Countless studies have shown millennials to be a different kind of shopper. They’re more frugal, and sometimes lay the buying process out multiple times before pulling the trigger. Especially on a consumer good like a car.
After the Pontiac Aztek‘s quick fall from grace, having to do with its decidedly fugly looks, the crossover landed on the used car market with affordable prices. The kind of prices millennials love. And Edmunds says that’s a major reason the car has found many fans with the kids these days.
“Millennials are more practical used-car shoppers than we might otherwise credit them,” Edmunds analyst Jeremy Acevedo said in a news release. “They may not go into the shopping process targeting these lesser-known vehicles, but when they see how their price tags stack up against other, better-known vehicles, they suddenly become a lot more attractive.”
Within the last five years, the Pontiac Aztek has been among the top-ten vehicles with the highest share of millennial buyers. But, pop culture may also have something to do with it.
The abstract Aztek landed a peculiar role as the vehicle of choice for main character, Walter White, from the immensely popular Breaking Bad series.
“It’s one of those quirky purchases that we’re coming to see more of with this generation,” said Acevedo.
In the Aztek’s defense, its design seems to have aged a bit better over time, as designs have morphed and changed over the past ten years, the crossover certainly doesn’t evoke as much of an uproar as it once did. At least not with millennials.
Comments
You’re right, it HAS become less ugly over the years! The current sea of horrendous crossovers helped, and dulled our senses with respect to what’s ugly. The Aztec is certainly no uglier than a Toyota Rav4, Ford Edge, Nissan Juke (!), or Buick Encore.
You have absolutely no clue about design.
It reminds me of the Nissan Jute. A revised version would make for a good GMC today.
The Jute is by far uglier than the Aztek!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great vehicle. Sold a few back then. One family bought 2. They loved them.
Its JuKe with a K, A K. K .K .K , jeez, at least bother to do 5 seconds of research before you comment on an article.
Its AzteK with a K, A K. K .K .K , jeez, at least bother to do 5 seconds of research before you write an article.
Mr. F,
Unknowing to me, the program changed the “k” to a “c” each time in an effort to spellcheck the word. I’m quite aware the Aztek arrived with a “k.”
Cheers,
Sean
The Aztek (with a K) is the single reason why there are no Pontiacs today. This was one sorry looking ugly vehicle, which I understand dealers used to park backwards against walls so buyers couldn’t see the back end.
I’m hoping that the guy who approved the final design (if he still works at GM) is out shovelling the snow at GM’s cold weather test facility in January.
Aztek is spelled with a K. Get it right or get a different job.
PONTIAC SHOULD “NEVER” HAVE GOTTEN DISCONTINUED !
LET’S BRING BACK PONTIAC, GENERAL MOTORS ! YOU ALREADY MESSED UP WHEN YOU DISCONTINUED OLDSMOBILE ! ! !
PONTIAC IS DEAD DOUBTING THOMAS!
DEAL WITH IT!
WHY ARE WE ALL YELLING!~!!!
Because I think he is deaf?
Now back to the topic at hand.
While some defend todays Millennial as still loving cars in general this is more proof to counter that claim.
This vehicle was one of the last nails in the Pontiac Coffin. A performance division with out real performance other than two Lutz ideas and SUV vehicles. Talk about a lost way.
Those who cry for the return of Pontiac really have no clue what a real Pontiac was pre 1979 and they should go back and revisit what Pontiac was and really stood for at one time. They once were the leading edge of performance with their technology that did not get canceled by GM. They also had their own power that was the heat and soul of the car.
The last real Pontiac was the Fiero in 1988. It was a Pontiac only model. Built in Pontiac MI and if you bought the 4 it was a real Pontiac engine too. The V6 was a Chevy but with a Pontiac only set up of intake and exhaust.
They had some fun cars after that but they really were all Chevys with some help from Buick on the SC 3800.
Anyways the Aztek did not get better looking the design of cars has come down that much. Anyone see the new Prius? The only taste that someone who would buy that one is in their mouths.
