Editorial: A good deal

The government's "Cash for Clunkers" program was worth the expense, despite some sputtering.

At a time when auto manufacturers and dealers needed a boost, they sold nearly 700,000 vehicles. The government encouraged sales by offering vouchers of up to $4,500 for consumers who traded in gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars.

Pennsylvania finished sixth, with $138.7 million worth of rebates; New Jersey was ninth, with $103.4 million. That means nearly 60,000 new cars with better gas mileage are on the road in both states.

The program accomplished what it was designed to do - get consumers back into showrooms and spur sales of new cars. Along the way, dealers also converted some of those customers into sales of other new vehicles or used cars, too.

Some buyers might have intended to purchase a car this year anyway, but "Cash for Clunkers" gave a jolt to the economy at a critical time. The net impact is about $25 billion, including $875 million in sales-tax revenue for state governments.

Auto manufacturers, including Ford and General Motors, called hundreds of employees back to work and ramped up production.

Foreign automakers Toyota and Honda reaped the largest sales gains from the program, but that could benefit American autoworkers, too. Five of the top 10 models that are built primarily in the United States are manufactured by those two firms.

The environmental and energy-saving aspects are significant, too. The average vehicle traded in got 15.8 m.p.g.; the average new car sold gets 24.9 m.p.g.

The government has been too slow to reimburse dealers, and there could be a sales slowdown now that the rebate program has ended. Still, overall, "Cash for Clunkers" did what it was intended to do. And that means it was a success.