A new report from TrueCar in mid-July brings more details about the buying tastes of “Generation X,” a group the analysts describe as being born in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. TrueCar, a firm crunching the numbers on actual vehicle transactions in America, has come out with a set of charts for today’s 28-45 year old demographic, showing that these buyers tend to like roomier vehicles.
Analysis of the brands that get the most attention from this age group results in a list that includes German maker Volkswagen, as well as the Indian-owned Land Rover and upscale marque Audi, in the top three spots. When it comes to actual models, the Nissan Quest minivan and the Nissan Armada large SUV are prime examples of vehicles that Gen-Xers may look at frequently, both because they offer a lot of space for a family ride and because the Nissan brand tends to carry less brand-related price increases than competitive models from Toyota or other more established brands.
TrueCar also contends that the “Routan boom” mentioned in VW ads is far from a figment of the imagination: the analysts put the Volkswagen Routan in the top spot for Gen-X interest, showing that this demographic makes up about 66% of the total consumer interest in this vehicle. The report also shows “real pricing” based on localized transaction prices that suggests customers can often get a Volkswagen Routan below MSRP, at a discount of over 4% for an estimated average sale price of about $26,500 with the MSRP marked just under $28,000 at $27,750.
In their analysis of what the generation wants, TrueCar describes these individuals as having “greater purchasing power” than the boomers who came before them. You might quibble with this, especially in light of a financial crisis that hit all generations of car buyers hard the last few years. However, some of the model lineup in the list of vehicles with the most Gen-X interest does show some classier tastes: in second place is the BMW M3 sedan, with an MSRP of over $55,000 – and other picks, like the Infiniti QX56 and the rugged Toyota Land Cruiser also command outsized price tags.
Regardless of your choices of vehicles, you can take advantage of the discounted prices shown in TrueCar reports to figure out which models you may be able to get cheaper at your local dealer. Combine this with a good sense of savings in car financing, and you can get a new or late model car for less. Keep up on the current prime interest rates in the auto loan industry, and make sure that you have presentable credit and other points of leverage to strike a deal with your auto loan lender. Thorough pre-sale research can help you save on any of these popular cars, trucks and SUVs.
