We were all young, once. Many of us remember the excitement of learning to drive, and then going out and choosing that first car.
Times change however, and these days it's not as easy to get behind the wheel - and certainly not as cheap to keep those cars running.
According to USA Today, a new study from Deloitte has revealed that 6 out of 10 Generation Y drivers - those born from the 1980s until some time in the 1990s - would prefer to buy a hybrid car over most other kinds of vehicle.
It's probably not hard to guess the reason for drivers from their teens to early 30s wanting hybrids - in these days of fraught job-hunting and high gas prices, the prospect of owning a fuel-sipping car looks quite appealing.
Craig Giffi, vice chairman and automotive practice leader at Deloitte, predicts that Generation Y could be the "generation that leads us away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles".
The findings could also reflect the wider choice of hybrids on sale today, making them more viable options - from more traditional, high-profile hybrids like the Prius, to the sporty Honda CR-Z or several luxurious Lexus, there's now a hybrid option in several market sectors.
Deloitte says that Gen Y or "milennial" customers are an important force in the car industry - 80 million strong worldwide, and they'll be responsible for buying one in four cars this year.
The survey of 1,500 Gen Ys, that included 250 from China and 300 from Western Europe, was less conclusive towards electric cars. Only 2 percent would consider pure electric, and the majority favored non-plug-in hybrids to plug-in hybrids, by more than two-to-one.
We're sure the study doesn't apply to every young driver, but it's evidence that the cost of driving is becoming an increasing concern, and that hybrids will only become more popular as more drivers hit the road.
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