As the price of new vehicles soared in the past decade, many of us (including me) who were not “poor” or a “student” or “just starting out”, bought used cars simply to avoid the mark-up of new vehicles simply for being new.
In fact, for many it is smarter to buy a vehicle 2-3 years old with low mileage over something new because you’d be getting practically everything a new car could provide for maybe 60-70% of the cost.
None of this negates your main point which was that the “Cash For Clunkers” idea disproportionately harmed those unable to afford new cars.
That’s been our strategy, too. Usually a two or three year old car isn’t a clunker, so that used car segment will do well as the older used car supply is depleted.