Solo_D33A

Aren't the Japanese doesn't have cars due to parking space, messy roads and the perfect transportation network system?

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iTrader: (1)

Being an early careerist, I overall agree with the article. There are a few "enthusiast" but they are a small group. It seem that it is just a machine to get you from point a to b.

superchan7

Help! I'm exactly 25, so I can't vote on the poll!

I still like cars a lot, and I desire cars that have a physical appeal in addition to being functionally fulfilling.

My parents live in Asia, and over there their need for an MPV/minivan does not dictate a boring-looking car--they have a Toyota Previa, which is one among a selection of physically attractive offerings not available in the US.

SLegacy99

Wait, really? And CA is trying to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used and reduce congestion?

Fizzboy7

My observation amongst today's Los Angeles youth.... there are so many more immagrants today than twenty years ago. These kids are from poorer countries and their families do not have the means to spend money on nice cars for their kids. The youth has accepted this and therefor blow off cars. It was different when I was in high school. Today's cultural melting pot has erased some of that old American dream of fast cars, apple pie, etc.

darkdream

Nobody I know follows that law... even the most goodie too shoe girls don't.

FKL

I go to Beijing once a year and it's pretty obvious what the number one "prestige" brand is.

LexFather

Not so fast there...I was reading the China Daily and unlike most countries, there is no brand loyalty there and luxury car makers don't realize how to cope with it.

What is happening in CHina now is Audi is seen as the "old money" luxury prestige brand. When the "new money" started rolling in, they snapped up BMWs. Now a lot of older buyers are leaving BMW to go back to Audi b/c they don't want to be associated with these new buyers.

The bottom line is there is no number one prestige brand. The biggest selling brand is GM there with a 13% market share and Buicks are very prestigious there.

Also with the huge push from tons of brands, its pretty confusing to buyers, many who were riding bikes 10 years ago!

It was pretty interesting. Im looking for a link online.

Mike here is right.

FKL

...So he's "right" somehow, but "there is no number one prestige brand there". Am I missing something?

Fact is, Buick is a prestigious nameplate in China, and Buicks are everywhere, but they are not the most pretigious, which is exactly what you are trying to defend. Audi simply has products that GM can't compete with.

LexFather

What on earth does this have to do with the article posted? You came in here to tell us and pound on your chest Audi is the best brand in China?

Can you please post something relevant to the thread. Thanks

New thread....

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...-in-china.html

encore888

I do think that in suburban areas with great public transportation, the impetus to own cars is less strong...as rail networks grow, etc. there will be that drop-off. One day (if) teleportation is developed, that would render cars somewhat obsolete. I say somewhat, because there's still nothing IMO that can replace the joys of, say, motoring down a beautiful shoreline highway. Getting there is half the fun.

However, like the recent E-Class review where a certain Top Gear presenter wondered if they had reached 'the end of progress' in cars (IMO far from it), I do think that automotive machinery will enter different phases, both grow, decline, and stabilization. It may become more niche, more common, or otherwise. For young people, I think the attraction will stay, but it may become more holistic--car as a gadget extension perhaps. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a Lexus Segway!

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

This is pretty much how is always has been for the majority of people out there. Most are not enthusiasts but use their car simply as a means of transportation to get from point A to point B. That is what there are so many stock economy cars on the road today, as well as so many half dead beater cars. The only thing that will change this is when there are alternative means of transportation. Many large cities have rail transit, but most do not.

94lex83457

As a 21 year old I can fully attest to the accuracy of this article. Granted, I come from an area of the country that is the least car friendly but I know of only a handful of car enthusiasts. Many only see cars as a something that gets them from point A to point B. Certainly some will recognize a badge or make a comment that something looks nice but most couldn't differentiate a Mazda from a Maserati. It certainly doesn't help that many of us have never known < 99 cent a gallon gas; we have grown up in an age of huge price swings and have seen it go for as much as $4.50 a gallon. Couple this with a recession and it is of little wonder that the automobile is losing its luster.

But one of the saddest and strangest trends is that when you find a person who is into automobiles it is usually Trucks and SUVs. Up here you can't pull girls with cars. Girls and women now a days seem to gravitate to guys with lifted jeeps, 4Runners or pickups. Bikes however, still have their charm and are your best bet if that is what you are interested in.

MMarshall: yes, students are being taught that cars and trucks are hugely responsible for global warming and this does create the attitude (unfortunately) that being green is cooler than having a nice ride. However, you cannon pin it on Arianna Huffington and Joan Claybrook. I dare you to go into any high school and ask who these women are and I guarantee +90% will have no idea who you are talking about.

Milla...

I think its a combination of things. Think about it, it wasn't to long ago i.e. 80's-90's when it was all about the pony cars and or mini trucks that had kids excited, these were cheap modifiable autos. Most of these cars you could make as flashy as you wanted and or as fast as you wanted, and for the most part you could do it youself for not so much money. Where are these cars now, the Firebird, the Camero, the 5.0, Monte Carlo, the Z, VW Cabrio, the Mini trucks etc? They are all either extinct, sissyfied, or unreasonably priced now. Add the crapy economy and the sufficating amount of dufus-goofy-clown looking compacts that are clogging dealer lots. If this is all that youngsters can barely afford nowadays is their really any wonder. I too would rather spend my money on the hottest new hand gadets and PS3's, mommy can just drop me off..

Fizzboy7

Very good points. Economic conditions play a large role with the decline. Cars, insurance, and gas cost so much more today than they did twenty years ago. The bad economy doesn't help. But I still think a big part of it has to do with cultural shifts. Americana used to be all about cars. With other cultures migrating in, these interests, hobbies, and spending has shifted to other things. I'd say fashion and electronics seems to be more of a concern with kids these days than cars.