Today's Image-Conscious Youth Embraces Car Culture - Kids Head Back to School in Customized Rides

COSTA MESA, Calif., Aug. 26 -- Move over baby boomers. There's a new breed of car buyer in town. According to the experts at NADAguides.com (www.nadaguides.com), a leading vehicle information website, today's teens are reshaping the way cars are made, bought, sold and customized in the U.S. What's more, this year's back to school car-buying marketplace has changed, with today's youth making important car purchasing and personalization decisions like never before.

"Today's teenage drivers know what they like and want and they're personalizing their vehicles unlike any other time in our history," said Mark Perleberg, lead auto expert, NADAguides.com. In the '80's and '90's, it was all about the latest clothes and computers. In 2004, the car culture is alive and well, but this time it's different -- kids have the money to purchase and modify cars and they love to 'show off' their rides at school and around town."

As a result of this resurgence in 'car culture popularity,' Perleberg says manufacturers, designers, dealers, and marketers across the country are changing the way they do business.

"Before, if you customized your car, you risked voiding the original manufacturer warranty," said Perleberg. "Not so today. Automakers realize the importance of building brand loyalty with today's youth -- youth that want to personalize their cars -- and as a result, customization has become increasingly important too. Today's manufacturer will build a tricked out car for you, or at the very least, will give you a wealth of ideas about how to personalize the car yourself. A lot has changed."

A lot has changed indeed. Today, dealerships are more than willing to finance younger car buyers, something they wouldn't have considered 20 or 30 years ago. What's more, there's a wealth of attractive financing packages to help younger consumers afford higher-priced cars they typically couldn't buy in the past.

"And don't forget how the Internet has impacted today's teenage car buyer," said Perleberg. "10 or 20 years ago, the very best a consumer could do was to visit dealership after dealership, gathering pricing and specification information. Today, that information is available at the click of a mouse, making today's youth some of the most educated and savvy car shoppers on the market." According to Perleberg, this availability of information has helped shape the way cars are bought ... and ultimately sold ... at the dealership level.

Finally, it boils down to image. Perleberg says that when it comes to shaping a kid's image, a cool car is just as important as cool clothes, gadgets and friends. Car marketers and advertising experts are making that connection too, generating more and more advertisements and marketing campaigns geared towards younger buyers.

So what are some of the most popular cars 'making the grade' with today's teenage drivers? According to NADAguides.com, there are a ton of affordable, sporty and safe vehicles on the market today -- overall characteristics that are narrowing the gap between what young drivers want to drive and what their parents would like them to drive.

   Popular Teen Vehicle Choices
   1.  Toyota SR5
   2.  Subaru WRX STi
   3.  Honda Civic
   4.  Jeep Wrangler
   5.  Ford F-150

   Popular Parent Vehicle Choices
   1.  Toyota Camry
   2.  Honda Civic
   3.  Ford Explorer Sport
   4.  Ford Mustang V-6
   5.  Dodge Neon