Photo by Ronailson Santos via Pexels
Your car may be your sanctuary where you get to spend some of your most treasured “me time,” but how you choose to spend it differs significantly by generation, according to a recent study.
In the survey of 2,000 American car owners, drivers reported doing everything from planning their futures, bopping to music and taking naps in their automotive havens.
The research found that millennials are doing the most self-improvement in their car time. They’re more likely than other generations to think about life and plan their futures (44%) and to listen to podcasts (39%) while driving.
Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Ziebart, the study revealed that Gen X drivers are the most upbeat while on the road, as they’re the most likely of all age groups to listen to music (89%) and many give themselves little pep talks while en route to work or big events (18%).
Meanwhile, Gen Z drivers see their cars as safe havens to calm down for some rest and relaxation. They reported enjoying simple silence (55%), processing long workdays (43%) and taking naps in their cars (25%), more than older generations, who enjoy more uplifting activities.
But regardless of age, there’s one thing most drivers have in common, and it’s that the time they spend in their cars is so valuable that they want to make sure it lasts.
When asked about the age of their cars and their car care habits, on average, car owners reported that their vehicles are nine years old.
Respondents also said they’d like their cars to last another four years, on average, and believe that it will be another three years, on average, before they can afford a new ride without it being a significant financial strain.
In light of this, most respondents whose cars are a few years old said that although their cars aren’t brand new, they like to do everything possible to make them feel new (79%).
“Since Ziebart is in the car business, we were curious to learn more about what our customers do in their cars,” said Thomas A. Wolfe, president and chief executive officer of Ziebart International Corporation. “It’s clear to us that for many drivers, vehicles are more than a mode of transportation — they serve a variety of personal purposes, which explains why so many people go above and beyond to protect them inside and out.”
In order to lengthen their car’s life expectancy, almost half of car owners (46%) have taken their car care up a notch over the last 12 months.
Practically, this looks like doing interior (57%) and exterior (51%) cleaning, checking tire pressure and tread depth (43%), and oil levels (43%) more often.
A third (33%) are also taking their rides in for check-ups and tune-ups more frequently.
Along with mechanics, many are cognizant of their car’s exterior. Over a quarter of car owners (26%) are worried about rust and 23% said paint deterioration is one of their top concerns.
More than a fifth (22%) are anxious that their cars’ undercarriage will be damaged and a good number (17%) are paying attention to interior leather and fabric deterioration as their cars age.
“While it’s easy to remember to keep up with mechanical maintenance, many people don’t realize that things like rust, chipping paint, undercarriage damage and fabric or leather interior deterioration can affect the car’s lifespan,” said Nick Lambie, a Ziebart franchise owner.
(Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels)
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American car owners; the survey was commissioned by Ziebart and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 6 and June 12, 2025.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
- Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
- Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
- Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
- Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
- Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
- Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.