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From here: http://wardsauto.com/ar/scion_sells_accessories/Quote »Scion Knows How to Sell AccessoriesBy Steve FinlayWardsAuto.com, May 22, 2006 10:58 AM DEARBORN, MI – Auto dealers across all brands would sell more accessories and aftermarket products if they followed the lead of Toyota Motor Corp.’s Scion youth division and its retailers.So says accessories expert Mark Chung, strategic marketing director- Yokohama Tire Corp. and a former Ford Motor Co. marketing manager.Scion and its dealers make it easy and affordable for customers to accessorize their Scion vehicles, says Chung, a panelist at the Automotive Consumer Market Research Conference here.“They make it so easy to say, ‘I’ll take this, this and that,’” he says. “And the accessory prices at Scion dealerships are within the reach of their young customers. The prices at other dealerships are high enough to send people elsewhere for their accessories.”Chung doesn’t blame dealers for high accessory costs at their stores.“It’s the manufacturers,” he tells Ward's. “They over-engineer their aftermarket and accessory products, in part because of liability concerns. But the costs are too high and it’s passed on. By the time it gets to the dealerships, a lot of customers say, ‘I can get that body kit down the street for cheaper.’”Price points aside, dealership sales people generally do a poor job pitching vehicle accessories, says another conference participant, Joe Gross, manager-OEM sales and design for the Kicker division of Stillwater Designs and Audio Inc.“Sales people often will not present aftermarket products that are available from the dealership’s parts department,” says Gross. “There’s a disconnect there. The success would be huge if there were more of a connection and if OEMs did a better job of enhancing their accessory offerings.”He gives auto makers poor marks for not engineering their vehicles for better compatibility with many aftermarket products, particularly electronics.A lot of audio equipment cannot be installed in new vehicles without haywiring electrical systems and voiding vehicle warranties, says Gross, who started in the car-audio industry 23 years ago as an equipment installer.“Today’s cars can offer huge challenges because of their complicated electronics,” he says. “It makes it easy for a dealership technician to say, ‘Your car is out of warranty, because you had aftermarket equipment installed.’”Chung says: “You have to be able to install aftermarket equipment without voiding warranties. Scion has managed to do that.”He predicts the accessory industry will get a boost from the anticipated growth of the small-vehicle segment in the U.S., as a new generation of compact vehicles hits the market.Traditionally, small vehicles tended to be econoboxes. But the new ones are stylish and fun to drive, characteristics that lend themselves to vehicle customization, says Chung. Moreover, they attract young buyers, who are prime customers for accessories, he says.He says custom wheels for such vehicles will center more on performance. “Before it was cosmetic, but there’s not a lot of bling factor with these small vehicles on the market today.”

yeah...i'm jealous of my girlfriend's xA. we just got it a couple of months ago, and there's so much more available to tune it. and THAT's from the dealer!!!!!

that's what the cars (scion) was made for. they are aiming and marketing towards people who want to mod or personalize their vehicles. why not? buy all the accessories, warranty it and make MORE money! i only wish more car companies would do such a thing!

..you'd think it would be cheaper to allow your vehicles to have more accessories, ie. headunits cuz of less wiring crap. AND you could just outsource the accessories to companies already on the market, ie. pioneer, body kits etc etc. yeah i think car manf. just think they can make more money if they do it them selfs.....

well, then they will warranty the products rather than void them. so, you pay a little more, but have the security if something goes wrong, they fix it.

They still wouldn't make much money if they offered bodykits and sterio equipment because people would still go aftermarket for originality. It is nice that the do offer some for the low budget kids who can finance that stuff in, but for those who enjoy modding will seek aftermarket.

not necessarily. Subaru of Japan has all kinds of accessories from the factory as well as sell a/m parts at most of the dealerships. you know they are making money. Toyota sells TRD parts and accessories for a premium. they are more $$ but still covered under warranty. i always bought TRD parts for my toy based vehicles. they were designed and made specifically for them, granted maybe not always the best results, but that warranty coverage was worth it to me. and up here, any body kit is just about original! lol

OT: but are they still having problems fitting bodykits on the USDM legacy's withoug cuting out that bar? There's a guy in my old car club who has a black one and I pointed him to that website you gave me but he's a nub when it comes to computers so I told him I can look into it for him and I almost forgot to go sign up on that site.

no like, if the body kit comany worked with the manf. like pontiac/toyota worked with rksport to make kit that was a perfect fit. then they could get them cheaper because of a mass purchase and they could come painted on the car if bought new. its all about relationships

yea TRD's aftermarket support is great but alot of people hate the fact that things like that can be purchased on the finance price, especially those of us who do custom work, and someone tries entering in custom carshows with something that came on the car wehn they purchased it. Just like the Harley Fords, people would come up in stock vehicles and win against modded cars. Some people like it, some people hate it.

Quote, originally posted by tangerine »OT: but are they still having problems fitting bodykits on the USDM legacy's withoug cuting out that bar? There's a guy in my old car club who has a black one and I pointed him to that website you gave me but he's a nub when it comes to computers so I told him I can look into it for him and I almost forgot to go sign up on that site.depends on if the bodykit is JDM or USDM.

Quote »“And the accessory prices at Scion dealerships are within the reach of their young customers. The prices at other dealerships are high enough to send people elsewhere for their accessories.”Don't they want like $200+ to add the LED's that go under the dash? I priced a Scion way back when and I think it was around there somewhere to add 'em. You can create a heckuva light show for under $30 yourself... I hardly think that their price is inexpensive. Don't know about the pricing for the other stuff, but for two bills and some change, those better be some damn good LED's.

i think they are more for people who want the look but don't want to do the work themselves. of course, a lot of us here prefer doing the work ourselves. still, it's cool that the manuf at least OFFERS these things and don't just turn their backs on their customer's needs like so many car manuf.

Yes I do see your point about the manufacturer actually giving enough of a crap to make cool add-on goodies. Once Hyundai gets the 3-door Accent out, allegedly there will be ~30 different accessories available for it, ranging from pedals, iPod holders, up to things like CAI's (like I'd ever add that but anyway...) I'll admit I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out that may fit my sedan... That iPod holder is mine for sure if it will fit and it probably will since the interiors won't be that drastically different between the 3 and 4 doors, up front at least.

exactly! that's the whole point. you may never install a CAI but someone else may, just like someone else may never install an ipod holder and you would. it's all about the manufacturer learning that people like to personalize their vehicles and allowing them to do so without penalty of voiding warranty or being hassled about it when they take the car in for servicing. and if they make a little money while doing so, then kudos to them! smart marketing!

Funny thing is, Jeep has found that out long time ago. Jeep Wrangler, the worlds oldest adult tinker toy.