Car brands Teens Love and Hate
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Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,546
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From: Santa Clarita, CA
Car brands Teens Love and Hate
http://money.cnn.com/2003/08/12/pf/a...ex.htm?cnn=yes
Car brands teens love and hate
Survey: Honda gets a big thumbs up. Chrysler ranks at the bottom with teens, worse even than Buick.
August 12, 2003: 1:59 PM EDT
By Jim Mateja, Contributing Writer
CHICAGO (Tribune Media) - Want your teen to beam? Park a
Honda in the driveway and hand over the keys.
Want your teen to scowl? Replace the Honda with a Chrysler.
You'll be told where the keys can go.
That's the finding of a nationwide survey of teens to see what brands are on their wish lists of wheels.
Honda, Volkswagen, Pontiac, Saturn and Mazda are at the top, and Toyota, Nissan, Dodge, Buick, Jeep, Mitsubishi and Chrysler are at the bottom.
The survey was conducted by the automotive division of NFO WorldGroup, a Greenwich, Conn.-based market-research firm.
The best
These cars scored best with teenagers. The average score for all brands was 100.
Brand
Score
Honda
217
Volkswagen
200
Pontiac
167
Saturn
150
Mazda
150
Source: NFO WorldGroup
Using a point system to measure teen attitudes -- 120 and up highly favorable; 80 to 100 average; below 80 weak -- the survey ranked Honda at 217, Volkswagen 200, Pontiac 167, Saturn 150, Mazda 150, Hyundai 100, Acura 100, BMW 100, Volvo 100, Chevy 94, Ford 94, Toyota 78, Nissan 75, Dodge 75, Buick 67, Jeep 67, Mitsubishi 50 and Chrysler 33.
Toyota, a favorite of parents, ranked low with their teen-age kids.
That's not so surprising, said Andy Turton, president of NFO Automotive.
"The problem with those low-ranking brands, Toyota for example, is that they are the cars that parents drive," he said. "That's why Toyota came out with its new Scion brand aimed at appealing to teens, and why it's called Scion and not Toyota.
"Scion has only been out for a short time and while there are reports that dealers are already asking for more cars, there weren't a lot of cars available to start with, so it's too early to judge what the new brand is doing for Toyota and hard to argue how big the demand really is."
Whatever
These brands scored about average in teen popularity.
Brand
Score
Hyundai
100
Acura
100
BMW
100
Volvo
100
Ford
94
Chevy
94
Source: NFO WorldGroup
And not only did Chrysler finish last, it ranked behind Buick!
"To the teen, Chrysler is boring and has nothing to interest them. Chrysler doesn't talk to teens. With Buick there's the issue of cars that older people drive, but to the teen those older people are grandparents," he said, which lessens the negative impact.
When it comes to Honda heading the pack, Turton says, "whether by design or accident, and I suspect accident because Honda aims at an older Gen X audience, it has done well with teens. It's a car in which they can go quick and look cool. The reason is that the Civic is a vehicle that's easy to soup up with more horsepower, easy to customize with such things as wheels and headlights, and comes with a respected audio system -- and teens care about sound."
As for No. 2 Volkswagen, "It's perceived as a youthful, energetic, highly styled brand with a personality. The Beetle especially is considered wacky and cute, a car teens love and women coo over," Turton said.
The worst
These car brands are unpopular with teenagers. The average score for all brands was 100.
Brand
Score
Toyota
78
Nissan
75
Dodge
75
Jeep
67
Buick
67
Mitsubishi
50
Chrysler
33
Source: NFO WorldGroup
And No. 3 Pontiac: "Popular because of styling, with the Vibe having a strong visual presence that matters to the teen audience. Pontiac is seen as high energy yet refined and a little upscale," he said.
As for some of the others of note:
-Mitsubishi: "Teens love the advertising but they see a Galant on the street, and it doesn't connect with the brand. Only the Eclipse and Evo resonate with them."
-Saturn: "Doing a very good job. While the design isn't that appealing, the selling process comes across as simple and sincere, with customers treated like real persons."
-Mazda: "Zoom, zoom and style."
-Chevy and Ford: "In the middle of the pack but considered straightforward and honest. Teens regard themselves as savvy marketeers who have been sold to all their life and spot tricks vs. honesty. These brands are respected by teens, and you have to earn a teen's respect, it isn't given to you.
