Teens Driven Towards Domestic Brands When Deciding On First Automobile

GREENWICH, Conn.--July 30, 2002-- For many American teens, getting that first car is almost like a rite of passage, and with summer in full swing, what brand of cars are teens looking forward to owning?

According to a new study by NFO WorldGroup, one of the world's leading providers of research-based marketing information and counsel, domestic brands Ford and Chevrolet topped the list for most desired brand of first car.

The results of this study, which surveyed both teenagers and parents of teenagers, revealed that 16% of teenagers wanted a Ford for their first car - the highest percentage compared to other makes, while Chevrolet came in as the second most desired brand at 14.5%. The study also showed that parents of teens seem to have an accurate impression of what their teens want for their first car, with 21.2% and 19.3% predicting that Ford and Chevrolet would be the top two brands of car their teens desire.

"Teens usually look for cars that reflect their own style, but they also recognize that they have to keep their desires within economic realities," said Andy Turton, President of NFO Automotive, a division of NFO WorldGroup specializing in automotive research. "Ford and Chevy probably take the major share because they are seen as solid, reliable and above all, affordable by teens and their parents," Turton added.

While Ford and Chevrolet held the top spots as most desired first car among teens, foreign luxury vehicle manufacturers' Mercedes Benz and Lexus emerged as the champions when respondents were asked to rank car brands based on their overall impressions, with teens rating them at 8.03 and 7.85 respectively - based on a ten-point scale - while parents gave them a rating of 7.85 and 7.64. However, when pitted against domestic brands, Chevrolet and Cadillac surfaced as the most impressive, with both of the car brands rating 6.69 among teens, and 6.72 and 6.93 respectively among parents of teens.

When it came to brand awareness, domestic brands' Ford and Chevrolet again made it to the top of the list with the highest awareness among both teens and parents. But, compared to teens, parents have higher brand recognition of all major automotive makers, especially Oldsmobile, with 90.2% of parents being aware of the century-old brand, compared to 69.3% of teens.

"Overall, parents seem to have an affinity towards domestic brands and affordability, while teens are more broad-minded and more brand savvy when it comes to imported cars," continued Turton. "What it boils down to is that car manufacturers need to keep in mind that the combination of price and innovation will ultimately entice this new generation of car buyers," he concluded.

This study, which was conducted nationally, surveyed 1722 teens and 1785 parents of teens, and was weighted to be representative of U.S. households based on key Census demographics. NFO WorldGroup also conducts the monthly surveys for The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index.

About NFO WorldGroup

NFO WorldGroup is one of the world's leading providers of research-based marketing information and counsel. "Marketing minds specializing in research(TM)," NFO has facilitated Fortune 500 clients' business decisions for more than 50 years by providing in-depth knowledge and understanding of consumers and brands through research. Their services include comprehensive counsel on market evaluation, product development, brand management, customer satisfaction, pricing, distribution and advertising effectiveness. NFO is a worldwide leader in Internet-based research and maintains one of the world's largest Interactive panel communities. They are one of The Interpublic Group of Companies , and have majority-owned operations in 40 countries. Visit NFO WorldGroup on the Web (www.nfow.com).