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The relationship between cars and people is changing among young people. Young people buy cars not only for commuting to get off work, but also for the time outside of commuting.

Two or three friends get together to go jogging in the mountains before work, then go down the mountain facing the rising sun to start a new day; or they find a coffee shop, park the car on the side of the road, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon... The personalized demands of young people for cars are also prompting the automotive industry to continue to fission from research and development to marketing.

The "2023 China Automobile Consumption Insights" released by Autohome Research Institute shows that young consumers under the age of 35 account for more than 40% of potential car buyers, among which young consumers aged 26-30 have increased by 8.3% year-on-year. Car buyers are becoming younger.

New energy, domestic brands, and intelligence are hot topics among young consumers. What kind of car can become a young person's first car? What changes are happening in young people's car selection?

Autohome's popular search terms and search popularity for "younger"

Buy your first car yourself

Many people's first car was supported by their families. However, this generation of young people has a longer-term plan for their first car and is willing to save money for their car and take out their first loan. In the topic collection of "Who bought your first car in life?" on Autohome, 53% of car owners said they bought their first car themselves.

In the choice between "face" and "substance", the new generation of consumers focuses on practicality. "Comfortable", "strong practicality" and "high cost performance" are the keywords frequently mentioned in the topics of Autohome. The price involution of domestic new energy brands just hits the needs of young consumers who are sensitive to price.

On the Autohome platform, there are nearly 1,500 forum posts published by users discussing topics related to "young people's first car". The three most discussed models are all new energy vehicles, namely BYD Yuan UP, Deep Blue SL03, and Chery iCAR 03, with an average price of 117,500-160,500 yuan. Among them, the positioning of Chery iCAR 03 is quite representative. It believes that "young people's cars have young prices" and can meet the needs of urban commuting and outdoor travel in terms of intelligent driving experience. It also invites users to participate in the design and co-creation of the exterior to produce cars that young people really like.

Keywords for the topic "Young people's first car"

Young people like to fall in love at first sight when buying a car. On the Autohome platform, a car owner talked about the reason for choosing the Lantu Free, "In the trend of moderate design and mutual reference, the angular appearance of the Free318 stands out from a group of dull models. This is what we call love at first sight." This car reminded him of the Lamborghini poster he received when he was a child.

When young people buy cars, shopping malls beat 4S stores

Young people’s car-buying channels are undergoing tremendous changes. They used to go to shopping malls to buy clothes, but now they go to shopping malls to buy cars.

Xiao Ming, a forum expert at Autohome, believes that young people nowadays prefer to order cars in shopping malls, where they can test drive and buy cars during dinner. "Car stores in shopping malls are more about providing experience services, making it more convenient for consumers to compare different models, and the atmosphere is more casual, which is more friendly to people with social phobia."

In terms of city selection, automakers prefer new first-tier cities. On the one hand, the rent of shopping malls in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen is high, and the efficiency of car companies is not high. On the other hand, more and more young people are pouring into new first-tier cities, and they are more receptive to new energy vehicles and are more likely to become new sales growth.

Analysis of data related to automobile enterprises' supermarkets and stores

In addition, the younger generation, who fully enjoy the convenience of mobile payment, prefers to order cars online. Compared with physical stores, online car prices are more transparent and can save consumers a lot of energy and time. Now car companies also provide services such as ordering cars on e-commerce platforms, home delivery or offline pick-up, to reduce consumer concerns.

Xiao Tao, a forum expert at Autohome, is a recent graduate. After watching the Xiaomi Auto conference, his friends immediately paid a deposit for the Xiaomi SU7, saying, "Buying a car is as easy as buying a mobile phone." But Xiao Tao is also worried that there may be certain risks if car owners buy a car without experiencing it in person. "You need to be patient with the test drive. Cars are both consumer goods and small luxury goods, and you shouldn't make a hasty decision."

The first car becomes a new toy for young people

Cars are not only a means of transportation, but also a new toy for young people. Young people who "play with cars" are not limited by the factory settings of cars, but prefer to find their own way and explore their own "little world" inside the car.

For workers, cars are more private spaces than workstations. As long as you park the car in a safe place, put down the seats, and lay down the mats, it will be a perfect mobile "nap room". Campers who yearn for the wilderness and love the outdoors use new energy vehicles as huge power banks, providing a constant supply of energy. In the smart space with refrigerators and color TVs, young people enjoy the joy of family KTV and private cinemas in the car.

Discussion on the topic of "camping" on Autohome

Chen Taishuai, a forum expert at Autohome, found that young people value the "toy attributes" of cars more, and modification is one of the ways to play with them. In the modified car forum posts on Autohome, "the original is ugly, what does it have to do with my modification" has become a consensus among modification enthusiasts. Young car owners choose to modify their cars for a variety of reasons. One car owner replaced the seats, speakers and host of his old car for his elders' trip on the Xinjiang-Tibet Line. Not only did he successfully give the old car a new look, but he also regained his feelings for his car during the modification.

Chen Taishuai mentioned, "In the past, buying a car was to show your status, but now buying a car represents your recognition of the brand and car performance." This also reflects from the side that buying and using a car has become a form of self-expression for young people.

Take the "trunk culture" that has become popular on social platforms recently as an example. Setting up stalls in the trunk was once a way for slash youth to escape from their daily lives and start a side business. Now more and more young people are meticulously renovating the trunk and carefully arranging exclusive collections, treating their cars as mini museums.

The mobile space that can be started at any time and closed at any time gives the "curators" full freedom and flexibility. The trunk contains the infinitely rich inner world of young people, including second-hand toys, car models, and doll pendants.

The car is more important than the house, it is my life

The needs of the first car in life are often unknown. For young people, cars are not only a currency to integrate into social circles, but also a vehicle to explore new lifestyles.

The term "car gathering" is a hot topic in the automotive industry recently. It refers to a new way for car enthusiasts to gather together. Whether they love coffee, photography or modification, car owners can find like-minded friends here. Take modified car owners as an example. They share the modifications they have made to their "beloved cars" during the gathering and exchange their experiences and confusions about modified cars.

Car gatherings represent the connection and transformation of relationships. The development from online interest groups to offline friend circles is inseparable from the help of the platform. On the Autohome platform, there are nearly 5,000 self-published discussions about gatherings, among which the most discussed car series are Lanxun, Deep Blue SL03 and Explorer. In order to promote communication among car owners, the Autohome Forum Car Club has held nearly 60 offline activities in the first half of this year.

Xiao Tao is a beneficiary of the car-making culture. Before he owned his first car, he liked to play with car models and posted related content on the Autohome platform, which brought together a group of young people who love models. After buying a car, Xiao Tao was also active in the car friends group. "At first, everyone was discussing cars, and then I slowly found some like-minded friends, such as those who all liked photography." In July this year, Guangdong ushered in the century sunrise. Xiao Tao and his car friends agreed to drive from Zhongshan to Zhuhai at 4 a.m., waited for the sunrise together at the beach, and recorded the rare moment.

The car and the morning glow recorded by Xiao Tao

The trend of the Internet is also affecting young people's car life. Just as the "fifth consumer era" theory proposed by social consumption researcher Sanpu Hideo, in a consumer society where AI technology is constantly advancing, people are striving to achieve a slow, small-scale, soft, social, and sustainable life. New trends such as surrounding tours, outdoor tours, and county tours show that young people are escaping from homogenized and industrialized scenes and looking for a living and personalized space.

How should young people choose their first car? There is no standard answer to this question. But if you ask them how to play with cars, every young person will immediately come up with their own plan. Cars are young people's mobile fortresses. Although it is only a small space, it gives young people the courage to withstand wind and rain.