Is Ecomodder dying/dead??

[JSH]

So we are calling Gen Z "Zoomers" now? Interesting. Where did the term zoomer come from? It sounds like a hyperactive baby boomer.

Why is ecomodding on the decline? I'd say because gas is cheap (in the USA) and cars are increasingly more fuel efficient from the factory. There was a boost in the mid 00's when new fuel economy standards went into effect and cars have been improving steadily every since. (The standard requires 3.5% per year for light trucks and 5% per year for cars) Today you can buy:

52 mpg - Corolla hybrid - $24K
52 mpg - Camry Hybrid - $27K
40 mpg - RAV4 Hybrid - $29K
36 mpg - Sienna Hybrid -$34K

That is fantastic fuel economy from the factory for reasonable prices. Why mess around with DIY mods?

My personal mods have dropped off quite a bit because frankly they don't pay back anymore or ones that would pay back are illegal and would cause my car to fail inspection. (Not to mention the morality of increased air pollution for everyone to save myself a few bucks)

[Isaac Zachary]

Maybe because COVID had all Gen Z learn how to use Zoom?

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by JSH

So we are calling Gen Z "Zoomers" now? Interesting. Where did the term zoomer come from? It sounds like a hyperactive baby boomer.

Why is ecomodding on the decline? I'd say because gas is cheap (in the USA) and cars are increasingly more fuel efficient from the factory. There was a boost in the mid 00's when new fuel economy standards went into effect and cars have been improving steadily every since. (The standard requires 3.5% per year for light trucks and 5% per year for cars) Today you can buy:

52 mpg - Corolla hybrid - $24K
52 mpg - Camry Hybrid - $27K
40 mpg - RAV4 Hybrid - $29K
36 mpg - Sienna Hybrid -$34K

That is fantastic fuel economy from the factory for reasonable prices. Why mess around with DIY mods?

My personal mods have dropped off quite a bit because frankly they don't pay back anymore or ones that would pay back are illegal and would cause my car to fail inspection. (Not to mention the morality of increased air pollution for everyone to save myself a few bucks)

Why is the yearly increase lower for trucks?
Also "zoomer" came up a s a contrast to "boomer".
And these prices are out of range for my generation, there is no way a significant quantity of us could afford that kind of price.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Autobahnschleicher

... And these prices are out of range for my generation, there is no way a significant quantity of us could afford that kind of price.

Check out the new and recent Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage. The Spark has a 5 speed manual and begins at $15k. It's 5th gear, final drive, and 15" wheels probably mean it revs fairly low for modern manuals at highway speeds, maybe 2300 or 2400 at 60 mph. Great simple driving appliance.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Autobahnschleicher

Why is the yearly increase lower for trucks?
Also "zoomer" came up a s a contrast to "boomer".
And these prices are out of range for my generation, there is no way a significant quantity of us could afford that kind of price.

Trucks have a lower increase because that is how the law was written. No logical reason for it - just the effect of lobbying by auto companies that make lots of money on trucks. That difference a key reason why automakers are dropping cars today in favor of crossovers that can be classified as a light truck.

The oldest Gen Z would be 25. They are just starting out in life so of course new cars are out of reach. New cars are a luxury item for when the finances are in order.

That said, all but one of the engineers I've mentored bought a new car with their 1st paycheck out of college. Lots of $40K to $50K cars and trucks. The 25 year old engineer that sits next to me is driving a 2021 Mercedes C300 AWD.

I can't say I blame them even though I always advise against it. I bought a new truck for my wife straight out of school - one of the biggest financial mistakes I made. I actually didn't even have to wait for my first paycheck. The dealership wrote me a loan based on my signing letter 3 months before I graduated and deferred payments for 4 months. Luckily I came to my senses at the age of 25 and started making better decisions. I dug a deep hole in those 3 years though. We had debt 3x our income at age 25 between the student loans, car loans, and house.

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Check out the new and recent Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage. The Spark has a 5 speed manual and begins at $15k. It's 5th gear, final drive, and 15" wheels probably mean it revs fairly low for modern manuals at highway speeds, maybe 2300 or 2400 at 60 mph. Great simple driving appliance.

He lives in Germany. There is no shortage of efficient hatchbacks in Europe.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

The oldest Gen Z would be 25. They are just starting out in life so of course new cars are out of reach. New cars are a luxury item for when the finances are in order.

Most of the times I see a Gen Z driving a new car, it's usually a small econobox, and often they're working on Uber or similar services which wouldn't allow them to use a much older (and cheaper) car.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Most of the times I see a Gen Z driving a new car, it's usually a small econobox, and often they're working on Uber or similar services which wouldn't allow them to use a much older (and cheaper) car.

I've seen the same in Mexico.

Even here in the USA, I'm seeing more 20 somethings with brand new cars than I've ever seen before. Just the other day I met a 19 year old kid that owns (is paying for) a brand new RAV4.

[redpoint5]

Plenty of people say they had to buy a new vehicle because they couldn't afford to repair one that was out of warranty. They should just say they wanted a new vehicle and let that be the reason. There are plenty of companies that provide warranties for used vehciles.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Even here in the USA, I'm seeing more 20 somethings with brand new cars than I've ever seen before.

What about the buying pattern for new cars among 20-somethings there? Are them going mostly for econoboxes, trucks and SUVs, or something else such as embracing EVs?

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

What about the buying pattern for new cars among 20-somethings there? Are them going mostly for econoboxes, trucks and SUVs, or something else such as embracing EVs?

Everyone wants a grey crossover or pickup. I don't have the statistics on hand, but it seems econocars are a dying breed. This includes the younger generation. There's a university here in town and although a few will drive econo cars the majority will say they want an AWD crossover or pickup and won't consider anything else. The same goes for used car buyers. You see ads all the time in the paper: "In search of car. Must be AWD and have high ground clearance."

I just towed a piano on a trailer with the Avalon for a freshman kid from the university that had a brand new RAV4. He boasted about all the things he can do with his RAV4 and showed up thinking he could just shove the piano in it. The piano is a 5 ft upright. There was no way he was going to get the piano in there. But even when we left he said he still wasn't sure it wouldn't fit since we hadn't let him try.