Born in 1999, my daughter is among the many earliest Individuals recognized as Technology Z. Most demographers classify these born between 1997 and 2012 as “Z,” and listing amongst their distinctive experiences having been born into the digital age.
Automotive Purchasing With Gen Z
Technology Z and Driving
Primarily based fully on anecdotal proof, I want to add to Gen Z’s roster of noteworthy traits a common disdain for vehicles and driving. My daughter’s first automotive, a 2014 Nissan Juke, was foisted upon her by my spouse and me as a result of we didn’t wish to drive the child to six:00 AM water-polo apply. She needed nothing to do with it.
Unrelated: My child additionally desires nothing to do with the music I hearken to. Perhaps that’s a Gen Z factor, too.
Changing the Nissan Juke
The Juke has been part of the household for a few decade now, and has served my daughter nicely. The little Nissan traveled with my child to Monmouth Faculty in western Illinois, and later to Colorado State for graduate college. The automotive by no means failed my daughter, and by no means even troubled her with a lifeless battery. Although a string of flat tires whereas at Monmouth proved irritating.
The Juke is getting up within the years, nonetheless, and my daughter, now gainfully employed, felt the necessity for one thing just a little quieter and extra comfy, and fewer drained trying.
New-Automotive Priorities Checklist
We started the seek for a brand new automotive about six weeks in the past, and commenced check driving automobiles shortly after that. One factor we discovered early on: It’s troublesome to squeeze greater than two check drives into a day. Extra on that in a bit…
My daughter’s listing of new-car calls for was easy and strong. She had gotten used to the scale of the Juke (tiny) and didn’t wish to drive something a lot bigger. It’s price mentioning that my child is on the small facet, standing round 5’ 2”. Her options/priorities listing:
New Automotive Ought to be…
Small
- Simple to see out of
- East to get comfy in
- Simple to park
Snug/Refined
- Quieter and extra relaxed on the freeway than the Juke (The Juke could be buzzy)
- Ought to have extra compliant experience than Juke (The Juke could be bouncy)
Connectivity
- Utterly wi-fi cell machine connectivity (The Juke was poor on this regard)
Roomy (sufficient)
- Again-seat space must accommodate a largish canine crate
Enjoyable
- Quick (Notice that I mentioned quick, simply not fast)
- Deal with nicely
- Must be fascinating coloration
Upscale (at the very least fairly)
- Be good if the inside was sort of elegant (Juke cabin principally laborious plastic)
- Audio system at the very least respectable
AWD
- With extra floor clearance than the Juke (Story beneath)
Purchasing Begins
Although my daughter has proven little curiosity in vehicles over time—buying for the Juke was a nightmare of indifference—she was absolutely engaged within the Juke-replacement course of. I don’t recall my little one ever being extra open to my recommendation.
Purchasing started with me capturing her evaluations and listings for automobiles I assumed would meet her wants—and of which I accepted. The test-drive candidates have been all subcompact crossovers, this more-or-less dictated by the demand for AWD, and rear-seat dog-crate area.
The Candidates
Sight unseen, my child dismissed the Buick Encore GX, firstly as a result of it’s a Buick, and secondly as a result of it isn’t provided in any fascinating colours. She additionally rapidly dismissed a used Mini Countryman, this regardless of the promise of energy and fast dealing with. She finds the Mini design esthetic just a little compelled, and wonders about what kind of unusual group she’d be becoming a member of by driving one.
Additionally mentioned, however rapidly dismissed, was a used 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale. The small crossover, although unique by model, is mechanically a close to clone of the Dodge Hornet. {The marketplace} is suffering from one-year-old Tonales with low odometer readings promoting for comfortably below $30,000. Compelling as these little Alfas are, we feared costly components prices, together with brakes (distinctive to the Tonale) wheels, and physique panels. Would have been cool, although…
(Notice: 2024 Tonales have been powered by an excruciatingly crude plug-in-hybrid drivetrain. For 2025 Alfa switched to an entertainingly caffeinated 2.0-liter turbocharged setup that feels and sounds sporty, and is extra in character with what an Alfa must be. As for all of the 2025 examples already on used-car tons, I can solely assume these vehicles have been pressed into short-term rental-car obligation to assist relieve bloated inventories of the slow-selling automobiles.)
Doing Analysis
To her credit score, the child did a substantial quantity of analysis on her personal, asking good questions on reliability, and efficiency. All advised, we check drove 5 small crossovers, every of which introduced nicely, and would have made a high-quality day by day driver for my first born. (She’s additionally my solely born.)
