Cars' Cool Factor Depends on Younger Generation

Kids don't have the money to buy whatever new car they want, but they do have influence in convincing older buyers what to get.

"The complaint among teens for years was that they wouldn't buy their father's Oldsmobile," said Rob Callender, spokesman for TRU, a Northbrook, Ill.-based subsidiary of Research International USA that specializes in the buying behavior and trends of teens and 20-somethings. “By the time Olds turned around its lineup with vehicles for younger buyers, it was too late. It went out of business.”

Callender said the reason Toyota created the Scion division and its novel-looking machines was to avoid the day when "Not my father's Camry" would become the cry of youth turned off by driving the same vehicle Dad puttered around in.

"Youth doesn't have the bulk of the cash consumers spend, but they set the buying tone," Callender said. "Youth has an enthusiasm about cars that rubs off on others and influences what they buy. If youth likes a car, the old will, too, but if old like the car, youth might not. Chances are greater that a 35-year-old will buy a car that a teen or 20-something likes than he would a car that a 60-year-old likes."

Society may dictate that adults set the example for kids to follow, but when it comes to the vehicles they buy, kids set the example for adults, Callender said, which is why automakers continue to covet the youth market.

Comments

[Tom L]

And I've known this for years, why did a study have to be done to figure this out?

[J]

Because some automakers are still making retro cars which the young ones don't even want to look at.

[L]

I've said this too! This will be Toyota and Hondas downfall in 20 years. Kids won't want them because their parents drove them.

I love the new muscle car wars and I will be the proud owner of a new Camaro when they come out, but even I at 29 know that most teens and kids don't have the familiarity with the old versions of these cars so they won't be as popular as I would hope they would be.

As for Oldsmobile, I was so sad to see them go. At 22 I drove a used 1988 Cutlas Cierra like the one in the picture and once she got up to 296K miles and all the power windows stopped working and people had hit her parking lots, well, it was just time to let her go. It was a GREAT car though! But I remember telling a friend that I would buy another Oldsmobile in a heartbeat and his reply was "Why? It even has the word old in the name?".

[James]

Well, it doesn't matter if it's old model or new model car. The important thing is you always give it proper maintenance at all times. All parts of the vehicles such as body panel, seats, and other car parts should be given the needed amount of care.

[DL]

is it "the car my parents drove" or "the car my grandparents drove"??? most kids i know are smart enough to know that their parents' fat Camry is reliable and smooth with decent features. that's why, on the previously mentioned survey (aside from the Mustang i guess), the stupid Camry and Accord are near the top of the list of cars they'd buy.

however, i think that the Olds and Buicks tend to be seen as cars that only 70+-year-olds would seek out to purchase new. i'd get a hand-me-down, cuz it's cheap to own; i don't think young people would spend all their hard-earned money on a new one.

[DL]

so, quoting from the "Teens say they'd most like to drive a mustang" ...

Among teens, the most desired cars in order of preference were the Mustang, Civic (to customize), Honda Accord, Volkswagen Beetle, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Impala, Ford Focus, Ford F-150 pickup, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Silverado pickup, VW Jetta and Nissan Maxima.

many of these cars are top-sellers, cars that teens' parents most likely have in their driveways currently. it works both ways. the parents' choices can influence the kids perception too.

[J]

For one thing, the kids see their parents Camry and Accord are pretty much trouble-free while during the years parking at their driveway, and seeing a friend or classmate's grandpa's Buick is a different story.