Consumer Research Shows There’s Still Life Left For Sedans

Study Finds Sedans Are a Top Choice for Some Millennial and Generation Z Drivers

A report out today announced consumer research findings around the perception of sedan popularity and sentiment that show, while SUVs and crossovers remain increasingly popular, sedan interest does not lag that far behind.

The research, by  CarGurus, uncovered that SUVs (26 percent) and sedans (25 percent) were the top body styles that vehicle owners would likely purchase as their next car, and crossovers were the third most likely with 12 percent. The survey also showed positive results for sedans based on respondents’ top three picks for body styles most likely to rise in popularity over the next five years. The results were as follows:

• Crossover: 69 percent
• SUV: 61 percent
• Sedan: 55 percent
• Hatchback: 40 percent
• Pickup Truck: 32 percent
• Coupe: 28 percent
• Minivan: 16 percent

A combination of younger Millennials and older members of Generation Z stood out as the group behind the interest in sedans. For these drivers ages 18-29, the survey findings include:

• 65 percent chose sedans to grow most in popularity over the next five years, compared to 54 percent for ages 30-44 and 43 percent for ages 45-60.
• Sedans were the top choice for their next car with 32 percent likely to purchase this body style, compared to SUVs (22 percent) and crossovers (10 percent).
• 34 percent thought recent headlines declaring the downfall of the sedan were overblown.

“This survey showed that consumer interest in buying sedans is not waning as much as recent automotive industry changes have indicated,” said Madison Gross, Senior Manager of Customer Insights at CarGurus. “The positive response from younger drivers expressing their intent to buy sedans is a sign of confidence that this traditional body style could remain relevant for years to come.”

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