Gen Y not too enthusiastic about car ownership

[Lunican]

Selling cars to young adults under 30 is proving to be a real challenge for automakers. Unlike their elders, Generation Yers own fewer cars and don’t drive much. They’re likely to see autos as a source of pollution, not as a sex or status symbol.

Motorists aged 21 to 30 now account for 14% of miles driven, down from 21% in 1995.

They’re more apt to ride mass transit to work and use car sharing services -- pioneered by Zipcar -- for longer trips. And car sharing choices are expanding, with car rental firms moving into the market, making it convenient for young folks to rent with hourly rates and easy insurance. Connect by Hertz, for example, is rolling out its car sharing services in the New York metropolitan area, with plans to eventually expand them to around 40 college campuses nationwide.

The trend won’t cause car sales to tank, of course, but the generational shift doesn’t bode well for manufacturers and auto dealers, which for decades have counted on wooing young new drivers to their brands in hopes of cementing lifetime customer relationships.

Gen Yers are a big potential market: At 80 million strong, they represent the biggest generation in U.S. history. Baby boomers are a close second, but millions of them begin turning 65 next year -- an age at which car purchases drop off sharply.

“It’s a matter of mind-set far more than affordability,” says William Draves, president of Learning Resources Network, an association that studies consumer trends and provides education and training services.

“This generation focuses its buying on computers, BlackBerrys, music and software and views commuting a few hours by car a huge productivity waste when they can work using PDAs while taking the bus and train,” says Draves.

Moreover, in survey after survey, Gen Yers say that they believe cars are damaging to the environment. Even hybrid electric vehicles don’t seem to be changing young consumers’ attitudes much.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1523/generation-y-giving-cars-a-pass/

[chipwich]

That's sad.  Cars are so much a part of the identity of each generation.

I also think this article is stretching reality.  Young people almost always like cars.

[ZacharyMease]

I'll vouch for the article!

If public transportation was half decent I'd use it to get across town, but unfortunately it's easier and faster to drive...
I would like bike to school and the local area in the wintertime , but I'd also rather not nearly get run over...

The automotive industry and JTA (expressway industry) have made these simple, economic, and cleaner alternatives ridiculously time-consuming and unsafe to do. Thus concluding my dislike of all gas powered, pollution producing, space consuming cars.

[Timkin]

While I am an car lover ,personally, I believe when we get a decent mass transit system in place in our city , I will be way more inclined to leave the car at home... as well as the fact, that like the new generation , I do not see automobiles as status symbols ,but transportation... point a to b ,,and when I am finished with a car, usually even a junk yard does not want it.  so I get the good out of every one of them and can say freely, well have gotten my money's worth.  On the whole , I think if individual automobiles were to go away, we would all be better off..  Do I love classic American Muscle Cars ? of course.   But are they good for the environment?  Not so much .

[rainfrog]

I fit with this, too. I really don't see car ownership as appealing, and especially not of a new vehicle. On top of being a money sink and a pain to have to use to commute (I've been lucky so far to have jobs I didn't need a car for, but I still have a used clunker for shopping and leaving town), new cars don't even look appealing to me anymore. I find most car designs popular in the US in recent years incredibly ugly and bulky. It seems in vogue for a car to look like it ate another one, which may at least be consistent with American houses and waistlines. That said, it is nice to see the Smarts taking hold here. I'd go for one of those (you hear that, Detroit?)

[thelakelander]

“It’s a matter of mind-set far more than affordability,” says William Draves, president of Learning Resources Network, an association that studies consumer trends and provides education and training services.

“This generation focuses its buying on computers, BlackBerrys, music and software and views commuting a few hours by car a huge productivity waste when they can work using PDAs while taking the bus and train,” says Draves.

I hope Jacksonville's leaders can grow to embrace this.  If you want to slow brain drain and be a place that attracts skilled and educated workforces, you're going to have to develop your city to be a place that embraces the culture of those you seek to attract.  Outer Beltways, 9Bs, $60 million overpasses on Kernan and running everything out to Cecil and the Southside aren't going to get you there.

[tufsu1]

I also think this article is stretching reality.  Young people almost always like cars.

maybe so, but think about this.....they want to be texting and web searching....much easier to do that when someone else is driving

[Bativac]

It'll swing the other way, give it a few years.

I'm 31 and my wife is 28. You could never take our (used, several-year-old) cars from us. The automobile provides personal freedom that public transportation just doesn't.

Though I'd love to use public transportation to get to work. That'd be fantastic.

[Dog Walker]

Two people, two cars.  Think of the savings (maybe new car?) if one of you could take public transportation to and from work.  Two people, two jobs; ONE car.

[jlehr]

If you like cars and driving, you need to support good public transportation options. Less traffic, and maybe more importantly, less people who DON'T want to drive on the road, would make for a more enjoyable experience. Also, if you don't need to drive everywhere all the time, it would be easier to have a two seat sports car or a classic muscle car that would be impractical for daily commuting.

[Lunican]

It'll swing the other way, give it a few years.

I'm 31 and my wife is 28. You could never take our (used, several-year-old) cars from us. The automobile provides personal freedom that public transportation just doesn't.

Though I'd love to use public transportation to get to work. That'd be fantastic.

We should probably think about the reasons why people feel as though they have little personal freedom without a car. Something tells me it has to do with planning...

[Bativac]

Two people, two cars.  Think of the savings (maybe new car?) if one of you could take public transportation to and from work.  Two people, two jobs; ONE car.

We'd still keep both cars. My wife drives a pickup which is indispensable for hauling - random pieces of furniture, helping friends move, etc. I own a Honda which is more economical, gas-wise, for long trips.

Of course, we'd have to use them a lot less if public transportation in Jax was more efficient than a 2 hour bus ride to go 7 miles. I'd love to see some kind of rail or something in Jax. I wouldn't even mind if they extended the Skyway all over town. But I don't think Jax is full of 20 and 30somethings eager to trade their cars in for taking the train. Most of my friends with those mindsets left town for New York, Chicago, San Francisco...

[Lunican]

But I don't think Jax is full of 20 and 30somethings eager to trade their cars in for taking the train. Most of my friends with those mindsets left town for New York, Chicago, San Francisco...

This is exactly the problem.

[uptowngirl]

It'll swing the other way, give it a few years.

I'm 31 and my wife is 28. You could never take our (used, several-year-old) cars from us. The automobile provides personal freedom that public transportation just doesn't.

Though I'd love to use public transportation to get to work. That'd be fantastic.

We should probably think about the reasons why people feel as though they have little personal freedom without a car. Something tells me it has to do with planning...

Not just planning on the users side, but also lots of options in public transportation. For instance, we typically try to schedule a day to do all our shopping. We have to plan appropriately to make sure all the "cold" food items are last on the list. Add to that, where do I put all my stuff to support this household? There is not room on the bus, and I do not want to haul it around all day and figure out how to get it home on the bus, nor do I want to have to do this over multiple days. Then, waht about larger items that are not typically delivered? How do I get my orange tree on the bus? What about people with Children that have to be different places around the same time? It gets inherently more difficult if you are a homeowner or parent, or just have a large household. Cars do make it much easier.

[Lunican]

If everything were closer together none of those things you listed would be much of an issue.