13 Months Out

It's time to talk cars.  Back on June 3, 2017 I bought Isabella.  She wasn't my ideal choice.  She was the best choice I had at that time to get into a lease, tie up the extra money I was carrying over from Fiona and Ginger, and after a three year lease, end up with a zero balance.  It's now a couple days from two years later and I'm looking down the barrel of my three year lease and I want to be ready for my next car purchase.  I know... I still have a year and it's ridiculous to start car shopping this early.  Well, if you've been keeping up with me you'll know two things;  1) I started car shopping on June 3, 2017 and 2) I over plan everything!


So before I get into what I want and what I'm considering, let's go over what Isabella herself.  A good reminder is this post when I bought her.  Isabella is a 2017 Ford Fusion Platinum.  The Platinum trim level didn't last but for 2017 and 2018 and it was the ultimate trim.  It included almost every single option and it's only purchasing decisions was all wheel drive (which Isabella has) and inflatable rear seat-belts (which Isabella doesn't have).  She has been a joy to own.  Truly luxurious on the inside as the wheel and seats are primo comfortable.  Everywhere my hands find to naturally touch isn't only soft, but leather.  Seriously, Isabella wears the blue oval of Ford but she could pass as a Lincoln.  Instead of the normal black and/or grey that Fords offer, this is in a really nice brown and tan.  She has an engine with enough oomph to get up and get into traffic without problem but not enough to be considered fun.  And honestly, that's the only thing she's lacking... fun.  She has every option I want in a car, except for fun.

When she's clean, that White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat paint just shines.  Her 19 inch chromed wheels sparkle and her LED lights (ALL lights on Isabella are LED!) look bright and crisp.  While her styling is getting dull now-a-days, her LED running lights that share purpose as her front turn signals are gorgeous.  Driving wise she has all the safety features that Ford offers including lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and emergency brake assist.  She can park herself and has adaptive cruise control.  Comfort wise she has memory seats, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, and auto dual zone climate control.  She's been a real pleasure to take long drives with as she just soaks up the road.  Even her doors have a heft and weight to them and offer a satisfying 'whoomph' when they're closed.

She's just not fun.

My modern car lineage honestly starts with Lita, my 1999 Chevy Lumina LTZ.  She was the Isabella of her day as she had just about every 1999 option, was a higher end trim, was very adult, and not very fun.  After she started to die and I got my first nursing job I upgraded to my 2012 Ford Focus Titanium, Fiona.  Fiona was all about jumping up into a modern car with techy toys (a touch screen entertainment system, rain sensing wipers, push button start, back up camera) and a big dollop of fun.  She was bright yellow (Yellow Blaze!) and made me smile every time I saw her.  She also got great gas mileage while still being a little peppy.  Not fast... just peppy.  After about two and a half years I went back to an adult car and got Ginger, my 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid.  The bigger car had a better ride without sacrificing a lot in gas mileage with her huge battery assisted drive chain.  Ginger, even though she was a gorgeous red, was about as far from fun as it got.  Her hybrid drive chain was anemic at best and at times even scared me coming out into a busy street or merging onto a busy highway.

I should have followed up Ginger with another fun car and I DID want to get an Ecoboost Mustang when I was looking, but Ginger's value was dropping and I had carried over too much loan from Fiona.  So getting into a 3 year lease on a car I could stand made sense.  Hello Isabella.  She was Ginger... but better in almost every way (not gas mileage, but that's the big 'almost').

So that's Isabella and the cars that led up to her.  Why am I starting to seriously shop now?  Well first, it's not like I'm choosing a car on a lot and making an offer.  I'm deciding what car I want to buy with what options I need to have, picking between new and used, and just getting ready for when I CAN start picking a car on a lot.  I'm always dreaming of cars and have considered a lot of them, but it's time to take certain models and put them under the microscope and take other models and just sweep them off the table.

