By Alex Sharkey, Senior Strategy Director
Think back to the feeling of driving your first car. Among members of the Millennial and older generations, your feelings about that first set of wheels may differ significantly from those of today’s Gen Z drivers. On the surface, Gen Z would appear perfectly suited for car culture. They’re expressive, identity‑driven, and fluent in personal branding. If any generation were primed to embrace enthusiast culture, it would be them.
But unlike Millennials, who often saw their vehicles as status symbols, Gen Z is far less likely to view the cars they drive as reflections of who they are. They curate their lives carefully, but not performatively. And when it comes to cars, they break sharply from the generations before them.
For them, a car is a tool rather than a badge. Fully 60% view their vehicle simply as transportation, and the vast majority are buying used to bypass soaring prices of new vehicles.
As Gen Z gravitates toward late-model and pre-owned inventory, they are showing an outsized interest in car care and maintenance to protect their investments.
One in five Gen Z adults is a heavy user of car care and maintenance products, and compared to high‑use Millennial consumers, they’re 30% more likely to perform routine maintenance on their car (68% vs. 52%).
MRI-Simmons, Winter 2026 Study
While Gen Z may not share the same enthusiasm for traditional car culture, they’re far from disengaged. Instead, they approach the category through a lens of pragmatism, financial mindfulness, and self‑sufficiency.
Shaped by Failed Status Symbols, Gen Z Seeks Structure and Stability
Gen Z came of age in an era defined by permanent crisis: economic instability, political volatility, and a collapse of institutional trust. They watched traditional status symbols lose meaning, and the idea of “making it” became more ambiguous than ever.
At the same time, they were shaped by the creator economy and an information era in which access was democratized and competence signaling replaced conspicuous consumption. For them, preparedness is the new prestige, and self‑sufficiency is the new status symbol.
It’s why Gen Z has forgone superficial statement‑making in favor of structure, security, and personal responsibility. They prefer set routines to spontaneity (80%), value doing things on their own (73%) and aim to demonstrate that their life is under control (72%).
Guided by this, they view car care as the ultimate flex. For Gen Z, routine maintenance serves as a practical proving ground. It’s a tangible way to demonstrate their capacity for “adulting.”
Understanding the Gen Z Maintenance Mindset
Gen Z approaches maintenance as a form of mastery. Vehicles aren’t just objects to own but systems to understand and control. They want to understand what’s going on under the hood (58%) and prefer to do the work themselves (48%).
For them, routine itself is a source of empowerment in an unpredictable world. They prefer to shop with a plan (67%), stay organized (79%), and select products that give their life structure (73%).
Financial discipline further shapes this behavior. Maintenance is viewed not as an expense, but as a strategy of protecting against future costs and avoiding risk. They believe they’re good at managing money (68%), are mindful of their bank balance (83%), and consider future downturns when budgeting (60%).
Finally, Gen Z is highly self-reliant in how they make decisions. Skeptical of traditional advertising, they trust their own research and judgment. More than other generations, they believe marketing is manipulative (78%) and doesn’t paint a true picture of products or how they perform (75%).
What This Means for Automotive and Aftermarket Brands
Automotive and aftermarket brands must recognize this shifting ethos to capture today’s generation of category consumers. Gen Z doesn’t want brands that help them express themselves; they want brands that enable them.
- Value-Max Your Benefits: Gen Z are methodical researchers seeking smarter spending. Show them how your product is a smart investment in their future, not just a good deal.
- Empower Their Sense of Preparedness: They believe preparing for tomorrow requires understanding their vulnerabilities; what your product prevents is just as important as what it does.
- Make DIY Feel Like Growth: Position DIY as an opportunity for personal development, not a chore. Look beyond simple convenience to position maintenance as a durable, valuable life skill.
- Reward Their Desire for Routine: They take solace in structure. Feed their routine with maintenance schedules, step-by-step guides, and predictable systems.
In a world that feels increasingly out of control, car care has become a quiet, unexpected flex for Gen Z: a way to demonstrate competence, autonomy, and readiness for the road ahead.
