Cash for Clunkers: Eligible Used Cars List Under $3,500

As Congress debates cash-for-clunkers legislation, we reviewed our data to determine what worn out old cars make the most sense to junk and what qualifying cars we think would make better replacements—featured in another post.

The used cars we’ve listed are the newest vehicles likely to be available for less than $3,500, the minimum voucher value. For this to be worthwhile to the consumer, the vehicle’s trade-in value would need to be less than the voucher. Older versions of these vehicles are likely to be worth less, making the vouchers even more appealing. Many of the models have mechanical twins sold by another brand that may qualify, but we have not listed them here.

Keep in mind that spending money on a new car can buy you more than just improved fuel economy. A new car will have a warranty to cover repairs. And a decade (or more) of improvement in safety and reliability.

The past 10 years have brought big gains in safety engineering and technology, including better structure to cushion the impact while maintaining the integrity of the occupant space and safety features such as front-side and curtain air bags and electronic stability control (ESC). In particular, many older SUVs have a higher inherent risk of rollover than newer car-based designs with ESC.

In addition to casting the spotlight on eligible clunkers, we will soon present a list of Consumer Reports recommended vehicles that could serve as a replacement. To see a complete list of Consumer Reports recommended models check out our ratings, available to online subscribers.

Make	Model	Older than model year	EPA combined mpg	Category
Cadillac	DeVille	1994	17	Car
Cadillac	Eldorado	1994	17	Car
Cadillac	Seville	1993	17	Car
Jaguar	XJ6	1996	18	Car
Lincoln	Continental	1999	18	Car
Lincoln	LS V8	2001	17	Car
Lincoln	Town Car	1996	18	Car
Mercury	Grand Marquis	1998	18	Car
Oldsmobile	Aurora	1998	18	Car
Pontiac	Firebird	1992	18	Car
Chevrolet	Astro	2000	16	Truck
Chevrolet	Blazer 2dr 4WD	1995	16	Truck
Chevrolet	Blazer 4dr 4WD	1999	16	Truck
Chevrolet	S10 4WD	1997	16	Truck
Chevrolet	Silverado 4WD	1998	16	Truck
Dodge	Dakota	2001	14	Truck
Dodge	Durango	1998	13	Truck
Dodge	Ram 4WD	1994	12	Truck
Dodge	Grand Caravan	2000	18	Truck
Ford	Aerostar	1996	17	Truck
Ford	F150 V8 4WD	1995	14	Truck
Ford	Expedition 4WD	2000	17	Truck
Ford	Explorer 4WD	1999	15	Truck
Ford	Windstar	2001	18	Truck
Isuzu	Rodeo 4WD	1996	15	Truck
Jeep	Grand Cherokee V8	1997	14	Truck
Jeep	Wrangler	1995	16	Truck
Kia	Sedona	2002	16	Truck
Mitsubishi	Montero Sport 4WD	2001	17	Truck
Nissan	Pathfinder	1998	15	Truck
Nissan	Quest	1999	18	Truck
Toyota	4Runner 4WD	1992	13	Truck

(Via consumerreports.org.)