The 1993 film Dazed and Confused depicts the marriage of ’70s youth and car culture in its unforgettable opening sequence. For about 10-15 seconds, a 1970 Pontiac GTO “The Judge” pulls into a high school parking lot with Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion playing in the background.
Dazed and Confused regularly depicts an era of automotive freedom that appears to be vanishing in young Americans’ hearts and minds. With the back-to-the-city movement in full swing, the necessity of owning a car has disappeared among many urbanite-Millennials.
That being said, not everyone in their twenties and thirties lives in a city center; so what are Millennials driving?
What the Stats Say
In late 2018, Business Insider reported that the Honda Accord was the most driven car based on insurance data of drivers between the ages of 22 and 37. The top 5 didn’t include one domestic vehicle and the top 10 had only one pickup (Ford F-150) and one SUV (Jeep Grand Cherokee). Research across the web safely concludes that the Millennials who are driving, are driving cars. This goes against the trend that domestic automakers are preparing for: a wave of SUV and Truck sales in the coming decade.
A Different Generation
Most young Americans, or Americans in general, don’t live in rural areas. Additionally, young people romanticize much less about blasting down the highway in a souped-up muscle car than their parents did. The Chicago Tribute outlines that, “59 percent [of Millennials say] they would rather spend their time doing more productive tasks than driving… Among baby boomers, who grew up with car songs like Little Deuce Coupe and Thunder Road, 61 percent say they enjoy most of the time they spend driving.” It’s not that Millennials don’t enjoy car culture, but it’s definitely become less widespread (and more niche) than it was in previous decades.
Change is Coming
To conclude, the Millennials that do drive appear to be driving more affordable coupes and sedans. This shouldn’t surprise anyone based on where individuals in their mid-twenties to late-thirties are choosing to live. People are taking more time to build their career than have children, which reduces the need for big expensive vehicles. It will be interesting to see how the Millennial top 10 list evolves as consumer needs change in this specific age bracket… which they most certainly will.
Sources: Business Insider, Chicago Tribune