And if this is sounding familiar, yes I talked a bit about this decision making process in my post here where I was talking about following my gut.  So let's start there.  My gut says I need to get the Mustang Ecoboost.  I've already done the research on her and know what options I need, which ones I want, and which ones I can live without.  I'm almost sure I'll be getting a Mustang as my next car, so I AM following my gut.  But as I said in that post, I'd be stupid to not do my due diligence in the form of research on other cars.  So, before I get into the Mustang I will probably get, let's go over other cars I'm considering.

I break them down, more or less, into one of three categories.  Fun, Luxury, Fuel Sipper.  I'm spending the most time in Luxury as I'm fairly sure the Mustang is the best Fun option and sadly most Fuel Sipper cars are also cheap.  Ideally I'd have a Fun, Luxurious, Fuel Sipping car... but that's a ven diagram that just doesn't meet up.

Luxury Cars I'm either considering or have considered include Cadillac ATS (preferably a coup), Volvo XC 40, BMW 338 xDrive, Mercedes Benz GLA 250, Lexus UX 250h, and most recently the Cadillac XT4.  These all go in the 40 to 50 thousand dollar range new and would need to be purchased used.  Here's a quick breakdown of my thoughts on each car and if it's still in the running:

Cadillac ATS  On the outside she's a beauty, but he's also fairly old.  2019 will be it's last model year so there will be no mistaking that I'm driving an older car.  That also means her interior is the least 'new' of any luxury choice and Caddy is already behind the likes of BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, and Lexus when it comes to interior quality.  I'd put the ATS up as a smaller, more luxurious version of Isabella... that's also older.  Maybe... just MAYBE... if I find the perfect coupe with the bigger, sportier engine and it's priced PERFECTLY with an extended warranty, I'd consider it.  But I won't search far and wide for this.  The ATS is all but out.

Volvo XC 40  Volvos have always had a special place in my heart.  Quirky but safe.  Out of the ordinary, but luxurious.  Simple, yet optioned out like a true luxury car.  If I could afford one of the Volvo station wagons, or even one of their newly redesigned cars, this would be far more in the front of the pack... but realistically the only Volvo I can afford is the small sport utility vehicle.  Now the XC 40 does have a luxurious interior and I'd feel very special every time I drove around in it... but from the outside it's just boxy and.... and wrong.  It's still in the running as I can't look at the interior and sigh with desire, but I'd practically have to be blindfolded when walking up to it.

BMW 3 Series with xDrive  Owning a BMW has been a dream ever since they came out with their 'The Hire' series of videos in 2001.  The BMWs, at that time, looked like vehicles of the future when compared against anything else including Mercedes Benz.  But this isn't 2001, and honestly I think this was on my list for nostalgia reasons more than anything else.   For what I want out of a car, the BMW 3 series is just overpriced.  It's probably worth it, but to get into my price range I have to take so much off of it or get such an old version that it's not even worth it.  This is no longer being considered at all.

Mercedes Benz GLA 250  Mercedes sits right up there with BMW for me.  I've always wanted one and could never afford one.  The GLA 250 is their smallest SUV and it barely qualifies as it looks like a lifted hatchback.  That makes it unpopular to most, but actually more appealing to me!  But here's the problem with a Mercedes (even moreso than a BMW); they will nickle and dime you to death for every option.  Practically NOTHING comes standard on these things and by the time you add all of the stuff you want, it's moved into overpriced territory.  Now on other models that simply means it moves into 'used' territory, but you try finding any Mercedes on the used market with every feature you need and most of the ones you want.  It's damned near impossible as they just don't list cars with that fine of search tools.  I tried finding a used MB GLA 250 within 500 miles of me with all the options and just stopped after an hour and a half.  There were tons of them listed but most didn't have the options I wanted and the rest didn't list their options with enough detail to tell if they had it... and I'm not driving 350 miles into Wisconsin just to see if it has them.  This is just sadly out of the running and I won't consider it any longer.

