To distract myself from the usual sources of dread, I’ve been car shopping. I’ve not actually test driven or visited a dealer, because, c’mon, it’s 2022 and until recently there have been no cars on lots, and dealers have been “market adjusting” the prices. Things have been settling down a bit in the past month or so.

Why do I need a new car? Not sure I do. My current commute is only about two miles along residential roads, which is in the operating parameters of my two motorcycles and my forty year old Mercedes. The Mercedes is fine, but if I needed to travel a significant distance, I would be stressed. It is old and has needs. I’ve put off addressing a significant vacuum leak in one of the HVAC pods. To repair it would involve either growing tentacles or pulling the dash. If I pull the dash, there’s all sorts of “while you’re in there” items: preemtively replace all the pods, replace the capacitors in the clock, and fill the cracks and recover the dash. I want to get the driver’s seat recovered, and eventually fix up the minor dents and paint flaws. These tasks may mean significant downtime for my primary rainy day/cargo toting/ passenger accommodating ride.

So what are my needs?

Reliable Grocery Getter – Enough for three full sized adults. Now that my son is taller than my wife, I’d like a comfortable back seat with plenty of leg room for who ever decides to sit back there. I don’t have much cargo needs, but would like enough room for groceries, or the occasional Alfa Romeo Nord 2000 block.

Fun to drive – From time to time, I really miss my Focus RS. It was a hoot to drive, no matter the destination. Engaging, lithe, snorty, and not bad looking in the Nitrous Blue. Not that I need that level of engagement, but something approaching it would be nice.

Safe – Safety is good. Could this be my son’s first driving experience? I’d like to know he has every opportunity to survive a crash, and every advantage in trying to avoid one. Same goes for my wife and myself, but the first couple years of learning to drive are high risk.

Good looking + Color – I want something I can appreciate visually, and that is not black, white, or grey.

Also, I have to be able to afford it. I’ve got some money tucked away so I’m looking at cars under $45,000.

First, the ICE candidates.

Hyundai – Sonata N-Line or Elantra N. The Elantra N (along with the Golf R) seem close to my old Focus RS except with a good rear seat leg room. The Hyundai forces the potential Elantra N buyer into the “you can only get a sunroof with an automatic” decision, but I think either would be fine. The Sonata N-Line sounds fun, and is a little bigger, with a few more gizmos, but not too much more money.

Kia – Stinger or K5. The Stinger is a gorgeous car, but with the 3.3 turbo six it is pushing the limits of my budget. The K5 GT could be an option, the fraternal, more traditionally handsome twin to the Sonata N-Line (same 2.5 liter turbo four and 8 speed wet DCT).

Alfa Guila – Good looking, sporty, smaller back seat, and there are some available around town. Something with the LSD and non-black interior would be pretty cool. And brand loyalty, you know.

Honda Civic Si – Could be the ticket. Fun, but not necessarily powerful, sufficient back seat room, manual AND a sunroof, some FREE colors, and, even if it is marked up, still pretty affordable. I remember cross shopping the Civic Si back in 2000 (when I ended up with the SVT Contour), and it just didn’t fit me. Brilliant shifter, though.

Then the Electric options.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 / Kia EV6 / Ford Mustang Mach e – Again, pushing the limits of the budget, but with the offset of cheaper running costs, and a tax offset. Plenty of room, probably engaging enough to drive even in the lower spec single motor. I hesitate due to cost and size. The Party Trick spec for each Korean model is beyond my budget, and I worry that the crossover size of these vehicles will feel like my Taurus, like a pair of pants a couple of sizes too small when parking or driving narrow roads. I’ve always felt most comfortable in a hatchback/small sedan. My preferred Mach e trim, the Premium, seems to be unavailable for ordering until the next model year, so there’s that.

Polestar 2 Single Motor – I like the looks of the Polestar, and the single motor is in my budget. The problem is getting a color (other than black), adaptive cruise, and a sunroof adds $8,400 to the price. You get a bunch of other stuff, but it costs an additional $1,200 to get a shade of car other than Void (black) and these are barely colors: Snow, Magnesium, Thunder, and Moon are varieties of beige and grey, with only the blue Midnight sponsoring contributions from the color wheel. When we went to the Electro Expo (or something like that) at COTA, I sat in the Polestar 2, and tried to fit in the back seat. The front seat reminded me of the Taurus, with a high center console that made the car feel snug considering it was such a wide beast. The back seats would draw complaints from the potential passengers.

Chevy Bolt – The Bolt doesn’t sound like a bad deal. No tax credit but about $7,000 cheaper than the alternatives. Plenty of leg room, decent range, ok performance. It’s just that the recall due to battery fires has pulled the scab off Chevy’s supply chain problems.

I wish there was a good electric sedan that wasn’t a luxury car. “Dude, the Model 3.” I know. A couple reasons I’m not considering it. Configuring a single motor Model 3 short range at $48,440. Add a color for $1,500 to $2,000. Seems at the limits of the budget wheelhouse I’ve been outlining for myself. I just find the Model 3 kind of ugly, and the interior goes beyond minimalist to boring. Also, not a fan of the company’s leadership.

I’m thinking the time may not yet be right for an electric vehicle for me yet. The ICE options have to be sorted. Maybe it’s time for some test drives.