It seems a rite of passage when growing up to be told that “we used to fix things ourselves” by the older members of your family.
But was that actually the truth or rose-tinted memories of supposedly simpler times? And is it the case now when it comes to fixing minor issues with cars? Are grandparents and parents actually likely to get their hands dirty when it comes to simple motoring DIY tasks or will they be heading to the garage? Will you be watching a YouTube tutorial to try and save money or does the thought of lifting up the bonnet terrify you?
Sterling Insurance decided to separate fact from fiction by asking the questions that matter to thousands of drivers from different generations – and the answers were fascinating.
DIY Millennials shunning garages in favour of trying to mend car issues themselves first
We surveyed more than 1,250 of our customers on a wide range of topics, including how confident they are about taking on simple motoring maintenance matters.
And one of the most surprising revelations was that Millennials are the only generation who would attempt to fix their car before they decided to take it to the garage.
Three-quarters of that age group (28-43 year olds) are trying to mend motors themselves, unlike the supposedly more DIY-savvy Gen X (44-59) and Baby Boomers (60-78). Nearly two-thirds of drivers in those two older age groups will contact a mechanic first, while, perhaps unsurprisingly, young Gen Z (17-27) motorists would do the same and ask a parent or guardian before they decide to get their hands dirty.
Over three in four respondents are able to fit wiper blades and jump start their car but almost half of Gen Z say they are unlikely to be able to replace a tyre. Two in five Gen Z say they wouldn’t be able to fit a headlight bulb and come bottom in five of the six categories when it comes to how confident they were around completing minor jobs.
Gen Z turn to parents before YouTube to try and fix minor vehicle issues
The access to information has never been greater, with self-help tutorials littering social media channels like YouTube.
Yet our results raised more than a few eyebrows when it showed that the youngest drivers, Gen Z, were turning to their parents first instead of going online.
Cautious Millennials surveyed state they do weekly oil checks while Gen Z only do monthly reviews on routine areas at best, even preferring to wait for a warning light to come on around the health of their battery.
Car confidence survey tells all about age-based motoring maintenance habits
The research includes analysis of purchasing habits, the popularity of brands, the differences between who is driving manual or automatics and what generations are most readily adopting alternative fuel sources.
But it also focuses on the differing habits regionally, with both being detailed below:
All ages are most likely to have manual cars with petrol or diesel fuel, however, as car owners get older they are more likely to be open to owning automatic cars and hybrid or electric fuels – perhaps because they have more disposable income.
Ford was the most popular brand among the survey with 13% of respondents owning one, pipping Volkswagen and Vauxhall to the popularity prize.
Millennials are the most likely age group to clean their car weekly (41%) while four in five owners clean their vehicle themselves. Just over one in five pay for a manual car wash but 13% of Gen Z admitted to getting their dad to clean their car.
The percentage of those who have a second-hand car is highest among younger generations. Over four in five will have a test drive and look at vehicle history when buying a used car.
Nearly 60% of Gen Z, and 50% of females, get a family member to look at a second-hand car before they buy it.
Location matters when it comes to how you treat your car
The stats are fascinating but we went even further to pull out some intriguing traits when it comes to the driver’s location.
The key findings we unearthed include:
London
- Motorists in London are, on average, 16% more likely than the rest of Great Britain to only monitor oil and coolant levels in their car when the dashboard light shows, rather than doing routine checks on their car
- Only 15% clean their car weekly – a figure almost 20% less than the norm – while nearly one in three (30%) don’t do a test drive and 38% don’t check the service history before buying a second-hand car
- They are 10% less likely to be able to fit a headlight bulb in their car
- Londoners are significantly less likely to own a motorhome (at 15%, average is 28%)
Northern Ireland
- Drivers in Northern Ireland are significantly more likely, at 83%, to drive a non-automatic vehicle compared to the average of 70% across England, Wales and Scotland
- Drivers in the country are also almost 15% more likely to ask a friend to look at a second-hand car when buying it than the norm too
- Respondents were over 10% less likely to drive a campervan and 9% less likely to drive a truck
- One in five drivers are more likely to be able to change air filters while 13% believe they stand a better chance of replacing a spark plug
Wales
- Those in Wales are significantly more likely, at 98%, to drive a motor that isn’t new – that’s 10% higher than those in Scotland and England and 4% greater than Northern Ireland
- But they’re certainly not the most thorough when it comes to making that purchase with 62% admitting they wouldn’t look at the odometer – a big 17% less than the average elsewhere
- Drivers in the country are nearly 20% more likely to do simple checks on their car weekly
- Oil checks are 7% more likely to be made daily
- They are nearly 20% more likely to check their tyre pressure, coolant levels and windshield fluids weekly compared to motorists elsewhere
East of England
- At 20%, drivers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire are significantly more likely to own a motor that isn’t second-hand. The average across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is 12%
- Drivers are 10% more likely than the average to ride a moped (at 38%)
- Coolant checks are more likely to be only made every six months. Only 19% claim to check their coolant levels monthly, which is 13% below average. Instead, they are more likely to check their coolant levels every six months.
- Motorists in the region are 6% more likely than average to rank ‘longevity and reliability’ lower in their thinking when buying a car
Get an affordable car insurance quote from Sterling
It may be down to personal choice about how you maintain your car but making sure it is insured is a legal requirement. Whatever generation you’re part of, get a car insurance quote by calling the experts at Sterling on 0344 381 9990 or request a callback at a time that suits you.