Lexus UX 250h  The Lexus was a surprise.  I saw it at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year and hadn't heard of it before.  To be honest I've never really thought much about Lexus as a whole as I thought their cars were dull.  BUT this is their new small (very small) SUV and it has the same interior style and luxurious feel.  Sitting in this car was honestly heads and shoulders above sitting in Isabella... and you know I'm saying a lot with that!  It's exterior styling is fun if not a little too youthful.  The biggest problem is that it's a hybrid with less than 200 horsepower.  Sure, I'd save on gas, but this will be absolutely no fun to drive.  It's still in the running, but its the most extreme.... LOVE the interior, HATE the driving experience.

Cadillac XT4 This is the relative new kid on the block.  It's just hit the lots, so I'd have to be lucky to find a used one at a reasonable price.  BUT, it's a good looking Caddy with some fun new toys.  Chiefly it's rear view mirror is actually a screen, with a camera out back.  No more viewing the rear seats and the small window... just look out with the camera!  I think the styling is fine... not jaw dropping, but not an ugly car by any means.  It's biggest problem there is just that it's an SUV and unlike the Lexus, it looks like an SUV.  It's inteior is good, but not nearly Volvo or Lexus good.  Honestly, if this was a sedan or coup, it'd be higher up in the running, but it's an SUV so it will always be lower.  But then again, I don't have any modern sedans or SUVs in the luxury category.  Fuckers just aren't making them anymore.  This Caddy is distinctly in the running, but will primarily depend on how low the pricing is later in the year for a used one... if they're even available used at that time.

Now Fuel Sippers is a whole different ball of wax.  Realistically I don't want another hybrid as they're just no fun to drive.  Sure, they're quiet and sure, you get a lot of money out of the fuel... but its straight to dullsville with a brief stop in danger town.  But sipping on dino juice isn't the only way to be efficient....

Tesla Model 3  Going all electric has it's own perils.  I would have range anxiety, but the Tesla system does a pretty good job of taking care of that.  So long as I have over 200 miles of range, I would feel good about my daily commute.  More or less, I could forget to charge it one night and still get another day out of it.  But there are NO fast charging stations in my little town and I'd still have to charge it on long trips.  Again, Tesla thought of this with their Super chargers.  Say I'm taking a trip down to Dallas.  The Tesla would naturally set charging stations in the navigation so that I could stop and top off the electrons.  It takes between 20 and 45 minutes to charge, but on a long trip that isn't always a bad thing.  I often get out for 15 minutes to stretch my legs anyway.  And fun to drive?  Yeah, having all that torque available at the touch of the 'gas' pedal would be pure fun!  But like the XT4 and UX 250h, the Model 3 is just now coming out in the range I want and would only be entering the used market when I am nearly ready to buy.  And buying the car is only the first stop... I'd have to hire an electrician to wire out a charging spot near my garage.  I know it can be plugged into any 240 volt plug, but my garage doesn't have the wiring necessary to even handle that.  So I'd be adding between $750 and $3000 for a home upgrade.... in a home that I don't want to stay in long term.  So, it's on the list but it's low as I don't think it will be in the price range and even then it requires more work.  Maybe in my next home.

And then there's fun.  I've dreamed about a lot of fun cars, but realistically this needs to be a daily driver.  Yes, I can get a Challenger or Camaro or Mustang with just under 400 horse power easy, but not only does that waste a bunch of gas it's actually kind of dangerous.  One reviewer I watched with the Mustang GT had trouble keeping the rear end in line on a rainy day.  Rainy!  I drive through snow several months out of the year!  So, I've looked at the lower models of these three.

