Generation Z enters the car shopping process with more questions than its elders and seeks answers online.
Members of Generation Z (those born between 1996 and 2005) are less likely to know what models they’ll consider when they start shopping. They spend more time researching and are likelier to use third-party websites like the one you’re reading.
But the values they bring to their decision and their conclusions aren’t terribly different from those of the three generations that came before them.
Kelley Blue Book parent company Cox Automotive interviewed more than 5,000 car shoppers to understand their journey, separating the results into Gen Z, Millienials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
Related: Americans Grew Happier With Car Shopping in 2023
The Younger You Are, the More Questions You Have
Just 24% of Gen Z buyers agreed that they knew exactly which vehicle they wanted when they started shopping. That predetermination grows with age, with 26% of Millennials, 28% of Gen Xers, and 38% of Boomers going into the process with their minds made up.
Entering the shopping process undecided leads to more research time among the young. Gen Z buyers spent 147 days on average researching and shopping. Millennials spent 112. Gen X spent 122. Boomers – the most experienced in the process – decided in just 84 days.
Related: Gen Z Loves The Toyota Camry; Boomers The Ford F-150
The youngest buyers were the most likely to research through third-party sites like this one, with 89% of Gen Z relying on independent research websites for information, compared to 66% of Boomers. But that may reflect a bent toward online research of all kinds – they were also the most likely group to have visited a manufacturer’s website.
Dealer sites were the least favored among all four generations.
The Answers Stay Consistent Across Generations
Though they proved the queens of research, Gen Z shoppers tended to approach the process with broadly similar values to older generations. And their research pointed them toward roughly the same brands as everyone else.
Top Five Factors of Importance
| Gen Z | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers |
| Durability/Reliability | Durability/Reliability | Durability/Reliability | Durability/Reliability |
| Affordability | Safety | Safety | Safety |
| Good Value | Affordability | Good Value | Driving Comfort |
| Safety | Good Value | Affordability | Good Value |
| Driving Performance | Driving Performance | Driving Comfort | Driving Performance |
Top Five Brands Considered:
| Gen Z | Millennials | Gen X | Boomers |
| Chevrolet | Chevrolet | Chevrolet | Toyota |
| Toyota | Toyota | Toyota | Ford |
| Ford | Ford | Ford | Chevrolet |
| Honda | Honda | Honda | Honda |
| Dodge | GMC | GMC | Hyundai |