"Chevy and Ford are considered sincere and credible, it's just that their product isn't seen as exciting or enticing as a VW or Pontiac. But since the product is priced more in their range, at crunch time Chevy and Ford get more teen sales than all the other brands."
Other findings: Chevy and Ford ranked highest with males, BMW and VW highest with females, and Honda had a slight female to male bias.
And whatever the brand, teens favor small cars.
"Curiously enough, they feel safer in a smaller car because they can better manage the dimensions," Turton said.
The survey focused on first-car buying intentions, stopping short of the teens traveling with parents to the lot to make a purchase, when the person holding the checkbook separates wishes from reality.
But the survey was meant as much to serve as a wake-up call to the automakers as to how effective they are in attracting the much- coveted youth as it was to learn their wants and desires. Survey results show some of the automakers are still slumbering.
And the survey didn't delve into new or used.
"That will vary by state," Turton said. "In California parents will buy teens a new car for graduation, but that's not as readily the case in the Midwest, where it's more likely a used car."
Survey: Honda gets a big thumbs up. Chrysler ranks at the bottom with teens, worse even than Buick.
August 12, 2003: 1:59 PM EDT
By Jim Mateja, Contributing Writer
CHICAGO (Tribune Media) - Want your teen to beam? Park a
Honda in the driveway and hand over the keys.
Want your teen to scowl? Replace the Honda with a Chrysler.
You'll be told where the keys can go.
That's the finding of a nationwide survey of teens to see what brands are on their wish lists of wheels.
Honda, Volkswagen, Pontiac, Saturn and Mazda are at the top, and Toyota, Nissan, Dodge, Buick, Jeep, Mitsubishi and Chrysler are at the bottom.
The survey was conducted by the automotive division of NFO WorldGroup, a Greenwich, Conn.-based market-research firm.
The best
These cars scored best with teenagers. The average score for all brands was 100.
Brand
Score
Honda
217
Volkswagen
200
Pontiac
167
Saturn
150
Mazda
150
Source: NFO WorldGroup
Using a point system to measure teen attitudes -- 120 and up highly favorable; 80 to 100 average; below 80 weak -- the survey ranked Honda at 217, Volkswagen 200, Pontiac 167, Saturn 150, Mazda 150, Hyundai 100, Acura 100, BMW 100, Volvo 100, Chevy 94, Ford 94, Toyota 78, Nissan 75, Dodge 75, Buick 67, Jeep 67, Mitsubishi 50 and Chrysler 33.
Toyota, a favorite of parents, ranked low with their teen-age kids.
That's not so surprising, said Andy Turton, president of NFO Automotive.
"The problem with those low-ranking brands, Toyota for example, is that they are the cars that parents drive," he said. "That's why Toyota came out with its new Scion brand aimed at appealing to teens, and why it's called Scion and not Toyota.
"Scion has only been out for a short time and while there are reports that dealers are already asking for more cars, there weren't a lot of cars available to start with, so it's too early to judge what the new brand is doing for Toyota and hard to argue how big the demand really is."
Whatever
These brands scored about average in teen popularity.
Brand
Score
Hyundai
100
Acura
100
BMW
100
Volvo
100
Ford
94
Chevy
94
Source: NFO WorldGroup
And not only did Chrysler finish last, it ranked behind Buick!
"To the teen, Chrysler is boring and has nothing to interest them. Chrysler doesn't talk to teens. With Buick there's the issue of cars that older people drive, but to the teen those older people are grandparents," he said, which lessens the negative impact.
When it comes to Honda heading the pack, Turton says, "whether by design or accident, and I suspect accident because Honda aims at an older Gen X audience, it has done well with teens. It's a car in which they can go quick and look cool. The reason is that the Civic is a vehicle that's easy to soup up with more horsepower, easy to customize with such things as wheels and headlights, and comes with a respected audio system -- and teens care about sound."
As for No. 2 Volkswagen, "It's perceived as a youthful, energetic, highly styled brand with a personality. The Beetle especially is considered wacky and cute, a car teens love and women coo over," Turton said.
The worst
These car brands are unpopular with teenagers. The average score for all brands was 100.
Brand
Score
Toyota
78
Nissan
75
Dodge
75
Jeep
67
Buick
67
Mitsubishi
50
Chrysler
33
Source: NFO WorldGroup
And No. 3 Pontiac: "Popular because of styling, with the Vibe having a strong visual presence that matters to the teen audience. Pontiac is seen as high energy yet refined and a little upscale," he said.
