cino

iTrader: (1)

22-23 should be when you get a degree. If you can't find a job a year after you earn your degree, move out of that state. I spent 6 months doing job hunting, landed on one, now I can afford luxury segment easily. I didn't work so hard in school either, I just know how to present myself.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

the thread isn't about moms ferrying around their young kids... it's about young ADULTS who are working, and what new cars they're interested in or buying and whether car makers are responding to the needs well.

hxcman56

i bought my 13 gs 350 w/ 15k on it when i was 25 so i know its possible. im talking about the average person. but someone that knows how to hustle/work hard can get it easily also.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

excellent post (and clarification, thanks). about scion, yes, toyota must have been pretty baffled that their vehicles have been bought more by active outdoorsy types on a low budget, or seniors on fixed incomes who want a reliable no frills vehicle.

markets are fragmented. wants exceed needs in most cases. many young people starting out in work would love to have a stylish vehicle that shows they're "on their way up" but function also matters depending on where they are and what they do. an urban or suburban traffic-filled commute makes bigger vehicles less desirable. a person who likes to take kayaks or bikes all over might not do so well with a very small vehicle. everyone likes good fuel economy, but some people still want performance. however, 'show' seems more relevant than 'go' these days as 'go' can't be used much on public roads either due to traffic or law enforcement.

modern engines thankfully are making huge strides in giving better fuel economy AND performance AND lower emissions - quite remarkable.

i was just in the uk where small hatchbacks still rule the day with young people having more money gravitating to coupes and small sedans with audi 3/4/5 and bmw 2/3/4 seemingly everywhere.

cino

iTrader: (1)

That's the whole point. Anyone who work hard enough, they should be able to enjoy their life. Not just car, but everything else.

hxcman56

ya exaclty. i had nicer stuff than my parents did by the time i was 25. but back to the topic. youth these days are doing things all *** backwards. their getting car loans on used cars. then their attempting to get a house and cant because of the car loan because (and im guessing off top of my head) avg median income for fresh out of college is 30-40k. its real hard to have anything nice and have another nice thing ie nice house no car. nice car no house. but thats just my thinking. all of my friends would rather go out and party and just have something that works than have a luxury line anything

cino

iTrader: (1)

I have a lot of friends making less than I do, simply because they think backward and think conservatively. Strangely, with that conservative thinking, they still want to own nice stuff. It doesn't work well for many of them.

mmarshall

That's because, while Scion DID become a nameplate with one of the lowest average-age of buyers in the American auto market, the Scion designers and marketers also misjudged part of that market. The original xB was probably the best example. It was intended to be bought primarily by those looking for a young "funky" styling experience. But, in fact, its space-efficiency, build quality, reliability, and low price also (as you noted) sold it to a number of seniors and older people with fixed-incomes, without a lot of disposable cash to spend. Many older people also liked the fact that its tall roofline, shoe-box styling, and relatively high stance made getting in and out of both the front and rear seats a breeze without having to stoop or strain one's back or legs. Some of them, though, ended up complaining about the center-mounted gauges (I'm not a fan of that design myself).

FrankReynoldsCPA

I'm 25 and have a car loan right now on a used car.

I bought it last year when I moved to Vegas for a new job. My prior car, a 92 LS400, had died a few months earlier. So when I moved I needed a car. I was reluctant to buy anything but a beater, but I did want something that would survive more than 3 years this time, so I bought a lightly used 2012 Fusion and took out a loan, which I'm well on my way to paying off(and building credit for my future house purchase). When all is said and done I'll have paid about $1000 in interest at the most.

I tend to agree with those who notice a trend in kids not having an interest in driving, or at least in owning a car. My roommate is 2 years older than me and just barely bought his first car(an early-mid 2000's Civic). Keep in mind that Vegas isn't exactly a public transporation heaven.

I had college roommates that had never driven a car before, one of which I am 100% certain will never have a driver's license.

spwolf

this post and philips are great example that personal experience does not matter much :-).

Scion has lowest buyer age in the industry.

As to UK, 2 series in UK is a van :-). But yes, due to their lease programs where company pays for your lease to pay less taxes, a lot of entry level sedans are sold - similar to everywhere in europe actually... Fiesta, Focus, Golf, Corsa and Quashkai were top 5 in April so it is not like BMW is #1.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I do remember once reading that fact.


Can we then make a correlation with this demographic and sales figures?


The young population of first-car buyers will tend to buy products such as Scion, but since they are not as financially established independenty, the sales figures reflects Scion's volume compared to the rest of the automotive market. However, more prominent nameplates with economy cars (such as the Nissan Versa or Honda Fit) do sell well and in greater volumes compared to Scion models. Why is that?

So, as vocal as most enthusiasts are about the demise of Scion, is it really such a bad thing for the Scion brand not to sell a lot of cars?

mmarshall

Depends on what source you are looking at. Although final figures aren't in yet for 2015, as of last year, Dodge narrowly eclipsed Scion for that title. But, yes, Scion has been at or near the lowest average age for years.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...cle-buyers-ihs

Infra

iTrader: (1)

I guess so. The base engine starts @ $18k, but if you're going for the larger engine, you might as well get the 6 for nearly the same price.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

Sorry guys, I hate to be a Debbie downer, but paying upwards of 23,000+ for an entry level car borders on insanity. It's pure stupidity of finance and economics.

I bought my 92 SC400 in near mint condition with 49,000 miles on the clock for all of $12,000...
And I just bought a 2002 SC430 last year also in near mint condition with 47k on the odometer for just $17,000.

There is nothing you can buy new in the 20-30,000 range that comes close to that.

NickTee

This thread appears to be a collection of like-minded individuals making like-minded assumptions.