51% of U.S. Teens Favor Sedans, Pushing Automakers to Reconsider New Models
Updated
Updated · CarScoops · May 24
51% of U.S. Teens Favor Sedans, Pushing Automakers to Reconsider New Models
3 articles · Updated · CarScoops · May 24
More than half of U.S. teens surveyed — 51% — said they see themselves driving sedans, versus 31% for SUVs and 14% for trucks, signaling a potential shift in future demand.
Price and efficiency help explain the turn: compact cars average $27,590 versus $37,514 for compact SUVs, and gasoline sedans can deliver about 10 mpg better combined fuel economy than large SUVs.
Current buying data still shows sedans as a minority choice, but Edmunds said compact and midsize sedans made up 14% of mainstream purchases in the first quarter, suggesting the segment is stabilizing.
Automakers are responding as executives openly cite "SUV fatigue": Ford has teased new sedans, Honda has shown a hybrid prototype, Infiniti plans a Q50S next year, and GM is reportedly weighing a Buick return.
With many brands having exited the category, analysts say sedans now offer a rare white-space opportunity — especially if younger buyers reject the SUV-heavy market they grew up with.
As SUVs still dominate sales, is the sedan comeback a real market shift or a fleeting trend?
Will automakers risk their profitable SUV empires to bet on the sedan's surprising return?