Generation Z often gets heat for being labled as the generation that doesn’t want to buy cars with some sales data seemingly supporting this assumption when viewed at face value.

However, a new report suggests that more Gen Z buyers want to buy cars than many realize and they are even willing to skip buying a house to get the chance to go behind the wheel.

A new survey reveals all

Generation Z is the generation that was born between 1997-2002 and they have rapidly emerged as a pivotal one due to their early exposure to mobile technology. But a new survey from Mazda appears to suggest that we should perhaps take a closer look at their buying habits.

The survey revealed that while Gen Z is buying less cars, it’s not from a lack of demand with 69% of those the company surveyed revealing they want a nice new car. Instead, it’s what they are willing to give up to afford that new ride with 13% of these respondents saying they are willing to give up a new house to help secure a new vehicle. Unfortunately, the survey did not reveal what made some of the respondents feel this way, but look outside the proverbial box, and the answer becomes readily obvious.

Home prices have skyrocketed over the past few years, with these increased prices causing many member of Gen Z to be priced out of the market. Half of them have given up on home ownership as a result, and this statistic is not set to change anytime soon, with housing supply and other factors doing little to give them any breathing room.

Show us your playlist

The rest of the survey focused on what buyers would want in their new car purchase, and what they would describe as “quality.” Three key factors emerged after the data was crunched. The most abundant one was safety, with 94% of respondents saying they wanted their vehicle to have advanced safety technology while 93% said they also wanted to have “intuitive technology.”

However, it’s the 82% of buyers that wanted a good stereo system which emerged as the most surprising statistic with the survey diving further into this particular finding. A whopping 64% of respondents said they judged a vehicle by how good its stereo system is with 85% saying the quality of the sound from the unit played a role into what they perceived as a good quality car.

“As Gen Z places greater emphasis on vehicle ownership, they expect vehicles that seamlessly integrate advanced safety systems and intuitive technology to deliver confidence, peace of mind, and a more secure, intuitive driving experience every day,” said Jennifer Morrison, Director of vehicle safety at Mazda.

Could this indicate a broader trend?

The interesting findings in this survey could indicate that while core pillars such as safety remain at the top of many buyer’s wish lists, audiophiles might play a bigger role in what automakers do when it comes to certain decisions including stereo systems. Branded audio systems are a very strong presence in many automobiles already, but many of the brands currently in use are legacy brands like Bose that had their start with older generations of buyers.

Gen Z’s strong presence in social media has allowed them to experience audio brands that are not necessarily present in most vehicles. They include Beats Audio, Marshall, Soundcore, and JBL. That last one is currently used in Toyota products but it would be interesting to see a Marshall or Soundcore sourced audio system in a future automobile to try and appeal to the younger crowd.