Gen Z doesn’t seem to care about Baby Boomers’ favorite car – and vice versa
New research this month revealed the vehicles most preferred by Americans, categorized by generation. The results might surprise certain folks, especially those opposed to downsizing their beloved SUV and truck options.
In August, Insurify released the top 10 most preferred cars in the U.S. by generation. Baby Boomers decidedly prefer larger vehicles. Their top 10 includes two pickup trucks and four SUVs. According to the data, Americans born between 1946 and 1964 love the Ford F-Series, which landed first place on their list.
However, Gen Z (Americans born from 1997 to 2012) prefers the Honda Civic. In fact, there isn’t a single truck or SUV in Gen Z’s top 10.
| Baby Boomers | Gen X | Millennials | Gen Z | |
| 1 | Ford F-Series pickup | Ford F-Series pickup | Millennials | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Toyota Camry | Toyota Camry | Nissan Altima | Honda Accord |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla | Honda Accord | Toyota Camry | Toyota Camry |
| 4 | Honda Accord | Nissan Altima | Honda Civic | Nissan Altima |
| 5 | Chevrolet Silverado | Chevrolet Silverado | Toyota Corolla | Toyota Corolla |
| 6 | Nissan Altima | Toyota Corolla | Ford F-Series pickup | Hyundai Elantra |
| 7 | Ford Escape | Honda Civic | Chevrolet Malibu | Hyundai Sonata |
| 8 | Nissan Rogue | Hyundai Elantra | Hyundai Elantra | Chevrolet Malibu |
| 9 | Chevrolet Equinox | Chevrolet Equinox | Hyundai Sonata | Ford Fusion |
| 10 | Honda CR-V | Chevrolet Malibu | Chevrolet Silverado | Nissan Sentra |
Is Gen Z turning the U.S. into a small car nation?
We’ve regularly reported on the cost of buying new cars in the American market in 2024. According to recent data, 82% of Americans simply can’t afford new car purchases. More than halfway through the year, some sources report the average new car payment hovers over $750 per month. As such, 40% of car shoppers today are only looking at used cars, per a June 2024 Consumer Reports survey.
While younger Americans seem to be less interested in driving, car insurance premiums continue to rise. This is because larger, more technologically advanced vehicles (including EVs) are increasingly expensive to repair after a collision.
We also recently reported that Gerber, a large collision repair chain with hundreds of U.S. locations, is seeing an increase in total loss claims this year. Since Americans drive older vehicles than ever, many smaller, more compact cars get totaled after a wreck. This is especially true if the accident involved a larger car, like a truck or SUV.
Considering the sobering costs of vehicle ownership these days and that the top 5 most popular cars among Millenials are also four-door sedans, Gen Z might well be steering the U.S. away from our beloved behemoths and toward smaller, more efficient vehicles.
American automakers might actually be relieved by this; after all, producing large electric vehicles is proving dangerously unprofitable at the moment. Ford CEO Jim Farley even publicly encouraged Americans to fall back in love with smaller cars despite the brand axing the majority of its sedan lineup in recent years. Moreover, Ford just announced it canceled production of its all-new three-row SUV EV to focus on its commercial business.
Unless new car buying conditions here improve, with small, efficient, cheap electric cars built by Chinese automakers looking to dominate the global market, I see the U.S. either creating its own versions of these models…or begrudgingly letting the competition take over.
