RIP: Scion Was Killed Off By The Very Audience It Was Designed To Appeal To

Here's a hint to automakers who are trying to appeal to millennials: They're far more likely to buy the latest iPhone than a car. Their values are in a different place than their parents. The Baby Boomers running the car companies are thinking like Baby Boomers. That's why they don't get Millennial thinking and values.

What I see--being a millennial myself and having millennial friends--is that style and trendiness matter a lot to those of us with money. My brother-in-law does two-year leases because he wants something new on a regular basis. He's already planning to do a Continental because it's new and trendy. His name is on the waiting list as we speak.

Millennials with less income want value. Millennial buyers in the CamCord FusNata segment tend to buy base vehicles, which is why the base vehicles are better equipped than ever before.

Millennials also value hybrids, BUT hybrids are not viable for some because of the pricing. When hybrids come without any price penalty, sales among penny pinching millennials will go up.

Millennials are also well-represented among the survivalist/prepper movement, so rugged bug-out vehicles (usually used) are an attraction.

Anyone is more likely to buy a new phone over a new car... new cars are like at least 20x more expensive than an unlocked phone.

A lot of young folks don't have money for a new car.

But hold on, are ALL car marques doing equally poorly among this target demographic, or has Scion underperformed even from that perspective? Because then it's not about price. It's about Scion just not having compelling product, period. Because this article only tells half the story in any case.

Marketing guys told the world what millennials wanted, but they did not ask millennials. Cars like the Focus ST and RS, Mercedes CLA, and Lexus NX appeal strongly to millennials. Think about it. If the phone cliche about millennials is true, then flash, bling, and glitz is the way to appeal to them and not with a sad, fish-mouthed, badge-engineered Mazda.

But there was a time when "car ownership" really meant a great deal to people in their 20s. It was a - step up - that allowed them to obtain "more" in life...and the other trendy things they wanted.

i.e. get a descent job, then you can afford a car...now that you have a car, maybe you have more job options (distance isn't an issue). you then get a higher-paying job, then you can afford all the latest tech gadgets & buy useless accessories to your hearts content.

1-Scion NEVER had any decent product to offer the Millenials to begin with. They would have needed something that Millenials perceived as desirable.

2 - THe real problem is that millenials did not want to be identified that way - and buying a scion was essentially being led by Toyota - something that they would not stand for.

I think the Scion brand came at a time when Millennials wanted loaded Toyotas & entry Lexus's. Had Scion come in the mid-90s, their brand could have developed along with Toyota & Lexus to make a clearer hierarchy of pricing structure. Or maybe that wouldn't have worked either.

What's clear is that it's silly to try to develop an entire brand around a specific demographic. Car design is so subjective, it next to impossible to assume any kind of success in the way Toyota did.

Millennials love cars like the CLA. We're not wanting Toyota's second-class citizens.

Millennials wanted something to grow into and Scion did not provide that in any way.

Toyota set Scion to fail because they did not want to steal sales from Toyota & Lexus.

Millennials don't want to grow into anything "automotively". "Starting-out" millennials who buy new cars want value and durability. Millennials with money want style and flash. The market research shows that millennials are not at all brand loyal which made the notion of Scion being a way to stair step millennials to the Lexus dealer utterly ridiculous.

They want cars as well. They are not buying them as much as previous generations because they have multiple alternatives to get around without the cost of ownership.

As soon as they start to settle down or have kids, they are not going to want to jump in a car with a stranger when they drive themselves.

Next time you see a Fiat, CLA, Mini, Juke, Sentra, Mazda 3, CX-5, Impreza, etc., you will see one of them behind the wheel.

@MorePower where do you get your information? Millennials are a BIG part of the car buying/leasing slice.

Millennials are NOT teenagers. The most widely accepted definition of a millennial would place the oldest members at 36 and the youngest at 20. THAT is a massive chunk of car buyers.