Do Millennials Really Want Cars?

http://business.time.com/2013/08/09/the-great-debate-do-millennials-really-want-cars-or-not/

by jennyjitters • 13 years ago

4 5 13 years ago

business.time.com

No. I'm 31[1] and I own a 9 year old car (purchased new on July 2, 2004) on which I've clocked 33,000 miles, the vast majority of which happened in the first three years I owned it (live in Seattle, worked in the burbs). I very intentionally live in a neighborhood where I rarely have to drive, and try to use Uber and car2go whenever possible. Most of my shopping is done on Amazon (Amazon Prime, ftw).

Car ownership is expensive and annoying, but still too convenient to give up. I wish Seattle had a better public transit system than it does. If I lived in New York, I'd happily give up my driver's license.

[1] Which means I was born in 1982, and turned 18 in 2000, making me one of the first millenials.

jennyjitters• 13 years ago

I totally agree. I hate just about everything about driving: it's a time-suck, incredibly stressful, and environmentally awful (not to mention lazy). I live in a walkable and bikeable area specifically to reduce the amount that I have to be in a car. Rent tends to be a bit higher in these areas, but for me the tradeoff is completely worth it!

eliben• 13 years ago

If they live in the Silicon Valley, they almost definitely do.

thaumasiotes• 13 years ago

Yes. I lived in San Francisco without a car due to the prohibitive cost of owning one there. It made visiting friends and family a nightmare. It stopped me from singing in the car (since, you know, what car?). It meant I was confined to the area I could walk to from home. Just me and some stores and restaurants, alone in the world.

bradleyjoyce• 13 years ago

I want a car.. but I don't necessarily need to own it. In fact, I find owning things to be a burden. It keeps me unnecessarily tied to a location, working for things I don't need really need, and things I don't really miss when they're gone. Having had the opportunity to do some traveling and live abroad (South America, I'm from the US), it's really changed my opinion on owning lots of things, cars included.

For the past 3 months I've been renting a car because I've needed it for a few particular reasons. However, I'm very glad that I can simply return it at whatever time I choose and be done with the responsibility of it.

Do Millennials Really Want Cars?

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