With all the news coming from the Consumer Electronics show and the arrival of more and more technology in our vehicles, they are becoming so advanced that many of the target customers won’t be able to use them.  So I posed this question to the college student that interns for us in my other job.  What does Gen Y expect from their vehicle?  Is all this cool and amazing technology wasted on the older people that can actually afford the vehicles it comes in?   Here is what he has to say.  Re-posted from the Sorgenfrei Blog.

by Dan Sherman

Generation Y is technology driven.  Growing up we watched our phones
evolve from corded chunks of plastic into sleek, wireless
minicomputers.  My personal network of Echo Boomers confirms that they
expect high levels of technology out of everything they use daily. 
Today’s automobiles have the potential to be rolling iPhones, but most
of the hottest mobile tech is sequestered solely for luxury vehicles. 
Are automakers foolish to aim this complicated technology at the geezer
market, foregoing young techies?

Phones are for calling, right?  Calls are so a generation
ago.  An Echo Boomer expects a mobile entertainment device loaded with
everything imaginable.  Likewise, cars are not just for driving.  A
21-year-old engineering student I interview said, “I want everything
[in my next car]–bluetooth, internet, music, touch screen, voice
recognition, and more.  I think most kids expect the unexpected when it
comes to technology.”  Generation Y loves technology, and a large
concentration is willing to pay for it over other car characteristics
like size or horsepower.

It is thus inexcusable that automakers leave my demographic
untapped.  The problem lies in the age-old “trickle-down” method of
introducing luxury features.  Traditionally, the Audi A8’s price tag is
justified by a fresh new luxury feature, which five years down the road
trickles down to into the lowly Volkswagen Golf.  While this practice
may work for a feature like heated and cooled seats, most technology
appeals primarily to Echo Boomers.  Automakers would be smart to make
high technology available across their entire lineup, especially in
their small, hip, less expensive models.

In fact, the array of new technology may be improperly positioned in
luxury cars.  Yes, the price tag for a voice-recognizing computer can
be justified by the buyer of an Infiniti M45, but does it properly
serve the M45’s target market?  To grossly generalize, most luxury car
buyers are 50+ years old, and most 50+ year olds are technologically
impaired.  While Echo Boomers are open to exploring new technologies,
older folks are less willing to play the trial-and-error game.   Even
my relatively techno-savvy father gets routinely frustrated by his
GLK350; in fact, the complication of such technology can be a negative
to luxury target buyers!  Manufacturers should consider making
complicated technology optional rather than standard in the high priced
cars.

For customers of all ages, Apple’s success emphasizes the monumental
importance of user interface.  The iPod, iPhone, and MacBook are all
successful due to their ease of use.  If car technology became as
user-friendly as Apple products, older consumers may be less
frustrated.  Furthermore, Echo Boomers have already shown their
willingness to pay much more for Apple products over their PC
equivalents.  The first manufacturer to produce rolling iPods will win
the hearts, minds and wallets of Americans of all ages.