Best selling car for young adults
 

so a couple of my buddies were talking about how Scion likes to make cars that appeal to a young group of people, and i said why would they do that if they put a 1.3 poop engine in their car. So i said that what car manufactures need to focus on is sport compacts. Something that looks nice and is moderately fast. Whats you opinion?

most teens nowadays dont know **** about car engines, they just care for looks and a kicking sound systems. Trust me i just got out of highschool :mrgreen:

As a 19 year old, I honestly have to say the majority of people around my age are in it for looks and are very susceptible to marketing. My mother/sister/friends who are girls all like the new Kia's because of the "Hamsters". Most people who aren't into cars, or aren't really into cars see a Mustang or a TC and think they are the fastest cars ever.

Hell some people I know think my car must be insanely fast, and I've had a bunch of people ask me how I can afford such an expensive car. :roll: Even my dad gets compliments on his 03 CTS, its nice, but even he admits that it isn't really anything special, yet people make a huge deal about it. I also can't tell you how many people I know who can't change a tire yet insist upon how nice/expensive a generic/entry level BMW/Mercedes is. I think Scion and Kia really get it, the young adults are attracted to the marketing they spew out, and even though they tend to lose some of the actual "Car Guys", lets face it, we are a dying breed, a niche market if you will.

You clearly havent been in an entry level Bmw/benz

Scion sells because it is affordable and their tiers for low interest are lower then everyone else by a long shot. They are also a Toyota company and that has lots of pull for people who want something that is moderatly fun but expected to be reliable.

Julie bought a new Scion xB RS7.0 a few months back and it is a much better car then I expected. Not uber high quality on the inside, but it doesn't have any rattles. Not a high HP motor but it has enough to merge in traffic. And fully loaded, minus a sunroof, it was under $19k out the door. Also, our experience at the dealership was amazing.

scion looked at the fast and the furious movies and all the homos with lambo doors and such as inspiration.

hence why, as a company, theyre not doing that well.

Scion dos actually very well

The point behind scion is to get 18-25year olds into a toyota product so that when they start making more money they come back and buy a toyota, then when they get even older they buy a Lexus.

Scion is not intended to dominate or sell a lot of cars, they are intended to get people into a toyota and hold there value better than 95% of the cars in its class

New drivers aren't supposed to have a car with a powerful engine. It would be like if I sold my Z to a high school kid, they are guaranteed to die, and the parents will feel responsible that they allowed them to get it. Buy them something slow, big, and safe; because they're guaranteed to drive it fast regardless of how quick it is, and they will wreck it and learn from their mistakes. By the time they deserve to own a car with more than average power, they will be responsible enough for it.

Thanks for beining some common sense into this.

Lately, I see most younger kids driving Scions and Genesis'.

because a highschool/young adult doesnt need anything more than cheap reliable transportation.

^yep this. I bought an xD for a daily driver back in May and its becoming my favorite car I own. Its got everything I need and slow enough to not get me in trouble :lol:

Not true, it's just to me a base 1 or 3 series or equivalent Mercedes isn't that special (they are still cool/very nice cars and I do like them). Now an M series or 5, 6, or 7 series is a header turner. A >36k 1 or 3 isn't, yet they are marketed to appear to people as a car that is very expensive, just as a Scion is marketed as a fast/sporty/reliable/modifiable car. My point is just that most people don't see cars as "car guys" do, instead they see them as how they were marketed. Most people don't even know what engine is in their car, so the sporty looking relatively cheap Scions sell very good, even if they aren't fast.

recent article from autoblog. basically "were not doing that well but heres some excuses"

that dude is talking out of his ass if he believes people with stake in the company are happy theyre selling less products but theyre happy theyre selling to kids.

he also went on to admit they need to find new ways to attract youth. so while theyre happy with their segment theyre not happy with sales... so theyre not doing that well.

also resale value, reliability etc. etc are all selling points. toyota could care less how long the car lasts or what you sell it for as long as they can make another buck in the future. looking at those factors as a selling point its still not making a big enough impact to sell as many scions as the company is hoping.

