In a recent study, “Most Satisfying Cars by Age Group,” Consumer Reports ranks over 300,000 cars by customer satisfaction and age group. Among the generations are Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. Many of the top vehicles span multiple generations, but for Baby Boomers, one uniquely American car ranks at the top of the list for the nation’s wealthiest generation: the Chevrolet Corvette.

The Chevrolet Corvette is an American classic

If you’re active in car culture, you’ve probably heard that the Chevrolet Corvette is a car for older buyers. Though this might be a joke that’s easily tossed around at car shows, there’s some truth behind it. 

In 2009, SEMA conducted a study on Corvette ownership demographics that showed the average age of a Corvette owner was 61. Though the Vette has evolved over the years to adjust to a growing sports car market, the Boomers have stayed put, and the Corvette is still a top choice, according to Consumer Reports.

These days, the C8 Corvette is in its third year of production, with the 2020 model year starting the eighth generation of the sports car. The new Corvette boasts a mid-engine layout with a 6.2-liter V8 resting behind the driver’s seat. This engine harnesses around 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. This powerplant pairs with a controversial eight-speed dual-clutch automatic as the only transmission option.

Why Baby Boomers love the Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette has been America’s sports car since the early 1950s. While muscle cars like the Camaro and Mustang perform well, the Corvette has always been a track-ready race car that can be bought from your local Chevy dealer and serviced at any service center.

With Baby Boomers’ birthdays between the mid-1940s and 1960s, they grew up with the C1, C2, and C3 Corvette models crowned some of the best performing and most beautiful cars. 

With a C8 Corvette, prestige and nostalgia live on in the name. The C8 Corvette is also affordable, starting at around $60,000. And although the mid-engine layout is dramatically different, General Motors kept the Corvette as a V8-engine-only car for 2022, staying true to the V8-only philosophy for Vettes since 1956.

But Chevy has competition

Despite claiming the top spot in Consumer Reports‘ study, the Chevrolet Corvette has some stiff competition.

The sports car’s major rivals among new vehicles are the luxurious Genesis G90, the spacious Kia Telluride, the Tesla Model Y, and the iconic Mazda MX-5 Miata. 

Though all of the competitors are great vehicles, they fall short of America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette. With GM constantly pushing the envelope with the Vette to make it appeal to a broader market, now is the perfect time to get behind the wheel of a C8 Corvette.