Automakers advertise almost exclusively with drivers in mind.

That could be a mistake.

Adults may buy and drive the vehicles, but their children — sophisticated teens and teens who know a few things about fuel economy, styling and automotive entertainment — have input when the family gathers in the dealer’s showroom.

And that input doesn’t go unheeded or unappreciated. Three out of five parents said that they take the kids’ opinions, and their preferences, seriously. .

A recent study showed that 57% of parents now involve their kids in a car-buying choice, vs. 38% in a 2009 study. According to the survey kids’ favorites are Jeeps, Chevrolets and Fords — in that order.