As for some of the others of note:
-Mitsubishi: "Teens love the advertising but they see a Galant on the street, and it doesn't connect with the brand. Only the Eclipse and Evo resonate with them."
-Saturn: "Doing a very good job. While the design isn't that appealing, the selling process comes across as simple and sincere, with customers treated like real persons."
-Mazda: "Zoom, zoom and style."
-Chevy and Ford: "In the middle of the pack but considered straightforward and honest. Teens regard themselves as savvy marketeers who have been sold to all their life and spot tricks vs. honesty. These brands are respected by teens, and you have to earn a teen's respect, it isn't given to you.
"Chevy and Ford are considered sincere and credible, it's just that their product isn't seen as exciting or enticing as a VW or Pontiac. But since the product is priced more in their range, at crunch time Chevy and Ford get more teen sales than all the other brands."
Other findings: Chevy and Ford ranked highest with males, BMW and VW highest with females, and Honda had a slight female to male bias.
And whatever the brand, teens favor small cars.
"Curiously enough, they feel safer in a smaller car because they can better manage the dimensions," Turton said.
The survey focused on first-car buying intentions, stopping short of the teens traveling with parents to the lot to make a purchase, when the person holding the checkbook separates wishes from reality.
But the survey was meant as much to serve as a wake-up call to the automakers as to how effective they are in attracting the much- coveted youth as it was to learn their wants and desires. Survey results show some of the automakers are still slumbering.
And the survey didn't delve into new or used.
"That will vary by state," Turton said. "In California parents will buy teens a new car for graduation, but that's not as readily the case in the Midwest, where it's more likely a used car."
Thread Starter
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,546
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Case in point: Honda doesn't need no stinken 3rd party brand name like Scion. 
Btw, i saw one on the highway today and it was like a tiny japanese minivan imported to LA. lol.
Btw, i saw one on the highway today and it was like a tiny japanese minivan imported to LA. lol.
Midnight Marauder
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 770
Likes: 63
From: San Jose, CA
Originally posted by Guru
Yeah that doesn't seem right. How is saturn ranked so high?
Also how can hyundai beat toyota,nissan, & mitsu. The survey is off.
Yeah that doesn't seem right. How is saturn ranked so high?
Also how can hyundai beat toyota,nissan, & mitsu. The survey is off.
I guess not everyone was brought up rich or really wants a status car.
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Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 5,759
Likes: 0
From: Rockville, MD
all these ricer kids are dreaming of civics. oh well... at least honda is doing something right. i hate the new scion line, i hope it falls flat on its face. 
it's surprising that BMW wasnt higher up on the list.
it's surprising that BMW wasnt higher up on the list.
Houses Won't Depreciate?
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,238
Likes: 0
From: Weston, FL
Originally posted by Guru
Yeah that doesn't seem right. How is saturn ranked so high?
Also how can hyundai beat toyota,nissan, & mitsu. The survey is off.
Yeah that doesn't seem right. How is saturn ranked so high?
Also how can hyundai beat toyota,nissan, & mitsu. The survey is off.
I love my G sedan
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 0
From: CA
I was surprised by the scores of Nissan, BMW, and Acura being so low. What's up with Saturn being in the top? I don't see any Saturn vehicle attractive to young people. I have known the popularity of Volkswagen to young people, but I still don't see why, Volkswagen vehicles are boring and ugly except GTI. Look at Jetta and Beetle, no different than a Buick in my eyes.
A-CL Totaled Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 0
From: Ellicott City, Maryland
im a teen and i want a lexus i dunno what them peeps be smokin. celica was my first choice til i heard the insurance price and sat in it (im kinda tall for a car that size).
Banned
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 5,547
Likes: 0
From: central jerzey
They should have done that by individual car.
If they did, I bet the Celica, and RSX would be way up there.
When you ask by brand, you are basically asking the image they project. Case in point: BMW. 99.9% of kids would die for an M3, but as a brand, their image is stodgy because of cars like the 7 series.
If they did, I bet the Celica, and RSX would be way up there.
When you ask by brand, you are basically asking the image they project. Case in point: BMW. 99.9% of kids would die for an M3, but as a brand, their image is stodgy because of cars like the 7 series.
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: not there, but there
Originally posted by Red Nj-s
Lol I think it's funny. Why don't you guys lighten up. Make a white joke, and we will all be even.
Lol I think it's funny. Why don't you guys lighten up. Make a white joke, and we will all be even.
White or black.....still that shit doesnt make it right.
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