AUTO'94

Autos For The
X- Generation

The younger generation
are driving
affordable
compact cars.

JIBE CANDLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Illustrations by Michael Crampton

im Dudley, a copywriter at J.
J .
Walter Thompson, writes
about cars for the Ford ac-
count but dreams about own-
ing a super car stereo system
— one that blasts out the
rock music that stirs his soul.
For the moment he drives a
1 989 Volkswagen Golf with
standard sound. Like many of
his contemporaries, he prefers
a sport utility vehicle, the Ford
Explorer.
Mr. Dudley, 27, is a member
of the X generation, which the
media has labeled the con-
sumers between the ages of 17
and 28. They like sport utility

The 1994
Pontiac
Sunbird LE
can be ordered
as a
convertible.

and
vehicles
trucks, but they
drive entry-level
subcompacts like
the Pontiac Sun-
bird, Honda Civic,
Ford Escort and
the Golf. Some-
times they equip
them with CD players and ex-
pensive sound systems. If their
budgets permitted, they would
choose fast sports cars or top-
line luxury models. As for
minivans and station wagons,
they're out.
This age group is also
known as "Baby Busters," fol-
lowing the boomers but not ex-
pected to fare as well
economically. Some experts
call them twentysomethings or
the hip-hop generation.
Other marketers, including
those at Seventeen magazine,
broaden the X generation to in-
clude 80 million people ages 11
to 31.
But no matter how they la-
bel them, marketers are pur-
suing the X generation with
passion — for this is a anoth-
er consumer group to target.
The appeal of the X generation
is the purchases they will be
making in the future. Today,
their annual buying power is
about $125 billion. That's
about half the spending power
of the 28-to-47-year-old baby
boomers. They are a 17 per-
cent slice of the nation's popu-

The 1994 Acura Integra
Sports Sedan has
anti-lock brakes, dual
air-bags and a
six-speaker, stereo cas-
sette system as standard
features.

lation. By the year 2000, Xers
are expected to be the nation's
biggest single market and 62-
million strong.
The cars, houses and other
products the Xers will buy will
be smaller and less expensive
because of developments like
corporate downsizing and job
insecurity. Experts predict this
generation can anticipate di-
minished prospects.
Chrysler expects a big share
of the buyers of the new sub-
compact Neon to be Generation
X. To grab their attention, the
auto maker is adding a model
with a brightly multi-colored
interior. Chrysler is using the
Super Bowl and the 1994 win-
ter Olympics to introduce the
new car where Xers are likely
to see it.
Acura, Honda's luxury unit,
is aiming its new Integra at
twentysomethings with media
buys such as Nick at Nite and
MTV. Subaru is also thinking
under 30.
Kevin Rosell, a computer
consultant, likes Japanese
cars. He believes they are
more reliable and of better

quality. The 23-year-old
bought a 1986 Nissan Pulsar
a year or so ago, for reliability
and price.
Now he's looking at a re-
placement for the Pulsar,
which he uses to commute
from a lower flat in Grosse
Pointe Park to the offices of
Lewis and Lewis in South-
field's Town Center. After pe-
rusing Car and Driver
magazine, he will shop for a
high-revving, sporty Mazda
MX3. His dream car is the
Nissan 300ZX, a sporty two-
seater. Xers are more inclined
toward domestic than import
cars. Even among those fa-
voring imports, many Ameri-
can-made products are
considered awesome.
Kevin Rosell also is contem-
plating the Jeep Wrangler, the
two-door sport utility descend-
ed from the vehicle that helped
the United States win World
War II.
Lisa Corey of Birmingham
traded in her Saab 900 con-
vertible for a roomier Infiniti
J30. But her attorney hus-
band, Louis, drives a Jeep