Sadly, it’s getting to be time for a new car. I hate everything about the car-buying process, so I’ve been dragging my heels about it, not to mention that finding cars to test drive is not all that easy these days. There’s no hurry, but I at least need to start narrowing down what I want.
Here are my criteria:
–I drive a lot. I spend about ten hours a week commuting to work in a couple of different locations, and a few times a month I’ll make a longer trip of 100 miles (one way) or more on the weekend. Given this fact, I’m probably aiming for more creature comfort this time around than I’ve had in the past.
–I live in a small rural town, but I don’t have any need to be off-road and I’m rarely on bad roads. We get winter weather but if it’s that bad I can work from home; I certainly wouldn’t choose my car based on that.
–99% of the time I’ll be in this car by myself. My wife might join me occasionally, but never more than that. I don’t usually have a lot of cargo, but a normal-size trunk is a plus.
–I’m a car lifer. I’m 47 years old and I’ve owned three cars in my entire life. I bought all of them new and drove them until they nearly fell apart. I know that buying used makes more economic sense but I don’t really care.
–I’ve considered going electric, but for various reasons I think I have one more gas-powered car ahead of me.
–I like personality. I want something fun and distinctive. Doesn’t have to be a sports car, but a little performance is a good thing.
–I’m at that stage of my career and life where I could afford the traditional doctormobile brands, and I might go there, but I certainly don’t have to. I’ll pay what I need to for the right car, and I’m definitely willing to pay more for a nicer one since I drive so much.
–If it matters, I’m a short guy on the heavier side.
Vague, I know. For reference, I currently drive a blue 2011 Mustang. Before that I drove a VW Cabrio. I’ve been looking at a few models but I’d like to hear what people have to say first.
Genesis is making very nice cars these days. So is Kia.
When reading the OP one car came to mind, the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Now when they first came out, me being a purist found them revolting. A strong word, yes. Now I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and there are many of those Mustangs on the road. Having seen many of them they are starting to grow on me. A coworker has had one for a year and he really loves it. And in the news they are selling strongly. I think Ford has a winner.
Another option if the OP wants to stay with ICE is to look at the diesel TDI cars from VW or Audi or other manufacturers. When the TDI diesels first came out in the 1990s I went to test drive one and came away very impressed — quiet, not like the old popcorn popper sounding old diesels, no black smoke, and great performance with the high torque. My interest came in part because my dad had bought a 1985 diesel VW and it smoked like hell, built up soot on the rear end like the old diesels from Mercedes and VW, was loud, and its performance really sucked.
The new TDIs were none of that. I didn’t buy back then but I always looked for TDIs on the road. When I spotted them they were clean, with no soot buildup.
Fuel economy is excellent with those TDIs.
My current car uses TDI technology. It’s a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, a 2016, and its performance is really good. Fast and sporty (fast enough for me), and it gets good MPGs. The best MPG I ever got on a tankful was 35 MPG, but I was really milking it. 23-28 MPG is reasonably achievable. Which for a 4x4 Grand Cherokee with the best 4WD system available is excellent. And I do explore the trails and its 4WD capabilities, even though this is my daily driver.
Union 76 sells diesel that is 95% renewable. Only 5% is a petroleum product. 95% of it is recycled animal fats and vegetable fats. Almost all renewable! I’m a big fan and have been using renewable diesel almost exclusively for over 5 years. My Jeep has 130,000 miles and it’s barely broken in. I intend to drive it until the wheels fall off.
So, TLDR — Ford Mustang Mach-E, or TDI diesel. And check out Genesis and Kia too.
Check out the Mazda3 turbo. For a relatively modest price I was blown away by the creature comforts and the red/black leather interior is beautiful. You can pretty much load it to the gills for about $32k and get things like heated steering wheel and heads-up display. It’s not fast, but it is quick and fun to drive.
Do take a look at Hybrids - at least drive one and feel it for yourself. Some Hybrids have different modes of driving like economy , sports, offroad - etc.
You can get greet acceleration/performance in sports mode.
