Every Other Advert Today Is About an Off-Road or Adventure Car, Is It a Millennial Thing?

Historians will tell you that each generation has different experiences. Their collective involvement predisposes them to certain lifestyles.

After the second world war, global economies thrived, gas was cheap, and natural resources were plenty. As a result, powerful, big displacement engines were not frowned upon. Bigger was better.

But as the seasons changed, efficiency became necessary, and the ideal family car switched from a V8-powered sedan or station wagon to a 2-liter 4-cylinder Corolla.

In 2022 the ideal family car has enough room for two adults, three children, a pet, and enough space for groceries and supplies – enter the crossover SUV craze.
Many people will agree that the 90s and early 00s were the best years in the automotive world. You'll often hear people say, "they don't make cars like they used to anymore."

Marketers will brush that off as nostalgia and blame the sudden change in vehicle taste on the millennial lifestyle. But could that be the truth? It's hard to believe someone would rather have a rugged 4x4 car than a two-door coupe with a lethal powerplant.

Here's the truth, sports cars are not as popular as they used to be – if data from the last major international car shows are anything to go by. What once took a significant share in the automotive market is slowly being classified as a backroom-niched category.

The 2021 SEMA can simply be described as an overland craze. It focused on overlanders, Baja beasts, campers, and the next generation of rugged EVs. Nissan dropped the Project Overland Pathfinder and Frontier Concepts, Toyota had the TacoZilla, GMC had the Hummer EV and Ford the Bronco DR.

The 2022 Paris Motor Show isn't any different, with an overly adventure-ready fleet from Stellantis, Dacia, and Renault.
But why would automakers mainstream these vehicles well aware they will spend more time ferrying kids to school and picking up groceries than actually doing what they were designed for?

Here's why. Auto manufacturers are simply selling the image of the millennial lifestyle – it's Marketing 101. And as gnarly as it sounds to say this, people don't buy vehicles for who they are, but rather, who they want to be.

Millennials are shaping the current consumer markets because they are adventure-seekers, spontaneous, curious about the unknown, and highly emphasize being unique.

Therefore, when they travel, they want their experiences to be authentic, memorable, off-the-beaten-path, and with connectedness with the people and surroundings. This train of thinking often trickles into consumer habits.
That's why some off-road vehicle owners will spend a fortune on off-roading gear while, in reality, their unit is a concrete cowboy.

When Toyota introduced its spunky FT-4X Crossover at the 2017 New York Auto Show, it said it aimed explicitly at Millennials who "are fond of the outdoors but operate almost always indoors."

During the event, Toyota California's design boss said the Japanese automaker began a study to develop fuel-efficient SUVs for the next generation of adventurers as preference shifts to smaller efficient SUVs.

Still, it's important to note that outdoorsy people are not car people. Staying out and enjoying the wilderness in a compact SUV is much more than two pairs of ATs, GoPros, and a folded hammock in the trunk.