This Aztek looks worlds better than that new Prius lol
Leave it up to Scott to write another dissertation
I read 50 comments on how ugly, boring and underwhelming the Chevy SS/VF Holden Commodore is and you blokes reckon that this “thing” is not that bad looking??!! You blokes have got no idea… Sean… You’re wasting your breath on this lot! They really have got no idea!!
As a gen Y buyer, who also races corvettes today, we bought an aztek a few years back.
Why? Budget! If you needed or wanted a crossover, azteks can be found with relatively low mileage in the 6-9k range. There’s nothing else in that ballpark, and while it might be ugly, it gets the job done, isn’t any less reliable than more expensive cars, and of COURSE thsoe with less money are going to gravitate towards cheaper cars.
It doesn’t mean we love it. It doesn’t mean we hate cars. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. No- what it means is, when you have a savings of about $7k, a decent car for $7k beats a decent car for $15k any day. In our case we paid $6200. What else can you get for $6200? a 20 year old isuzu? a 1981 2 door chevy truck? seriously.
Most people I know, even if they are 65 year old auto enthusiasts were driven largely by budget for their first few car purchases. Why would gen Y be any different?
Today I own a Cadillac (There’s a budget buy for you- would have preferred something else, but it was a great bang for the buck), a Porsche Cayenne (There’s another SUV that depreciates quickly but has some enthusiast appeal), a Corvette C5 (great performance for the dollar). I used to have a Camaro (Great value proposition). Just because someone is an enthusiast doesn’t mean their pocket book doesn’t have a big influence on them. Sure I’d love a ferrari 458, but where the heck am I going to get that kind of money?
Typical millenials with a college degree are getting paid in the 30s. In fact the median salary for a millenial is 30-35k. thats not post-tax, that is salary. It has gone down over a number of years. Adjusted for inflation, that is a decrease nation-wide, and more than a 10% decrease from older generations in states like Ohio and Texas.
New car prices have increased significantly, with the average vehicle transaction hitting higher than the average salary for these millenials. In fact, look at it this way. Since 1980, not adjusting for inflation, All American’s wages have gone up 2.2 times. However, the average car price has gone up 3.2 times and the average house has gone up 4.2 times. It takes simple math to realize they simple don’t have the money to spend on things like fancy cars. That is for all americans. While American’s wages have gone up 2.2 times, thats only 2 times for Millenials.
That means that, all other things equal, in 1980 a buyer spent just about 1/3rd their salary on a new car.
And we are asking why millenials won’t spend more than 1x their salary on a new car in 2015?
Think about that for a minute.
And that is why millenials are buying up cars like the the aztek. It costs 1/4th their annual salary, while other cars cost 1/3rd or more, which is more than a 30 year old would have spent on a NEW car in 1980… and how many 30 year olds were buying new in 1980?
That’s……. Very sensible arach…. Sad, but sensible.. But does that mean, if you had the money, you’d buy a Sangyong Stavic? After the Aztec/k, the second most ugly car in the world! Haha!! good on you mate! you made my day!!
The Aztek was the first SUV that wasn’t boxy. Maybe you like boxy. I do, especiallly the FJ-40, the boxiest of all boxy cars. . Trace a photo oif an non-distorted side view of an FJ-40 onto graph paper and you will see that those crazy Toyota designers of the 1960s designed it on graph paper.
The worst thing about the Aztek was its resemblance to that subcompact travesty of a Le Mans, the car that really killed GM. If the Aztek did kill GM, it’ was because Americans were unimaginative followers who mocked whatever the two-bit automotive writers (all of them, and I used to work for Petersen) decided it would be fun to mock. I think we’re bolder now. If the millennials embrace the Aztek, they’re okay by me. Who are they anyway? Sounds like insects.
After the Aztek, everything changed. Ahead of its time and truly ignored, or a secretly-copied inspiration? Here’s a collage showing the Lego-inspired 2001 marketplace of SUVs compared to what followed. https://pasteboard.co/J2tj316.png