Many Utahns swapped gas-hog clunkers for newer, shinier, gas-guzzling trucks

Published: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 10:45 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

One Utahn decided to trade in a 1989 Chevrolet K2500 pickup truck that got a lousy 13 miles per gallon as part of the Cash for Clunkers program. So what did he buy in the national effort to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road?

A new Hummer H3T that gets 16 miles per gallon, just 3 mpg better.

A significant number of Utahns traded in gas-hog clunkers for new gas hogs, a Deseret News analysis of program data shows, similar to national findings reported by national press earlier this week. But Utahns still managed to help out the environment a bit more on average than most Americans.

Clunkers traded in by Utahns averaged 15.4 mpg. The new cars they bought averaged 25.3 mpg, for a gain of 9.9 mpg on average.

Nationally, traded-in clunkers averaged 15.8 mpg while newly bought cars averaged 24.9, for a gain of only 9.1 mpg on average.

Following is a look at key Utah numbers for the program. They show that most new cars bought here were made by foreign car makers, so Utah gave little stimulus to Detroit. It also looks at the most popular vehicles either turned in or bought, which cities may have had a sales-tax windfall, which dealers sold the most, and more:

FUEL EFFICIENT?: Some new vehicles purchased through the program are not exactly the most fuel efficient. For example, 128 Utahns bought new vehicles rated at only 15 mpg.

Story continues below

That includes 58 people who bought Ford F150 FFV four-wheel drive trucks, the 38 who bought Dodge Ram 1500 four-wheel drive trucks, and the nine who bought Chevrolet Silverado K15 four-wheel drive trucks. Another 145 Utahns bought vehicles rated at only 16 mpg.

MANY TRUCKS: When it comes to imagining vehicles that are more fuel-efficient, small cars or hybrids may come to mind. But a third of all new vehicles purchased with the help of the new program in Utah were trucks or sport utility vehicles, or 1,858 out of 5,596 deals made here.

Even some of the cars purchased do not have reputations for being the most fuel-efficient, including Lincolns, BMWs, a Mercedes Benz and a Lexus.

FOREIGN AID: Utahns may not have given much stimulus to U.S. car companies through the program. Two of every three cars they bought were made by foreign car companies, or 3,783 out of 5,596.

POPULAR MAKES: The top makes bought by Utahns were Toyota, 930 vehicles, 16.6 percent of the total; Honda, 762 vehicles, 13.6 percent; Hyundai, 719, 12.8 percent; Nissan, 612, 10.9 percent; Chevrolet, 588, 10.5 percent; and Ford, 413, 7.4 percent.

Recent comments

RE: Buy American | 5:12 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009 - I have lived in Japan (4...

Aker | Nov. 9, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.

@Freedom or not: You have your freedom to buy your gas-guzzling...

xscribe | Nov. 9, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.

Proigram Worked for you, but did not work for me.

I would have...

The Pogram Worked for Us | Nov. 9, 2009 at 5:27 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

3A: Juan Diego wins title

so proud of you H town boys. we cant ask for better. as for not being back...

Great pictures! I was there and got some pretty good ones, but the your...

Letters: Say heck, not gosh

Part of the point of saying "gosh" is to avoid vain repetition of the name of...

Cougars cruise to victory in Hawaii

A well deserved accomplishment for a terrific coach. And doing it in...

It's a small Mormon world

The hour is late and I'm not very bright, but I don't understand your post at...

Broncos make Aggies pay

I thought the Aggies were in the game until the end of the 2nd quarter. A...

Broncos make Aggies pay

Sorry to break the news to you, but Boise State really is not that good....

UH guard Hiram Thompson is LDS and an RM and the older brother of freshman...

as bland as wonder bread.

I agree totally with you. I've had some time in the strips and when i was at...

Advertisements