Senior Car Buyers Expand Their Options
A great source of material for comedians over the last few decades has officially dried up. The older driver peering over the wheel of a boat sized sedan provided the fodder for countless bad jokes. The Little Old Lady from Pasadena is still around, but she is more likely driving a car that a grandchild would envy.
We recently were informed by Christine MacKenzie, Executive Director, Brand Events & Agency Relations for the Chrysler Group, about the manufacturers take on the third age marketplace and specifically the baby boomer generation. "At Chrysler Group, we have found that while in the past older buyers migrated to specific vehicles, especially large sedans, it has changed quite a bit as the first baby boomers are now turning 60. Nowadays minivans, SUVs, and smaller cars are attracting the "third age" (older) buyers. Baby Boomers have lived an active lifestyle throughout their lives and have had a wide range of vehicle interests to fit their lifestyles. This continues to be true as they enter the "third age" as they still want to be stylish, look cool and have a functional vehicle to meet their daily active lives. "
Chrysler's opinion of third age buyers is echoed throughout the industry. From an advertising perspective it appears auto manufacturers feel that traditional ways of reaching out to the 25-54 year old age group is also effective in selling vehicles to older adults.
Chrysler vehicles that third age adults tend to purchase most include the Chrysler 300, Town and Country minivan, PT Cruiser, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Dakota. The Dakota is a midsize pick-up that proves the theory that older adults are not swayed away from driving trucks or other non-traditional vehicles. The highest percentage, though, of older adults still tends to prefer the brand's full-size sedan, Chrysler 300. That may not be true in a few years.
Other popular vehicles that older drivers now gravitate towards include the Ford Taurus (formally the Ford Five Hundred), Chevrolet Impala and in the Toyota lineup the Camry, Sienna, Avalon and Prius.
Many of the automobile buying decisions older drivers make are based on amenities that assist with the physical results of the aging process. Keyless entry, back up sensors, adjustable foot pedals, dashboard controls with larger gauges and analog readings, adjustable and heated seats and comfortable ingress and egress are some of the features coveted by third age drivers. The auto aftermarket industry keeps developing new products to assist older drivers. Some of the products that make life easier for the seasoned set include Easy Reach Seat Belt Handles, gas cup wrenches designed to avoid excess hand rotation, panoramic mirrors to reduce blind spots and an array of sunglasses and window treatments to reduce glare.
As the population continues to grey, it seems like the start of a golden age for senior drivers looking to purchase a new car with accommodating amenities or enhance their vehicle with aftermarket mobility devices.
Published on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - Email to a friend
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