What Drives You

I was a little disappointed when I read of a recent Harris Poll.  If the Harris people are correct we can check off another myth about millennials.  I had held a certain degree of hope that today’s young adults were not going to be as materialistic as their parents, especially when it came to personal transportation. Perhaps they were not going to be as dependent on the automobile as previous generation.  Word was millennials preferred public transportation and shared ride services.

It now appears that when it comes to what they drive, millennials might have a similar materialistic mindset as baby boomers.  That is one conclusion we can draw from the poll.  Even if they cannot afford to buy one right now, millennials seem to be dreaming of a Mercedes-Benz or Lexus in the future.  Seven of the top car brands among millennials are luxury brands.  That compares to five each among members of generation X and baby boomers.  Obviously, at this point in their live millennials are less likely than other generations to actually own a luxury car.  This poll was more about aspiration.  What car brand would you be drawn to if you had the money?  It was about image and status.

Other luxury brands like Audi and BMW also made the list.  Interestingly, Lincoln was the only American brand to make the list.  That can probably be credited to Lincoln’s advertising campaign featuring actor Matthew McConaughey.   While overall the Lincoln brands overall popularity was flat, it has increased among millennials.  While Tesla has a way to go before it can compete with the established brands, it also is popular brand among millennials.

Subaru was the most popular Non-Luxury Auto category. In fifth place this year, Subaru builds on its reputation as the brand on its SUV/Crossover roots.  It also continues its “Love” campaign. Volkswagen was the biggest loser in popularity among millennials after its emissions scandal.  Toyota was the other brand that made the list of top ten brands among millennials.

So, where are you going with this you might ask?  I want you to consider what you drive and the image it projects to the young people in your life.  Somehow we’ve been sold on the “I deserve to be comfortable when I drive” viewpoint.  It is not enough just to have dependable transportation.  We want something that provides us with an experience and also fits the image we want to project.

I enjoy going to the Auto Show every year and looking at the fancy cars.  I also know I cannot afford them.  What I need is a dependable transportation.  At this point in my life I also want something that I can get in and out of easily.  That is why I drive a seven year old Chrysler Sebring sedan with 140,000 miles on it.  It might be old and plain looking but that’s okay.  I would rather let my words and actions, than the car I drive, reflect who I am.  

So, what do you drive?  More importantly, what does that say about your priorties?