Course Power

Carmakers and dealers are breaking out their smart phones, calculators and high-speed computers to go after educated shoppers.

Honda, for example, offers special financing and other inducements to college graduates eying Accord and Civic sedans and the CR-V midsize sport utilities, said Joe Dettrey, general manager at Stokes Honda in North Charleston.

Separately, Stokes hosts an open house at Charleston Southern each fall — this year’s event was last Friday — to introduce parents to a program that ensures their collegians’ cars receive routine maintenance. This way students can focus on their schoolwork, rather than worrying about keeping their vehicle in tip-top shape, he said.

While dealers want to serve young drivers, their interest in back-to-school days is also a business decision. Car stores hold model clearance sales in the late summer and fall. Many of the shoppers are looking for a car for campus. In some cases, they are parents buying a sport utility vehicle or minivan to haul youngsters to and from school.

“This is a big time of year,” Dettrey said. “I have no (more) Odysseys in inventory, same with the CR-Vs.”

In other instances, they are perusing vehicles to purchase for their high school teens and college enrollees.

“We have a lot of parents coming in,” said Rick Pulcino, general manager of Hendrick Chevrolet in Charleston. “A lot of them are looking for a $5,000 to $10,000 car. We try to keep those cars around (just for that purpose).”

While many shoppers are looking at used cars, parents with matriculating sons and daughters who have earned scholarships are more inclined to purchase new models, he said.

It’s not just parents who are out shopping, though. “There are a lot of college students (car hunting),” Dettrey said.

He said back-to-school buyers should consider certified pre-owned cars because the manufacturer stands behind them. Popular Honda certified pre-owned models include the Fit and Civic.

“The big thing we point to is safety: anti-lock brakes, (a vehicle that) sits up high,” Pulcino said. “Something that’s not a sports car,” he quipped.

Lots of choices

Young drivers are enough of a sales force that auto researchers are developing recommendations for what they should buy.

In early August, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com website came out with its list of the “Top 10 Back-to-School Cars.” Heading the chart is the 2006 Honda Civic. The new Ford Fiesta placed second. All models are priced at less than $17,000.

One carmaker, Suzuki, went so far as to publicize the fact that it landed on the list. Its 2008 SX4 crossover placed eighth.

“The selection of the 2008 SX4 Crossover by the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com reinforces Suzuki’s belief that reliable, inexpensive and fun-to-own need not be mutually exclusive,” said Koichi Suzuki, executive vice president of American Suzuki Automotive Operations.

According to Irvine Calif.-based kbb.com, choosing the right kind of car can be a difficult process, especially when parents and children are “at odds with what they need versus what they want in a set of wheels.”

But they needn’t worry. “With so many well-equipped new cars and bargain-priced used cars on the market, we’d argue that this may be the best year yet to find a ride that will please both parents and students,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive market analyst for kbb.com.

The website offered its own car shopping and buying tips for teens and parents.

They include to “do your research, consider your green options, consider buying Certified Pre-Owned and drive two or three different models.”

Used car buyers should check out the car at a reputable independent service shop, while new car shoppers should rely on a vehicle’s New Car Blue Book Value rather than its Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price when comparing prices and negotiating with dealers.

Kbb.com recommends that parents should first drive a car they buy for a son or daughter, since “experience can help identify problems or shortcomings that your teen may not notice.” At the same time, teens should do all their homework before they meet with Mom or Dad; show them they are responsible and “make it easy for them to say ‘yes’ to your well-researched choice.”

So how did two Charleston-area veterans of the car business fare when they got their first cars?

Dettrey said his first vehicle was a 1976 or ’78 Datsun F10. “It was yellow. It looked like a bullet.” That’s only half the story. He got the Datsun after a mishap of sorts. “I wrecked my parents’ 1972 Chevy Impala (that) they had just paid off.”

Pulcino, too, distinctly recalls his first car. “It was a 1968 Chevy Caprice. I paid $400 for it. I’ll never forget. The insurance was $600.”

He said the floor rusted out; one time, the floor mat fell onto the muffler and started a fire.

But the Caprice ran. And, according to Pulcino, the car had one benefit that trumped any defect. “It had an 8-track (player).”

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com

TOP BACK-TO-SCHOOL CARS

1. 2006 Honda Civic, $11,580

2. 2011 Ford Fiesta, $13,995

3. 2010 Mazda MAZDA3, $16,095

4. 2008 Pontiac Vibe, $11,850

5. 2010 Honda Fit, $15,650

6. 2005 Saab 9-2X, $11,600

7. 2010 Kia Soul, $13,995

8. 2006 Ford Crown Victoria, $12,000

9. 2008 Suzuki SX4 Hatchback, $11,750

10. 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, $16,995

NOTE: New car values are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices; used car prices are Kelley Blue Book suggested retail values.

Source: kbb.com