All great points. Scion offers haggle free approach, cheap entry to something sporty/stylish, great on gast, and the reliability of a Toyota product. For Toyota, if they get the customer when they're still young, they have a customer for life- the Toyota brand then the Lexus brand. With Akido Toyoda at the helm, the sporty cars are coming back. He wants to change the entire perception of Toyota. Look at the ISF, FRS, and the new GS.

I'd rather buy a Forte Coupe than a scion. that being said i wouldnt buy either.

When I was new car shopping back in 2008, I decided to look at a new Scion TC. By the time I added the options to it that I wanted including some dealer installed options(short shifter, suspension, floor mats) the cost was almost as much as a Mazdaspeed3.

now im not realy talking about 16-18 year old kids. More of young adults in the age of 20-25 who have already had their first car and want something else. Like cars with hp numbers in the mid 200's

95%+ of these 20-25 year olds don't modify their cars. Most have a first job and are interested in saving money in repairs and gas more than "going fast". Getting an apartment and saving for a house are probably #1 priority...

Agreed... I was able to afford maintaining an SR'd 240 in college, but now that Im in the real world? Yeah, Im keeping my IS stock as ****. Wheels only, thats it!

those are the smart people though, unlike the people that are closing in on 30 years old stilling living at home but have a sweet modded car :roll:

If I lived with my parents I would have a sweet car bed.

I think I might get rims for christmas, maybe a CB radio so I can talk to other car beds.

who said you had to live with your parents to have a sweet car bed? bitches dig my ride

LOL @ previous comments

When I was 16-18 I was happy to have anything that moved. Now, I was from a poor family and had to buy the car and insure it myself so I appreciated anything.

p.s. I'm jealous on anyone with a racecar bed. If they make a car bed that's even remotely girl acceptable my daughter is getting one when she's big enough.

My girlfriend picked up a used Tc back in the summer for 10K. Best bang for the buck we could find in that price range. We have zero complaints, it has everything she needs. Super reliable, good on gas, pretty nice interior/ride comfort, sporty, sunroof and a decent system. Even when I was working at Toyota I never had any complaints about working on them. They are a breeze to work on.

It's an old Corolla engine.

Camry to be proper.

Never liked those tc toys. Always some punk wanting to race his 15 second wonder.

I mean toyota are cheap cars. Scions are an even cheaper version.

I agree but I love my xB. Granted I'm not trying to "mod" it.

Ive had 2 scions, loved both of them. Only complaints I've ever had was from lackluster dealership experiences.

I get it. You guys enjoy them for what they are. You know its inexpensive to have/fix when needed, its good on gas, its slow, and not worth modding.

I get all that but the looks were always a big turn off for me.

Def a situation where "to each his own."

I have always enjoyed my xb 1.5l echo motor gets it around cheap on gas great dd and allows me to have other cars that are fun and fast that you might not want too dd

Scions, and Hondas they are all over.

I'd say most young adults go for whatever is cheap, gets good mileage, and doesn't look like a turd. If they have a sense of fun, some power too. Scions have definitely become more common and they new civic is a dime a dozen. My friends always trust my opinion when it comes to cars and the sad truth is most of them don't even know Scion is made by Toyota until I tell them so it really makes no difference to them. Me on the other hand, when I'm ready to buy a new car it will most likely have a gas guzzler tax on it :-p

Im 21, so Im def in the young adult category. I agree the scion's are great for what they are, and dont have to much argument for what has been posted above me... I think a car on the used market that may be underated ( and no not because i own one ) that has well rounded value, economy, and performance would be the 08' to present ( Mazda 3's )... My friend has a 08' 2.3L Mazda 3, and its an absolute blast to drive, and is killer on gas !

anything that has just enough " fun " factor is whats gonna attract the younger market these days

yes thats what i am talking about there are not many cheap new cars that have a fun factor

i like the scions, had two friends that had TC's. They were great on gas, spacious (rear headroom was alright, i kinda had to slouch to not hit my head) obviously a reliable car and it had alot of nice features like the "bumpin" sound system, sunroof, alloy wheels, etc. But it is what it is, we used to joke how TC stood for Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Totally Chick and of course TURBO CHARGED. They also had about like 14 airbags so when the new driver inevitably crashes with 6 highschoolers crammed in it the majority will survive. But from a performance standpoint they were a joke. Just the fact that its marketed as a kids first car is what makes older, young adults not want to get into them.