I'm a Millenial and I enjoy owning a car, but I definitely don't care about it as an indicator of social status the way older generations did.
I would much rather own a self-driving pod with a comfortable couch where I could work or relax without thinking about driving. Or even enjoying the view! Driving is fun, but for day-to-day stuff, I'd much rather get online as soon as possible to get my work done.
I tend to think of time in a car as time wasted, unless I just happen to be in the mood to drive.
Speaking as a member of Generation X, having a computer and getting on the Internet early made ownership of a car far less interesting. I did have a motorcycle for a while and occasionally I find myself thinking about a car, but it's an awful lot of money for something I don't really enjoy using.
Based on anecdotal evidence, I've found that almost none of my non-wealthy family and friends like driving. They all drive fairly average cars (Honda Civic, old minivan, etc) on fairly average commutes between home/work/school/etc.
For them, driving is just a means to an end. If there was something better that was cheaper and fulfilled their needs, I think they'd sell their cars in a heartbeat.
That being said, I do love driving, and you're gonna have to pry my car from my cold dead hands :).
meh- are you planning to get rid of your car int he next 10 yeara? = Millenials hate cars. The core question is so broad that I'm not sure I could expect different answers.
meh- are you planning to get rid of your car int he next 10 yeara? = Millenials hate cars. The core question is so broad that I'm not sure I could expect different answers.
I’m an older millennial and quite on the side of being a car lover. I grew up in the very car-necessary Phoenix, but spent a while in Portland, OR, where I learned to appreciate commuting to work via bike.
Regardless, I still love cars. I have a small collection of euro classics and vintage Japanese models and I love restoring them.
I definitely see people have gone more toward seeing cars as appliances rather than appendages they love. And I can see the trend heading more toward an overall disdain with having to own cars or put up with them as pedestrians or cyclists. I wonder if when my daughters grow up if driving around my classics will actually been seen as cool or gross to their peers.
Can understand this sentiment in younger people. As someone in his mid-40s, even living in New York City, I just picked up a car (after 8 years of not having one) and have been enjoying driving it so much. It's just something I grew up with and love to do as an activity.
I disagree. I would like to own a car, so that I can have my stuff in it and not have to wait for it, etc. but it's nice not to have to drive it myself
For me car ownership as a millennial is about "working smarter" and saving HUGE amounts of time and hassle.
I own two cars. They're not essential (indeed one is a "fun car"...) - I live in a city and use public transport to get to and from work and get most of my groceries delivered so I could live without if I wanted, but why would I want to make my life harder and more boring?!
The time-savings of car ownership alone are through the roof, not to mention the huge convenience factor. There are several trips I do often that take under 5-10 minutes in a car, but take 30-40 on public transport/buses. I can get to the shops and buy 10 bags of groceries and be back home again and unpacked in 30 mins, but on a bus it would take 30 mins to even get there! (and then I'd realistically only be able to carry say 4 bags home with me on the bus and not have anything frozen). I estimate that car ownership saves me 45-60 minutes on this sort of trip that I do frequently - you cant put a price on that sort of convenience & time-savings.
How much more code or other fun stuff could you do with an extra 3 or 4 hours a week?
Of course there are instances where public transport is faster too (like getting into Central London) so for me it works to have the best of both worlds - use whichever makes sense. It does not need to be a polar decision.
Other millennials I work with or talk to often seem amazed that I have one let alone two cars - I dont think they realise how cheap it is to own and run a second-hand car. Get a 3 or 4 year old Honda or a Toyota that has been looked after and you'll only need to insure it, service it and put petrol/diesel in it. Up front cost will be £3-5K (and it will last many years and still be worth something when you sell it), annual running costs about £500 - fuel obviously varies, I probably spend about £300-400 a year on petrol.
So for me all in about £900 a year to run a car, or based on my average Uber fare of about £13, about 1.3 Uber trips a week if you ignore initial upfront cost.
I feel like I'm in a similar boat. You could characterize me as a car enthusiast; I love driving them, looking at them, talking about them, and a weekend drive across the state to sightsee and go camping is just about as good as it gets.
However, I also don't really want to use my car every single day to commute, or do basic chores. I see my car as an exploration/recreation/hobby, and I love it! But do wish that it wasn't necessary for the more boring parts of life, too.
Excellent post. My car is a Prius, at the lowest trim model, that I bought when I graduated from college 15 years ago. I "love it" in the sense that I love how cheap and reliable it has been. I totally view it as an appliance to get me from A to B with minimal fuss. And for the past ten years, my wife and I have largely organized our life to minimize how much time we spend driving around. We've spent a good portion of our marriage sharing the Prius as our only car.
My Boomer parents, on the other hand, own five or six cars, including several Corvettes and still go on long drives just for fun. We just can't understand each other.
I also live in a place now that has a "car culture," like people come to visit for races and car shows, and to do scenic drives in their exotic Ferrari and Lamborghini sports cars. To a first approximation, it's all Boomers.
That seems like a pretty subjective and personal opinion.
I love having a car. It gives me freedom and flexibility. It enables me to do the hobbies I like. It even gives me more career options and a broader range of housing options.
Remains to be seen. I can't imagine not wanting to own my own car. It's an extension of personal space for me. And I don't really want anyone else using it either.
The people who created the car-obsessed society died long ago. These people would be my parents' & grand-parents' generations. I'm in my 60s.
And before you ask, I hate having to have a smartphone. It is required to VPN into work, or to do so many things. I changed grocery stores rather than let them use my cellphone for the "loyalty" card.
I also hate living in a state where public transit is useless.
TL;DR - something about "get off my lawn" and "old man yells at cloud".
The car I drive is 16 years old and right now I have no intention of buying new.
Why, today's cars come with too much complexity, I do not want automatic anything plus the trend to internet connected cars annoys me to no end.
Also new costs way too much, if my car fails beyond repair, if I cannot find a good alternative I may abandon driving all together and do uber and public transportation when available. Right now for short errands, in the summer, I either walk or bike.
I'm not a car connoisseur like the guys in the article, but I appreciate beautiful cars.
I'm an 'old' Millennial though... I drive a 2011 Synergy Green Camaro 2SS. I got my license as soon as I turned 16. I've always lived in smaller towns/cities though, so public transportation is not a very useful thing and having a car is still very important. I just like the freedom it provides though as well.
I don't fit the 'Millennial' mold though in lots of other ways, so I'm probably just an outlier.
I would much rather own a self-driving pod with a comfortable couch where I could work or relax without thinking about driving. Or even enjoying the view! Driving is fun, but for day-to-day stuff, I'd much rather get online as soon as possible to get my work done.
I tend to think of time in a car as time wasted, unless I just happen to be in the mood to drive.
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