If I remember correctly there was a survey done about a year ago on Prius owners and we found the 'Sputnik generation' was the single largest group of Prius owners/buyers. Then came the kids. Everybody else was under represented. ... (old man's voice)Now where did I leave that poll ...

Bob Wilson

Buying a hybrid reflects intelligence and a positive outlook for the future. Multitasking while driving reflects just the opposite - and points to no future at all.

Jim

this article says likely to buy a hybrid as in in the future, not most likely to have bought a hybrid

most people from gen Y don't have enough money to buy one yet. This article is saying in the future we will redefine the industry.

However I will concur with your sputnik generation as the most likely to have bought a hybrid first

Ok, I found it ... somewhere in the distant past in a place far far away.

. . . the age distribution clearly shows an unusual distribution.

Using the 2003 USA census data, I plotted the age distribution adjusted back to 2008:

It wasn't until I included the approximate birth year that one event came clear, sputnik. It looks like many of us grew up in time of great interest in space. As one of the geriatric members, I know space and aviation always played a big part of my imagination time. In this small, self-selected population, I find this association entertaining.

Now if I were in marketing and wanted to target my Prius sales, I would probably look at aviation and space oriented publications: NASA Tech Briefs and popular aviation magazines. I suspect the readers of these publications are the folks whose minds are most open to the Prius innovation. Overseas, I suspect there may be a huge, untapped market in the former Soviet Union who were as 'space mad' as we were. In fact, targeted advertisements in space and aviation publications in non-USA countries that have so far been resistant such as the EU, former Soviet Union and others might also work.

. . .

You'll notice there is a nice up-tick in the 25-30 year old group ... Gen-Y? There is hope for our species, yet.

Bob Wilson

That graph explains why my 50+ boss who drives a Landcruiser doesn't get my buying a hybrid. He still seems to think I want to force him into a hybrid or something. Gets quite hostile at times too.

As a member of gen Y I often find everyone including those of my own generation has no idea how a prius works.

I've had the experience of driving someone in my car of my age who after 10 asks the question: "Wait is this a hybrid?"

so sorry Bob I'm not sure there is hope yet.

Totally unscientific, but I agree with this study. I think I could of told anyone that wanted to know this.

I'm early forties, and I work with some younger 20's mid 20's people and my observation is they are in general much more receptive and open to the idea of Hybrids and Electrics. First of all, exposure to them is not "new". Thanks to automobiles like The Prius, most of them have grown up at least knowing of their existence. 2ndly, they come from a more ecologically concious generation than mine (in general) they are used to recycling, hearing about global warming, the ozone layer, they also have grown up with these realities as part of their lives. Finally, I also think they grew up with parents with usually more efficient ICE cars. Or at least ICE engines that were computer controlled with fuel injection and the like, which means this new generation did not typically grow up with a parent peering under the hood of a V8. Cars of the 60,s 70's and even early 80's were in many ways much more basic, which led to people being more hands on. Fortunately or unfortunately cars today just aren't really designed that way. So I think that makes this generation more open to the idea of a "hands off" rechargeable car or a dealer only maintenance Hybrid.

A lot of the young people I deal with love the idea of a full electric or a hybrid, just most of them can't afford one. But as they age and their income (hopefully) increases? I think many of them will look at what we today consider "alternative" automobiles as simply a better choice.

Has Toyota been marketing to the wrong crowd? No, because there is a backlog of orders for the Prius. BUT... could Toyota be marketing to a crowd that demands hybrids even more? Certainly (or, perhaps). The price of the Prius is in the mid-20s to upper-20s. For those in Generation-Y that buy new cars, they tend to buy cars like the Yaris and Civic. Why? Price. (otherwise, they would all be driving Scion tCs, but they aren't). If Toyota wants to earn customers today that will be buying new cars ten years from now, they need Gen-Y, and they need hybrid Yarises for under $20K. Why sell $30K cars to Baby Boomers that will croak in ten years (exaggerated), when you can sell to teenagers and college students that will be buying more and more Toyotas for decades and decades to come? (is that where Cadillac made their mistake? Eight years ago, Cadillac was headed for the coffin with the seniors. So, they changed the course of their styling direction to appeal to Baby Boomers. But they didn't change enough. Mistake. I hope Toyota learns from watching Cadillac) When you hear the phrase "customers for life," you should consider how much life is left on the customers in your target audience. Case in point: Cadillac versus Scion.

My father owns a Scion.
In fact, most of the first Scions I saw on the road were 40+.

its also interesting in that the other "uptick" is for 27~ yo in 2003 which would make them about 33 today or 10 Yo when the Challenger blew up. considering the circumstances, i wonder if it made a difference.

if we remember, the Space Shuttle program had become pretty routine by then. uneventful launches were happening every few months then and it was nearly to the point of "2nd page" news status. the tragedy brought the space program back to the limelight.

I know this is off topic, but does your father own a Scion XB? Just curious because I considered buying one and yes they seemed very popular with the 35+ crowd.

The latest incarnation as well, but maybe not as much as the original. Most of the "older" people I talked to liked the XB due to it's roominess and hatchback/wagon like attributes as well as pretty good gas mileage.

I'm just curious because I think Toyota made a mistake with the redesign of the XB. They made it more "Youth" orientated in looks, and to me made it look more like a Honda Element, and so less unique.

