the chart after the jump, even when calculating sales by drivetrain, the Edmunds numbers still differ from the DOT's.
Moreover, we also get different results for the top 10 models traded in under the CARS program.
Most puzzling of all are the inconsistencies in the government's own numbers: The overall number of Cash for Clunkers voucher applications (690,114) submitted by dealerships is different from the number of clunkers the government said were turned in under the program (685,201), which, in turn, is different from the number of vehicles purchased (684,941).
Auto Observer -- New Math: Cash for Clunkers Numbers Don't Add Up
estreka says:
12:22 PM, 09/ 3/09
At first it looked like Ford really cleaned house with C4C. But after looking at the plethora of Ford vehicles traded in, I'd say most of those purchases were loyalty buys. Ford didn't offer additional "value member" savings, did they?
I also noticed that Chrysler only got 1 vehicle on the Top 20 list. Pathetic.
brn says:
01:23 PM, 09/ 3/09
How did the F-150 make the list of C4C buys?
As to the math, I'm glad Edmunds is scratching it's head on this one. I'd like to understand the real answers. It shouldn't be tough.
dg0472 says:
05:06 PM, 09/ 3/09
I still don't get the Focus. Does it have additional powertrain configurations I don't know of? Or are the feds breaking it down into auto and man?
greenpony says:
05:12 PM, 09/ 3/09
So which numbers are right?
cwc1 says:
06:38 PM, 09/ 3/09
There are many statistics that come from our national (used to be federal) government that are suspect, and manipulated for political reasons. Such figures include the GDNP and the CPI, in which figures that don't fit or that will detract from the desired outcome are discarded, or replaced with others that help skew the numbers, or stretched, or simply made up.
1487 says:
06:33 AM, 09/ 4/09
"How did the F-150 make the list of C4C buys?"
The F150 was eligible. The media and government chose to ignore the fact that CARS allowed you to buy a truck as long as it got 18mpg (I think thats the figure) but the reality it many trucks/SUVs were eligible as long as you were trading in a less efficient truck.
I dont trust the gov's figures at all. They were parsing the data to make it seem like mostly compacts and hybrds were in the top 10. Not counting ALL versions of a particular model is just stupid, but it was done for a reason.
bodyblue says:
11:21 AM, 09/ 4/09
Remember there are lies, damned lies and then there are statistics. Stats can be manipulated at will. As for the Focus whats not to get? I offers great quality, decent looks, it drives nicely and gets great MPG. Super exciting it is not, but the best selling cars rarely are.