No Hyundai Kona
Apparently, we have been prepared to check drive a sixth car, however shockingly, they’re out of inventory. All of them. Per two Hyundai sellers, there are just about no new Konas to be discovered within the Chicago space. Apparently 2025 examples of the favored small crossover are bought out, and 2026 editions are but to start arriving within the States. It’s laborious to not assume that these comparatively common Korean-built, low-margin automobiles have change into a back-burner precedence for Hyundai, as the corporate grapples with the tariff state of affairs. We’ll see how rapidly 2026 Konas arrive in showrooms. (The Kona is imported from South Korea.)
Check-Drive Fatigue
As for check driving candidate automobiles, the method could be fatiguing. Although exhibiting up unannounced for a check spin proved to be of little trouble to dealership employees, the wait between the time we arrived at a retailer till we have been in the end seated in a car was typically appreciable.
Whereas our arrive-to-drive time at a suburban Chicago Nissan retailer was lower than quarter-hour, our wait to drive a brand new Chevrolet Trailblazer examined our endurance, and we left the dealership after 35 minutes–having not check pushed the automotive.
Low Strain
Apparently, the car-shopping expertise has grown much less nerve-racking over the previous few years, at the very least by way of salesperson stress. Subsequent to our check drives, we obtained solely a handful of follow-up contacts, none of which have been something however pleasant {and professional}.
Check Drive Professional Tip
Right here’s a tip: Don’t head out for a behind-the-wheel analysis round rush hour. Our drives all befell within the Chicago suburbs, save for that of the Dodge Hornet, which was positioned at a retailer within the metropolis. Our planning was poor, and in a few instances we spent appreciable time in site visitors making an attempt to achieve some open pavement. Our ride-along gross sales representatives have been all affected person, however battling rush-hour congestion reduce into the time we had allotted for test-driving—and diminished the standard of the check drive itself.
My Daughter’s Check-Drive Notes
Right here I’ve collected my daughter’s ideas on every of the automobiles we evaluated, together with just a few notes on why the child in the end handed on mentioned experience. The automobiles are listed from least appreciated to most appreciated, although no automotive we drove was truly disappointing. I’ve additionally included just a few of my daughter’s ideas on her Nissan Juke.
Nissan Juke
Automotive: 2014 SL AWD
Click on right here for extra concerning the Nissan Juke.
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
- Tiny (simple to park and maneuver)
- Quick and enjoyable to drive
- Handles nicely
- Simple to see out of
- Good within the snow (survived 10-hour blizzard drive en-route from Chicago, to Fort Collins, Colorado.)
Relating to snow: My daughter famous that although the Juke’s AWD system was as much as the duty of coping with blizzard situations, the automotive’s low floor clearance proved a hindrance because the white stuff piled up on the freeway. She reviews that if she stayed within the snow “groove” created by site visitors issues went nicely sufficient, however that making an attempt to alter lanes—and cross deeply piled accumulation—proved troublesome, even harmful.
Cons
- Very loud, particularly on freeway
- Poor connectivity setup (telephone hands-free hyperlink by no means labored nicely)
- Windshield wipers by no means lined a lot glass space (substitute blades did not right state of affairs)
- Again doorways “suck” (openings small, deal with oddly positioned)
- Bass from commonplace Rockford Fosgate “ecoPunch” audio system “obnoxious”
Hyundai Kona: No Present
As be aware above, the regional provide of 2025 Konas has dried up, and 2026 examples have but to reach in native dealerships. Whereas not a direct substitute, the mechanically comparable Kia Seltos served nicely sufficient as a Kona Surrogate. Click on right here for extra on the Kona.
Nissan Kick: Fifth Place
Check Automotive: 2025 SR AWD with Premium Package deal
Because the Kicks is a 2025 Shopper Information Greatest Purchase, I had anticipated it to raised impress my daughter. Its lack of energy, and the limited-availability of heated seats, nonetheless, pushed the spunky Nissan to the underside of my child’s listing. Click on right here for extra concerning the Nissan Kicks.
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
- Cute/best-looking car in test-drive group
- Good coloration choices
- Cool, upscale inside (young-person vibe)
- Good outward visibility
Cons
- Sluggish
- Audio system “sucked”
- Solely high trim degree with dear package deal fashions out there with heated entrance seats
Chevrolet Trailblazer: Fourth Place
Check Automotive: Used 2025 RS AWD (3000 miles)
The sporty RS appears nice from the surface, although the inside comes off as just a little plain when in comparison with the opposite automobiles we check drove. The little Chevy does serve up the very best use of cabin area, nonetheless. Notice that we’d have seemed on the similar-size Chevrolet Trax, which is available in inexpensive than the Trailblazer, but it surely isn’t provided with AWD. Click on right here for extra concerning the Trailblazer.
