A survey by two automotive companies suggests that most American teenagers under the age of 17 are eager to own a vehicle. The survey also found that this age group is chiefly interested in getting a good bargain and acquiring a safe model.

The survey was issued by the automotive sites Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book to more than 3,000 respondents in the United States between the ages of 12 and 65. In addition to respondents under the age of 17—defined as Generation Z—the survey polled older respondents about the qualities they sought in a vehicle when they were teenagers.

Nearly all of the Generation Z respondents—97 percent—said the either already have a driver's license or plan to get one. Ninety-two percent said they own a vehicle or plan to own one.

"Generation Z accounts for nearly a quarter—23 percent—of the population right now, and by 2020 this group will translate to $3.2 trillion in purchasing power, which is larger than the GDP of some small countries," said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence at Cox Automotive, the parent company of both Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. "While they will have access to some serious cash, they will be cautious in how they spend their money, a trait that makes Gen Z markedly different than their Millennial counterparts."

Some studies have suggested that Millennials, typically defined as being born between the late 1970s and early 1990s, are less likely to drive than other generations. It has been suggested that this generation was less likely to drive due to factors such as a preference for alternative transportation options or the impact of the Great Recession.

Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that most age groups were less likely to have a driver's license in 2014 than they were in 1983. The licensure rate fell from 87 percent to 69 percent among 19-year-olds, 80 percent to 60 percent among 18-year-olds, 69 percent to 45 percent among 17-year-olds, and 46 percent to 24 percent among 16-year-olds.

The survey by Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book suggests that teenagers who are approaching driving age are more likely to embrace vehicle ownership. Thirty-two percent felt it would make them feel free, 29 percent said it would make them feel responsible, and 23 percent said they were excited about the possibility. Twenty-nine percent said vehicle ownership represented freedom, while 21 percent said it represented convenience.

Few respondents from Generation Z preferred alternatives to vehicle ownership. Fifteen percent said they favored the replacement of vehicle ownership with public transportation; 11 percent liked the idea of a "pay as you go" system for using vehicles; 9 percent favored shared ownership among friends, family, or neighbors; and 8 percent preferred car or ride sharing options to vehicle ownership.

Younger respondents were willing to give up several expenses for a year in order to own a vehicle. Among teenage respondents who did not own a vehicle, 74 percent said they would give up eating out, 71 percent would abstain from entertainment events, and 63 percent would opt out of buying new clothes. Only one-third said they would be willing to give up their cell phone.

Price was the most important factor for Generation Z respondents, with 77 percent saying they wanted to get a good price on their vehicle. Seventy-two percent of Millennials said they had the same concern when they were teenagers, along with 62 percent of Baby Boomers and 60 percent of Generation X respondents.

Generation Z was also more attracted to safety features than older respondents. Forty-three percent said safety was important to them. Only one in four Millennials said they were concerned about this factor when they were teenagers, along with just 11 percent of Generation X and 9 percent of Baby Boomers. Generation Z respondents also favored safety features to infotainment, with only 35 percent considering the latter system to be important.

The survey found that nearly half of Generation Z respondents—49 percent—considered style to be important. This was down from 57 percent of Millennials who said a vehicle's style was important to them when they were teenagers.

Environmental concerns were less pressing, with 27 percent of Generation Z respondents saying it was important that their vehicle be environmentally friendly. However, this share was still larger than previous generations. Nineteen percent of Millennials, 7 percent of Generation X respondents, and 3 percent of Baby Boomers said a vehicle's environmental impact was important to them when they were teenagers.

Generation Z was more concerned with how environmentally friendly vehicles would affect their finances than the effect they would have on the planet. Forty-three percent said saving money on gas was an important factor in choosing one of these models, compared to 30 percent who considered it important that such a model could help prevent climate change.

Twenty-three percent said the vehicle's brand was important, while 13 percent considered a vehicle's popularity to be important. Conversely, 34 percent of Millennials considered the brand to be important and 22 percent considered popularity to be important while they were teenagers.

Fifty-four percent of Generation Z respondents considered fully self-driving vehicles to be appealing, and 47 percent said they would like most vehicles to drive themselves in the next 10 years. Simpler systems held more appeal, with 72 percent saying they would like features that would let the vehicle assist in basic tasks. Sixty-seven percent said advanced autonomous features would hold appeal, while 60 percent said they liked the idea of limited self-driving features.

Sixty-one percent considered that fully autonomous vehicles would improve safety on the road. Forty-five percent believed it would cut down on distracted driving, and 41 percent thought it would lead to fewer crashes.

However, these respondents also considered several issues to be a barrier to self-driving vehicles. Sixty-five percent cited "lack of trust in the technology to work," while 41 percent named concerns over whether an autonomous vehicle will be able to drive as well as a human.

Twenty-six percent of Generation Z respondents said they would like to buy a vehicle online. However, the majority—68 percent—said they would prefer to interact with a dealer or seller. Fifty-two percent said they would like to test drive a vehicle two or more times before deciding whether to buy it.