They had a good thing going with the original XB, it was very popular with the 35+ crowd. I understand Toyota wanting Scion to be their youth brand and so probably not being so happy with the XB's apparent popularity with the over 35 demographic but I think Toyota should of just moved the XB from Scion, go ahead and redesign and offer whatever they want in the Scion line, BUT continue to sell the upright boxy wagon through Toyota. I would say with the popularity of the original XB, now the popularity of the Honda Fit and also the Kia Soul that carmakers should realize there is a big market for upright, roomy hatchbacks that get good gas mileage.

I also know it's the lifeblood of automakers to reach and obtain young buyers but if you have a market why not sell the product? I saw young and "older" in Scion XB's.

I was disappointed in the over all look of the new XB, while I think it's still a good vehicle, Toyota increased the engine size and thus slightly decreased the mileage while in my opinion restyling the XB in a way that forces a "youthful" look that I think Toyota is misjudging. Not every young person wants something with rounded fenders that is riding an inch off the ground.

Anyway, sorry to hijack,....End of 40 something rant....

I, like many of us under that first bump, grew up with Nintendo/Sega/Playstation and electronics as reliable systems - I'd argue that we aren't as scared of the complexity as some of the 50+ers. Hell, I don't know anyone in my age group who would point at a hybrid or a twin-turbo setup and go "that's too complicated!" if it makes a real difference.

Don't know anyone in my age group who I can really say the space program had an effect on in terms of car choices. However, Star Trek does count for something

+1 Lots of old people rollin' in "Teh Box" (1st gen x B)

Oh, you're good! You must have known in a former life I was the product planner for the current xB .

To answer your question, with Scion, yes we are trying to force a youthful look. If a shopper doesn't like Scion's designs, that's why we have Corolla, Matrix, and Yaris.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

I had always assumed that he xB was restyled (to be a little more burly) in order to improve its side-impact crash safety ratings (which have improved dramatically, I assume due to the addition of standard side airbags).

IIHS-HLDI: Scion xB

I have the same thing right in my family. I was born in 47, my wife is 10 years younger than I am. I had a 2006 Prius and now the 2010. She has steadfastly refused to drive either one.

I think the poll stated that people between the ages of 50 and 59 were the biggest buyers.

I cosigned a loan earlier this month so my daughter could get a used XA. She's about to turn 22 and just had a baby last June.

I just did the second fill on the tank and she's getting ~44 mpg doing mostly CITY driving (~340 miles@7.7gals). I'm surprised...

Sorry Doug, I swear I had no idea you once were product planner for the current xB.

Listen, I'm getting older, so maybe I'm losing touch with the younger generation. I think part of the grace of aging gracefully is simply admiting you're gettting older and aging gracefully.

But in a nutshell, what bothered me most about the redesign of the xB was it's "Americanization", which to me means the almost automatic increase in size, power and strength.

I'm here in a Hybrid Prius website because I'm a champion of efficiency and also uniqueness. I foresee a future where efficiency replaces "Power" as the attribute people seek when purchasing a vehicle. So it bothers me when it seems that "evolution" with Toyota in design, seems to automatically include an increase in vehicle size and usually also an increase in engine size and a decrease in fuel efficiency.

I also seems to me sometimes, and maybe this is just where I'm getting older, but it seems to me that sometimes "Youthful" in America is automatically attached to imagery taken from "The Fast and The Furious" movie series. I don't think everyone under 30 want's rounded fenders, no ground clearance, and the ability to go from 0-60 in less than 8 seconds. I saw old and young in the first generation xB. They might of been purchasing for different reasons but they were both purchasing. I work with younger people, so I know there is more in common between a 25 year old and a 40 something than either party would probably want to admit.

It's not that I don't like the designs of Scion. It's just that I don't like the assumption placed on the entire approach that the vehicles almost exclusively must ONLY appeal to those under 30. There does seem to be the idea that young means oddball styling and putting the transmission shifter on the ceiling and/or the speedometer behind your left shoulder.

I know Toyota wants Scion to be the youth brand, a stepping stone to future Toyota ownership as the buyer ages. But why does it almost seem like a mandated divide and conquer approach? With the xB it almost seemed like Toyota was upset that the xB was appealing to people over 35. In my opinion this wasn't a problem. It shouldn't be accept the Scion or take your walker over to the Toyota dealership and take a look at the Camry.

A good product is a good product and I think you can sell it across the chronological age divide.

By the way, the new xB is growing on me. I don't think I'll ever like it as much as the original. But eventually I think I can forgive it for changing.

I preferred the xA. The boxiness didn't appeal to me, and lack of the side air bag option turned me off. The xB did stand out, which is why I noted who was driving it. I've seen two with custom paint jobs, but a small computer/IT business I know off has three with car wraps.

While growing up, my father's favorite car was the Astro mini van. If my mother hadn't had trouble getting in and out of it at the time, he would have gotten an Element. He likes the original xB, and Nissan Cube, styling. At the time he looked at one, he was able to get an HHR cheaper do to points on a GM credit card.

He swapped the HHR with me for the V6 Ranger last summer. During c4c, he took my grandfather's, should have been totaled after an accident, Cadilac, and traded it for the new xB. He likes that it's bigger, and wanted that extra space for carrying stuff on trips.

I can see why Toyota enlarged the xB. The original and the xA were essentially the same car competing in the same segement. The xD and new xB have the size difference. Though I sometimes have trouble telling them apart on the highway. I have heard that xBified is now used to refer to model bloat in some circles.

I am disappointed that a smaller engine is not an option with the xB, as with the Matrix/Vibe, which, I'm guessing, it shares a platform with. I tried steering my father towards them. Would have meant another $2000 under c4c.

Emissions has improved though. Off hand I don't recall what the new rating is, but the old xB and xA were LEV II. So they got good mileage at the expense of being dirty little cars.