When You Lose Your Job In A Tanking Economy, Your Boss Will Still Get His Bentley

It’s almost the end of 2025, and wouldn’t you know it, adding tariff taxes to almost everything people buy has not magically lowered the cost of living. Households across the country are cutting back on spending even more than they already had, and things aren’t looking great for the job market, either. But don’t worry, while you’re delaying that new car purchase and trying to figure out how to afford Christmas gifts this year, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group, at least your boss will still be able to afford their new Bentley. 

First spotted by our friends over at The Drive, the BCG report says it expects the market for cars that cost at least $100,000 to grow between 5% and 7% every year through 2035, giving the segment an expected market value between $180 billion and $215 billion. Additionally, BCG expects sales of pre-owned cars in the segment to grow 1.5x faster than new car sales, “thanks to high new automobile prices and an ever-growing supply of secondary market inventory.”

That said, don’t expect to see as much growth at the top end of the market, as BCG predicts most of the sales increases will come between the $100,000 and $170,000 price point — between 6% and 8% annually. Meanwhile, it expects cars priced north of $170,000 to only see annual increases between 3% and 5%. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s less demand for those high-dollar cars, though, since the closer you get to the top end of the market, the more likely you are to run into production limitations. 

The report also included a number of other takeaways, although some are probably more expected than others. For example, it’s hard to imagine many readers will be shocked to learn that most of the wealthy people surveyed have a thing for Porsches and Ferraris. However, it is interesting that 80% of those surveyed said they browse car listings online weekly. See? The wealthy are just like us. Well, except they have the money to actually buy the cars they want. Just don’t ask who they had to trample in order to get that money.

As you might expect, age is also a strong predictor of buying habits. For example, Gen Z buyers were more willing to cross-shop cars and look outside established luxury brands, while both millennials and Gen Z were more likely to be interested in private sales than their older counterparts. That said, older shoppers apparently aren’t as technology-averse as you might expect, with about 75% of all respondents saying they were open to buying their next car online. 

Younger buyers were also more likely to say they viewed car buying “as an investment opportunity or as a reward,” while older buyers were more interested in new tech and making sure they had the latest model. And while only about 10% of respondents said they owned an EV, overall interest in EVs varied wildly by age. About half of Gen Z buyers are interested in buying an EV, but that figure dropped to about a third among baby boomers, and only about 10% among the Silent Generation. Regardless of age, though, the wealthy all seem to love gaining access to exclusive experiences, whether we’re talking about track days or wine tastings. 

So, while you struggle to pay your bills and live with the constant threat of layoffs hanging over your head, at least you don’t have to worry that your boss won’t be able to afford yet another new car. They’ll be just fine, and knowing that is far more valuable than any so-called “raise” or “job security” could ever be.