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
- Cute colours, appreciated out there two-tone paint schemes
- Acceptable energy
Cons
- Constructed for a taller driver (couldn’t get comfy behind the wheel)
- Poor rearward visibility
Dodge Hornet: Third Place
Check Automotive: Used 2025 GT Plus (6000 miles) (Licensed Pre-Owned)
This specific automotive had been sitting on the supplier lot for weeks, and was priced very attractively. One situation may need been the automotive’s Acapulco Gold paint, which is one thing of a love-it or hate-it affair. Although my daughter didn’t love the colour, she appreciated that it was each unconventional, and unusual. Click on right here for extra on the Hornet.
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
Cons
- Didn’t nicely accommodate quick driver (felt as if in a bath)
- Poor outward visibility (fore and aft)
- Rear seat backs don’t fold degree with load ground
- Some unusual controls (turn-signal particularly)
Kia Seltos: Second Place
Check Automotive: 2025 SX AWD
Although not fairly as extinct because the Hyundai Kona, the on-lot provide of 2025 examples of the Kia Seltos seemed to be skinny–at the very least within the Chicago space. That mentioned, we did spend time with a loaded SX, which comes commonplace with the higher-power engine choice (a 195-horsepower turbocharged 4, versus a 146-horse non-turbocharged 4).
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
- Good coloration choice
- Respectable energy
- Comparatively enjoyable to drive
- Good inside
- Respectable sound system
- Would select if extra passenger area was wanted
Cons
- Odd driving place—appears designed for somebody with longer legs
Mazda CX-30: First Place
Check Automotive: 2024 2.5 Carbon Turbo (8000 miles) (Licensed Pre-Owned)
The marketed worth on this frivolously used 2024 was too good to disregard. Once more, we surprise if the colour, Zircon Sand Metallic, may need been a barrier to resale. My child doesn’t love the colour, however is joyful that it’s one thing out of the peculiar. I occur to assume it appears elegant. Additionally, with 250 horsepower on faucet, the CX-30 is, by far, the quickest of the automobiles my daughter thought-about. Click on right here for extra on the CX-30.
Daughter’s take:
Professionals
- Enjoyable to drive
- Nice dealing with
- Feels small (in a great way)
- Good inside
- Higher sound system than different vehicles examined
- Amused by the colour
Cons
- Doesn’t truly like the colour
Purchasing Course of
Relating to the method, my child discovered interplay with salespeople tedious. There have been too many inquiries to reply, and the wait to truly check drive vehicles was, usually, too lengthy. She was disenchanted that we couldn’t drive a Kona, a car about which she had heard good issues.
Additionally, my daughter was disenchanted by the dearth of coloration and trim degree choices out there throughout our search. Certainly, new CX-30 stock gave the impression to be restricted principally to less-expensive non-turbocharged trim ranges, whereas the stock of Trailblazers on supplier tons was practically as gentle.
Large because of Rene Quinones of Schaumburg Mazda in Schaumburg, Illinois for helping us. Rene was affected person as we check drove two automobiles for prolonged evaluations (the CX-30 and the Trailblazer), returned my calls after hours, and introduced the automotive round to the showroom a second time so I might take a tape-measure to it and ensure my child’s canine crate was going to suit.
The value quoted was the worth we paid, and we didn’t endure hard-sell stress to think about an prolonged guarantee or service contract, although the merchandise have been introduced to us.
Carfax
A shout out to Carfax for its Carfax Worth information. The automotive my daughter bought was listed as a “Nice Worth” by Carfax, at about $1200 below common retail for a like-equipped CX-30 with comparable odometer mileage. Whereas I in all probability might have haggled off one other $100-$200, I actually didn’t see the purpose. We obtained nice service, a strong deal, and, most significantly, a fantastic automotive that my child was proud of. I’m just a little bummed, although. I used to be type of hoping to do at the very least just a little haggling. You recognize, old-fashioned.
Remaining ideas
As my daughter hasn’t brazenly expressed pleasure about something for the reason that new season of Bob’s Burger’s, her lack of open delight with the brand new automotive isn’t too shocking. Nonetheless, she appears joyful along with her the experience, and was brazenly thrilled with the little Mazda’s acceleration.
And whereas she doesn’t actually care about vehicles, and wouldn’t personal one if she didn’t must, when it got here time to analysis and put together for a significant buy, she rose to the event and shopped patiently and critically. A lot so, in reality, that she was open to taking recommendation from her father. Right here’s to you, Technology Z. Now if I might simply get her to hearken to just a little Ray Bryant or Kenny Burrell…
Notice: I made some extent of not sharing with any of the gross sales of us we labored with what it’s I do for a residing. It was enjoyable to simply be a buyer for a change.
Take heed to the Automotive Stuff Podcast
Gen Z Automotive-Purchasing Footage
Click on beneath for enlarged photos
