Trouble for Detroit? Gen Y’s Favorite Cars Are Foreign

[68X426]

Continuing a theme discussed elsewhere on the Forum: survey says that the under 27 crowd doesn't buy American.

Discuss.

Trouble for Detroit? Gen Y's Favorite Cars Are Foreign http://autos.yahoo.com/news/trouble-for-detroit--gen-y%E2%80%99s-favorite-cars-are-foreign.html

[boat-cars_are_beast]

    The only people who drive sicons at my school are super preppy girls .. One of girls got a cherry bomb under her hood after dumping her boyfriend
I should take a pic of the principals car tho he has a plymouth GTX.   

[Mike DC]

   
Detroit hasn't been very serious about courting the lower half of the age & income range since before most of us were born.  I don't really expect them to start now. 

 

[Budnicks]

Continuing a theme discussed elsewhere on the Forum: survey says that the under 27 crowd doesn't buy American.

Discuss.

Trouble for Detroit? Gen Y's Favorite Cars Are Foreign http://autos.yahoo.com/news/trouble-for-detroit--gen-y%E2%80%99s-favorite-cars-are-foreign.html

Yep the kids go to what's cheap like the old 68 RR deal $2800 before options, (I know there will never be a car that inexpensive ever again) if Detroit would do something along those lines, with today dollars, they might get back some of the 18-27 youth market share... It's simple economics to me...

[aussiemuscle]

Cadillac have done very well dropping their grandma's car image and building a Gansta Rapper audience.

tbh, Ford and GM have the same problem in australia. the younger drivers prefer asian based car makers.

[doctor4766]

Cadillac have done very well dropping their grandma's car image and building a Gansta Rapper audience.

tbh, Ford and GM have the same problem in australia. the younger drivers prefer asian based car makers.

Dunno about that.
Most of the cars that come through my workshop are Commodores and Falcons.

[RallyeMike]

I would say that Detroit is steadily improving their products including marketing to young people (albeit very s-l-o-w-l-y), but to say that their product isnt holding up too well in the market isnt exactly news thats hot off the press.

[76charger]

I think the real reason is no one that young really has any money for what Detroit is producing nowadays. All I own is American or made in Canada but I cannot see paying what they want for a new car. My newest car is a 1995 Neon. I'm a cheapass and I know that but it still is alot of money. Where as a few years ago cars were alot cheaper.

[Brock Samson]

 Don't know about the "Heartland" but here on the left coast - hardly anyone wants an american car unless it's to bling out a 300 or Mustang. The Chally and new Camaro are cool but what kid can afford them?..  The hipsters all want German this or that with Mercedes now a far distant third behind Audi Ss or BMWms and of course the sizable Asian Community is never behind the wheel of anything American incl. trucks or Vans. 
A Lexus anything the STi and WRX GT-3 and the GTR  are probably still the top "HOT" brands.
Things can change in a few short years, I remember when Saabs were a hot commodity favored by techies but you never ever see one anymore.. 
The landscape has changed quite a bit with the demise of Saturn, HUMMER, Olds, Pontiac, Mercury, Izuzu  (sorry)
Daihatsu  (sorry again)... Saab, American Motors,  and the addition of Lexus, Infinity, Acura, Kia, Hyundai, Scion, Mini and even Prius is on the way to a full line brand of it's own.
Hondas, Camerys and Piouses are fully half the cars in San Fran. the rest are Minis, BMWs and everything else.

[moparjohn]

It's funny, the article list hi-tech gagets as one reason the Y's prefer the foriegn cars.   I can see it now, when I finnally do buy a new Ram, I will, of course, NOT WANT GPS, or and navigation fancy radio with connections and the like.  My Ram will then spend 15 or so years at my disposal, like the present one, and then when i sel it, it will be like a buyer finding a car (from the 60's) with radio delete. MPJ   PS I will want the best factory AM/FM CD with multi speakers they have!

[Mike DC]

         
It's not hard to cater to Gen-Y.  Detroit just has not bothered IMHO. 

The hi-tech features thing is just an example of it.  Detroit will introduce "hot new" electronic stuff today that any $500 laptop could do a decade ago.  And they're liable to only offer it packaged up with other bells & whistles to make it cost $3000.

 

[TK73]

My 9 year-old has picked up the "slug bug" game so I'm actually noticing what cars are on the road instead of just as bland obstacles to go around.

Amazing how many Prius' ( Pious'  ) Minis, and BMW's are in Seattle...