Gen Z Buying 6.5 Times More Used Cars Than New
Shoppers age 18 to 24, or Generation Z, buy 6.5 times more used cars than new cars, according to an analysis of Polk vehicle registration data analyzed by Edmunds.com. While it’s not surprising that college-aged consumers are buying used cars, what they’re buying is.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Shoppers age 18 to 24, or Generation Z, buy 6.5 times more used cars than new cars, according to an analysis of Polk vehicle registration data analyzed by Edmunds.com. While it’s not surprising that college-aged consumers are buying used cars, the pre-owned vehicles they’re buying is.
Through April, Generation Z purchased 181,906 used cars, compared to just 27,670 new cars. And according to the firm’s analysis, the Top 3 vehicles purchased by Generation Z are the Daewoo Lanos, Eagle Talon and Nissan 240.
“Incredible, out of the Top 20 used vehicles with the highest shares of Gen Z buyers this year, only one — the Mitsubishi Lancer — is still slated for ongoing productions,” Edmunds noted.
As for the used-car sweet spot for Gen Z, Edmunds found the group is mostly attracted to 10- to 15-year-old vehicles. In fact, the demographic has purchased twice as many 2001 to 2006 model-year vehicles this year and they have 2016 models.
“For most young car buyers, it’s price first and then everything else is gravy,” said Jessica Caldwell, director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com. “There’s no doubt that you’re probably getting a good deal these days on an Eagle Talon or a Ford Aspire — both of which ceased production in the ‘90s.
“It’s easy to look at this list and have a good laugh, but the kids buying these vehicles see them almost like a fashion statement,” Caldwell added. “If you drive a Daewoo while all your friends are driving newer Hondas and Toyotas, you kind of stand out from the crowd.”
Vehicles With Largest Share of 18- to 24-Year-Old Registrants
Daewoo Lanos 7%
Eagle Talon 6.2%
Nissan 240 5.5%
Acura Integra 5.1%
Honda Prelude 5%
Mistubishi Lancer 4.7%
Acura RSX 4.7%
Kia Sephia 4.7%
Ford Aspire 4.7%
Daewoo Leganza 4.6%
Saturn Aura 4.6%
Pontiac G6 4.3%
Scion TC 4.3%
Dodge Dart 4.3%
Suzuki Forenza 4.3%
Mitsubishi Galant 4.2%
Pontiac Aztek 4.2%
Dodge Caliber 4.1%
Suzuki Vitara 4.1%
Dodge Neon 4.1%
More Auto Finance

Mastering Credit Friction
In this video, Josh Krach explains how to turn credit friction into an advantage.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Auto Lenders, Consumers on a Tightrope
April borrowing data shows that more consumers are bending over backward to buy vehicles, though subprime lending cooled off for the month.
Read More →
Toyota Financial Services President Replaced
Scott Cooke has served in various roles with Toyota Financial Services for over 20 years, including president and CEO, which he retires from on June 30.
Read More →
Permission or Approval: When to Notify Finance Sources
Credit card down payments, multiple vehicle purchases and even straw purchases can be completed without committing bank fraud, as long as you tell the bank first.
Read More →
At-Risk Auto Borrowers Drive Looser Credit Access
Cox Automotive’s index shows the subprime segment, long loan terms, negative-equity borrowers and down payment amounts all grew in February despite ever-higher vehicle prices.
Read More →
Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend
Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.
Read More →
Auto Credit More Plentiful
Growing access shows greater lender appetite for risk as consumers take on heavier debt burden in an inflated market.
Read More →
Auto Loans Long as Stretch Limos
More consumers, faced with ever-rising car prices, are adapting by agreeing to longer loan terms despite the cost of added interest payments.
Read More →
AutoPayPlus Launches RePayPlus
The reinsured biweekly payment program offers auto dealers with customer retention and reinsurance structure.
Read More →