Camaro  I'd skip over the 4 cylinder model and move right up to the 6.  The exhaust note alone would make this worth it, but the 6 cylinder model also produces 335 horse power and 284 lb-ft of torque.  The exterior of the Camaro looks good and it has all the tech I'd want... but there's an Achilles tendon here we need to address before I let my ears lead me to a bad decision;  the interior.  It's just ugly.  And since we're down here in the 'fun' category, it's not like it would be luxurious.  I know these cars can approach that, but it takes the biggest, baddest, most expensive models and then its paired with the beast motors.  And even if this was fine to the touch and not as hurtful to the eye, the belt line is so damned high that it's difficult to see out of and almost impossible to drive with your elbow out the window.  Nope... as much as I love the idea of owning another GM product, it just won't be a Camaro.

 Challenger  I've never been a fan of Dodge, or Chrysler in general.  They've always seemed to lag behind Ford and General Motors when it comes to tech and fuel efficiency.  This is a good example.  You'd think that the Challenger should be a perfect match against the Camaro and Mustang, but it's over a foot longer than either!  It's a LOT heavier.  And most impractically it offers an anemic 6 cylinder and then goes right into it's Hemi V8s.  The 6 cylinder actually produces 305 horsepower, but the Challenger is such a big heavy car that it's just not enough.  So the one I'd look at would be the 5.7 liter V8.  My brother has the same engine in his Jeep Grand Cherokee and it produces 375 horsepower.  More importantly, it SOUNDS fabulous.  And with such a big car it actually handles quite well... but that's still a lot of horsepower going down to the road.  It'd be very easy to lose control in the wet.  Not as easy as the next step up 485 horse power 6.4 liter engine... but still enough.  The interior is better than the Camaro, but still dull and old.  Oh and speaking of age... the Camaro's last redesign was 2016.  The Mustang's last major redesign was 2015 with a refresh in 2018.  The challenger was designed in 2008 and had a facelift in 2015.  Seriously, put a 2008 Challenger next to a 2019 and you'd hardly be able to tell the difference.  So buying a Challenger is just asking for it to look old as I expect it to be completely redesigned or replaced soon.  If I find one at the right price, speced out exactly how I want it, I might buy one but I'm not going to sweat it out looking too hard.  It's all but out.

Mustang  And we're finally here.  My beloved 2.3 liter Ford Ecoboost Mustang.  This is the car that started me down the fun path in 2017.  What initially drew me in was that digital dash.  It changes with different settings and has no moving parts.  The Volvo has the same type of digital screen while the XT4 and the UX 250h have similar screens with a little bit of hardware... but everything else has traditional dials with some digital screen around them or in-between them.  This thing is just pure awesome!  Now, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but I think the interior of the Mustang is heads and shoulders above the Camaro and Challenger.  It's not for the faint of heart as it's a mix of retro and modern, but it hits my personal sweet spot from the dual cowl design to the red start/stop button.  As for performance, the 2.3 liter ecoboost engine produces 310 horsepower which is obviously less than either the Challenger or Camaro I've also considered but it also produces 320 lb-ft of torque.  You'd look at the Challenger's 375 horse power and 410 lb-ft of torque and think it's the faster car but those numbers aren't much higher than the Mustang and has to carry the weight of that big ol V8 and that huge monster of a car.  It IS faster, but a 0-60 run of 5.1 seconds.  The Mustang takes all of 0.2 seconds more.  Yes, the Mustang is slower than the Challenger and yes, the Mustang's 4 cylinder turbo charged engine will never sound as good as a 5.7L V8 Hemi (although with the exaust pack the Ecoboost DOES sound good!).... but weigh those things against the exterior and interior looks, the every day drivability, and the fact that this car was designed 4 years ago and redesigned 1 year ago as opposed to 11 and 4 years for the Challenger.... and well, The Ecoboost just wins.

Before I move on, I want to link to a few videos as I've talked quite a bit about exhaust note with these three fun cars.  I know links to youtube are efemeral, so if you want to see these just youtube search for " 2016 Camaro V6 exhaust vs Camaro V8 Exhaust", "2018 Dodge Challenger RT stock exhaust", and "2019 EcoBoost Mustang Exhaust Review!"

