Americans often shun their parents' family cars. Are SUVs next to go? - USA Today

Americans have typically shunned the family cars that they associate with their parents. And there's already evidence that may be starting to happen now with SUVs, even as large three-row vehicles remain very popular with older shoppers.

Sedans make up 80% of the favorite cars of people between 18 and 29 years old, or Generation Z, according to a recent study from the website Compare.com. They also made up 60% of the favorite cars of people between 30 and 45 years old, or millennials, while they made up only half of the favorites of people between 45 and 61 years old, or Gen X. Sedans were only 30% of the favorite cars for people between 62 and 77 years old, or Baby Boomers.

"The vehicle that’s right for someone can change when life changes, whether it’s a move, a different commute, or a new kid," the website said. "But each generation’s vehicle preferences reflect more than just a different stage of life."

The findings come as automakers have been pumping out SUVs, as American consumers have sought out larger vehicles in recent years.

American automakers began producing more SUVs for sale than sedans and wagons for the first time in 2016, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates air pollution from cars among other environmental issues.

Large SUVs and minivans jumped from 19.5% of all U.S. vehicle registrations in 2017 to 24.2% in 2026. Among that group of vehicles, larger SUVs jumped from 66% to 74.5%, while minivans fell from 12.3% to 8.1%, according to market data compiled by Mobility Global/Catalyst for Insight and USA TODAY Co.'s LocaliQ Automotive. 

But Compare's data raises an interesting question: Are SUVs headed for the same fate as minivans and station wagons that were popular generations ago?

Compare.com said, "factors like housing affordability, student debt, and higher gas prices are shaping Gen Z’s needs, leading some to delay starting a family and many to seek out the most fuel-efficient vehicles available."

The website found that the Honda Civic is the most popular vehicle among Gen Z, followed by the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Corolla.

By contrast, millennials favored the Honda Accord, and Gen X and Baby Boomers' top choice was the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The website said the Kia Carnival, which is a minivan that was designed to look like an SUV, was also a popular choice among millennials, while Gen X shoppers gravitated to the luxury Infiniti QX80 SUV.

Some of the Gen Z drivers who state preferences for smaller cars now might later opt for SUVs after they decide to start families, like many of their parents did, according to Compare.com.

"Lifestyle informs the right vehicle choice for any driver, so if family size or budget changes, it could shift need away from large, expensive SUVs and toward smaller, affordable sedans," the website said.

But it is also possible that Generation Z will continue to buck the trend.

"While baby boomers, Gen X, and some millennials may have shifted to a larger car when they had a family and now prefer it, it’s possible Gen Z drivers won’t follow that pattern," the website said. "A high cost of living and smaller family size could mean Gen Z’s preference for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles will persist as they age."

The prototypical family car has moved over time from station wagons in the 1970s to minivans in the 1980s and 1990s to SUVs in the present day.

The evolution of the family car is a story about shifting preferences of American consumers and changes in the products carmakers are offering for sale as they try to keep up with those very shifts, said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive’s director of industry Insights.

"Families increasingly gravitated toward SUVs and crossovers for their versatility, passenger space and utility, while automakers responded by expanding those lineups across more sizes and price points," she said. "Fuel-economy and emissions requirements were also part of the product-planning environment for automakers. Over time, those forces helped move the center of the family-vehicle market from station wagons and minivans toward SUVs and crossovers."

Station wagons peaked at about 10% of all U.S. vehicle sales in 1976, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Minivans took off in the 1980s, eventually peaking at about 7% of the U.S. auto market in 2000, according to CNBC. Overall, van sales that year reached 10%, according to the Department of Energy.

SUVs dominate modern car sales. They make up 595,000 of the nearly 1.4 million cars automakers are expected to have sold in October 2026, according to a recent Cox Automotive sales forecast.

Chris Wood, vice president of automotive client strategy for USA TODAY Co.'s LocaliQ Automotive, said at least some of the shift toward SUVs in recent years was a result of some automakers making different bets on larger crossovers as family haulers than others.

"The American family didn't stop needing space, versatility or practicality," Wood said, noting that automakers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan followed different trajectories with their minivan models in the past decade.

"What changed was the vehicle manufacturers offered to meet those needs," Wood continued. "Our registration data shows that evolution continuing today, with larger midsize SUVs gaining share while traditional minivans lose ground. It's a transformation of the family vehicle, not the disappearance of the family-vehicle buyer.

Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY. Contact Keith at klaing@usatodayco.com.