Cash for Clunkers -- What Cars Are Drivers Buying?

What kinds of vehicles are Cash for Clunkers customers turning in, and what are they buying?

83% of the vehicles traded in so far have been SUVs and pickups, and 60% of the ones purchased have been passenger cars, says CNN, quoting Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

The top 10 cars bought under the Cash for Clunkers program, according to data compiled by CNN from a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration report, are:

1. Ford Focus
2. Toyota Corolla
3. Honda Civic
4. Toyota Prius
5. Toyota Camry
6. Ford Escape
7. Hyundai Elantra
8. Dodge Caliber
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt

CNN also gave fuel-economy numbers for the cars, concluding:

The average combined city and highway fuel economy of the 10 cars ranges from at 27 to 33 miles per gallon, depending on which versions people choose [i.e., conventional or hybrid].

Critics of Cash for Clunkers who said the program was designed to aid Detroit, not the environment, should take a look at the cars listed above. Detroit's cars occupy only the Nos. 1, 6, 8 and 10 spots.

Whom the plan really helped were consumers, car dealers, the environment, auto transport companies, banks, salvage companies, advertising agencies, media outlets, and yes, manufacturers. And probably others that I'm forgetting.