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Buying a car can be an intensely personal experience. Buyers often are bent on one brand over another, arguing what they believe are the merits of their preference.

A recent industry analysis in Crain Automotive News gives some food for thought.

During last year's Cash for Clunkers program, almost half of the vehicles sold were Japanese brands. That's more than 319,000 vehicles that American motorists purchased.

Well, Japan has a stimulus clunker program, too: an effort to jump-start its slumping auto market. But the rules of that program shut out all U.S. brands.

Japan's program pays $2,778 for a trade-in that's at least 13 years old, on vehicles that meet the country's 2010 emissions standards. It pays $1,111 to buyers with no trade-in, if the new vehicle beats Japan's emission standards by 15 percent or more.

U.S. vehicles don't qualify because "the engines of Japanese vehicles are tuned to meet that country's peculiar fuel economy tests, which don't correspond to any other nation's test," according to Automotive News.

The Japanese say U.S. cars aren't proven to meet or beat Japan's 2010 standards, so they don't qualify for Japan's incentives.

U.S. trade representatives protested, saying changes are necessary to give American brands an opportunity to qualify. Automotive News warns that's unlikely since Japan believes the U.S. won't follow through on any trade threats.

Japan's Cash for Clunkers program is expected to continue through September. If U.S. carmakers remain shut out from that program, global sales this year for the Detroit carmakers likely will be squeezed again.




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