I want to start by saying these are general rules–not written in stone rules, because everyone is wired differently.
I even mildly like some of these vehicles, but this is based on 15 years of interviewing car guys so call these general observations.
Here are five types of vehicles that Gen X and Millennials love, and Baby Boomers hate.
Jerry Sutherland
Small trucks are something we saw in the late 60s and early 70s. Most of them were Japanese and they filled a gap between a full-sized pickup and an urban-sized pickup.
That means they fit into city duty better than construction or farm duty. You didn’t see them on a real job site because they’d last about a week under the pounding trucks took on an oil rig or building site.
Boomers never warmed up to the mini trucks because they seemed like lightweight versions of a real pickup. They had their place—just not in the real working world.
Gen X saw them differently. They saw cool little trucks with an unlimited power-to-weight ratio…sports cars with a cargo area. There’s no right or wrong in this scenario—just different views.
Japanese cars made serious waves in the car world when cars like the Toyota Celica, Datsun 510, Honda Civic and Datsun 240Z debuted in the early 70s.
They were sporty, reliable and affordable in an era when gas prices spiked overnight. Sports Car Boomers loved them from Day 1 because they were a modern form of the beloved British sports car.
Families loved them too because a Toyota Corolla made for a bulletproof 2nd car. Non sports car/small-car Boomers were less enthusiastic about Japanese cars because a Corvette was still far more of a dream car than a Civic in the early 70s, plus the metal was pretty thin. Japanese cars were affordable—and disposable at the same time.
Gen X was far more open to Japanese cars. They didn’t care about the heritage—they did care about performance. The 1980s saw a huge uptick in technology and Japan led the way, so then came the dawn of 250-horsepower cars that weighed just over 2000 pounds—the math was simple.
German cars were also lukewarm options for Baby Boomers. The VW Beetles and vans were the choice of hippie Boomers, but most of us were not as enthusiastic—maybe World War II was still too close in the rear-view mirror. I owned two Beetles and a VW van because they were cheap—I don’t miss any of them.
BMW made some inroads in Baby Boomer world, but most of us sat out the German invasion because they just didn’t stack up against a Hemi Daytona in cool factor or brute performance.
Gen X/Millennials didn’t care. They bought into the Rabbits, the Mercedes, the new Minis, new Beetles and the new BMWs. They did it for the same reasons they bought into the Japanese cars—they grew up with them. Again—not a right or wrong scenario—just personal preference.
Baby Boomers aren’t fond of four-door sedans. Maybe they’re too awash with family car/grandpa car vibes, but most Baby Boomer car guys would rather gut a mint four-door sedan for parts than drive it.
Gen X is less violent about 4-doors and Millennials are even more welcoming because they never grew up in an era of two-door hardtops and convertibles. Two extra doors just means easier access for their buddies, plus you can high-tech your way into insane horsepower…4-doors or not.
The last vehicles on the Baby Boomer hit list are 1990s to early 2000 cars. Baby Boomers will always default to the classic era because that’s when they were kids.
Gen X were kids in the 90s, and Millennials were generally born in the 90s–so that’s their classic era. Technology took huge leaps in the 90s so suddenly cars were faster and fuel mileage went up. Boomers will never buy into 90s cars, but the next generations sure do.
Again—there are exceptions to the rule, but this is where the hobby is in 2024.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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