Friday, November 19, 2010

Carmakers' next problem: Generation Y - Business - Autos - msnbc.com

By Allison Linn Senior writer

Meet Natalie McVeigh, the auto industry’s latest headache.

At 25 years old, McVeigh lives in Denver and has two good jobs, as a research analyst and an adjunct professor of philosophy. What she doesn’t have — or want — is a car.

A confluence of events — environmental worries, a preference for gadgets over wheels and the yearslong economic doldrums — is pushing some teens and twentysomethings to opt out of what has traditionally been considered an American rite of passage: Owning a car.

“There’s kind of almost every force working against the young driver right now,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst and editor-at-large at Edmunds.com, an automotive research website.".........


They are probably just figuring out the cars are too expensive and will be yet another item that will put them into debt. Gadgets like ipads, ipods, and iphones, aren't nearly as budget busting. You can't use them when you're driving either.