I strongly suggest my Honda H-RV! It is a great car for commuting. It is a surprisingly smooth ride for a smaller RV type of vehicle, and you can get 27 MPG if you drive sensibly, which I don’t. LOL Still, I get 25 to 26 MPG. It is a very reliable and well constructed vehicle, it should last you many, many years. It can cruise at 85 MPH and still be below 3000 RPMs, so it handles highway speeds comfortably. After a year and a half, the tires that came with it are wearing well and still in good condition. The cost is pretty reasonable, also, unless you want the revved up model with side mirror cameras, a sun roof, etc.
Does your electrical service go out often enough that you’d consider one of the newer vehicles which can be used to power your home for a while?
Unfortunately, some of vehicles famous for turning the odometer over several times are no longer available, but you might want to investigate what taxi companies are using nowadays.
Three recommendations before buying: Check the cost of insurance. Check the regular maintenance schedule. Check the cost of replacing long-term maintenance items (brakes, shocks, etc.)
Definitely on the list of possibilities should I change my mind about going electric.
On the list, near the top in fact. I’ve had a heck of a time finding one to test drive, but I think I’ve tracked one down.
That’s our other car, and you’re absolutely right. So cheap and resoundingly practical that when it finally gives it up (if it ever does) I hope my wife wants to trade it for a new one just like it.
Cadillac ct4 Blackwing? The two blackwings are reported to be some of the last great hurrahs of the ICE. RWD, so working from home when the roads are crap would be good… Nice luxury coda to your Mustang. We have a Lyriq on order and are kinda excited to move up from the CR-V.
Mine is a 2013 (I think) and my previous car was a 2004. Neither are turbocharged but they have been outstanding cars. Both have been hatchbacks which I really like but can be harder to find.
The charging network for non-Tesla EVs just isn’t there yet. If I didn’t want a Tesla, I’d look at the aforementioned Mazda 3, probably the 227hp Turbo. I’d use a dealer to test drive a 3 that’s optioned as closely as possible to that trim. Then I’d walk away. If I liked the way the car drives, I’d call the Fleet and Leasing dept at the dealer, and ask for a price. They don’t haggle, they don’t push sales, but you gotta know all the options you want, and be ready to order.
If you’re looking used, check out the BMW 440i and the Audi S5. Very comfy, powerful cars that can both cruise long range and do all the sports car things.
If new, how about a Nissan Z? Under $50k, 400 hp, and a great long range touring car.
This, or in my area even for Teslas. It’s not unusual for me to drive 2-300 miles in a single day or two-day stretch through areas that are not likely to have chargers available anytime soon. Even if I were 100% conscientious about plugging it in every night and being topped off first thing in the morning, there would be days when I’d be pushing it to get home.
The OP mentioned “fun”. My wife drove a Prius for years. I think Toyota testers would drive a Prius prototype, and if they detected any fun happening, they’d send it back to have that fun sanitized out.
Then you probably don’t need me to mention the BMW M240i…which happens to be what I drive…but I’m gonna anyway. If I’d been willing to spend another $10K I’d have gotten an M2, but I don’t feel deprived at all.
It’s a 2020, purchased two months before the world ended pandemic started and I began working from home: so it only has 8500 miles on it, but I’ve taken a couple of road trips (200+ miles) in addition to it being my (not-so-)daily driver and I love this car!
Not trying to push an EV, but in the right circumstances being a two vehicle family (one EV and one ICE) gives you a lot of flexibility to make having an EV work. Is your wife willing to swap vehicles now and then if you get back from a longer trip and don’t have the range needed the next day?
We have a Bolt EUV and a Blazer. The Bolt gets used as much as possible and then we fill in with the Blazer if we need something bigger, if we’re going somewhere out of range, or if the Bolt needs a charge. New Bolts include installation of a Level 2 home charger which should be able to give you a full charge overnight, and you might be surprised to find where Level 2 and DC Fast Chargers are popping up.
If I’d been willing to spend another $10K I’d have gotten an M2, but I don’t feel deprived at all.