In my opinion the Challenger sounds best followed closely by the Camaro, but the Mustang has it's own 'good' sound.  I mean, I drive a turbo charged 4 cylinder right now and it sounds nothing like the mustang in any of it's active exhaust modes.


So, where does this all leave me?  I'm leaning very heavily toward the Mustang.  I'll look a bit for a used Tesla, ATS Coupe, XC 40, UX 250h, and XT4 and see if any are speced out like I want and at a price that I want.  But these searches will be short and sweet.  I'm not going to go digging down a rabbit hole for weeks or days.  If they turn up nothing, then I'm left with the Mustang.  Here's my 'must have' list right now:

It has to be an Ecoboost Premium.  That gets me almost everything I need.  Package wise, I need:

• Automatic Transmission (10 speed baby!)
• The 201a package that gets me the digital dash as well as a heated steering wheel and navigation
• The Ford Safe and Smart package which gets me the blind sport warning, adaptive cruise, lane keep alert, rain sensing wipers, and pre-collision assist.  
• The Active Valve Performance Exhaust (this is a 2019 specific option)
• The Shaker or B&O high end audio system

Other things I'd want are the 20 inch wheels (they look sweet!) and Orange Fury paint.  I could take or leave the performance pack, the magna ride suspension, the stripes, the black out package, or a few other things that are more common.  

So how do I get this?  Well, the digital Dash was new in 2018 so I start my search there.  I can get a used 2018 Mustang with all of these needed specs for about $30,000.  Using Car Gurus and Autotrader I found all of 1 listed.  One.  And it was over 200 miles away.  And it didn't have the bigger wheels or the Orange Fury paint.  

Next up is to look at new.  Speced out this way on the Ford website this car should go for $40,880.  There are generally between $500 and $1000 in incentives to be had, but sometimes those are just on leases.  Anyway, I looked for new Mustangs with my exact specs (all the needed above plus the 20 inch wheels and the Orange Fury paint) and found... 0.  None.  Zip.  

Obviously, car lot stock changes month to month.  I've seen one that had everything plus the performance package on one lot that was only 40 miles away and they had it discounted down to $35,000... but I can't buy it now and it most certainly won't be there in 12 or 13 months.  

So that leads me to the last option, and frankly one that's been on my bucket list.  Ordering exactly the car I want.  From what I understand, I go to the dealer, spec out the car on their system, put a refundable down payment on it and get the car delivered to the dealer in about 6 weeks.  I'd have almost no room to dicker and deal, but I could get EXACTLY what I want.  No paying for a performance pack that I don't want, no settling on a color I don't love, no settling on smaller wheels, no resigning myself to have the 'lesser' radio... exactly the car that I want.  

I've bought a fairly new car (Fiona), then bought a brand new car (Ginger), then leased a new car (Isabella).  Maybe it's time for me to custom order a car.  

Oh, one last thing to consider... getting out of the lease early.  I've seen these advertisements about getting out of your lease 6 or even 9 months early.  I just can't imagine that it would work for me though.  According to my lease, Isabella should be worth just over $20,000 when I turn her in next year.  It's not a guess at a number as it's written on the contract.  It's binding enough that if I want to buy her instead of turning her in, that's the price of her.  So I checked out Kelly Blue Book to see what she's worth right now and... ouch, she's only worth $17,000.  So, I can't imagine a dealership eating that much depreciation on my car, just to have me order a car (it's not like I'm helping them take a car off their lot!).  

So, in September or October I'll take a serious look.  I'll see if the prices of the other cars (the ATS, XT4, Tesla 3...) look like they'll be reasonable in a few months.  I'll look around at new and used Mustangs to see if they are around with what I need/want.  If the other cars don't look like they'll work out and if I don't see a good collection of used cars that might work (more than 1 in the nation!), I'll call up my salesman and see if he can get me out of my lease and order me a Mustang!  Worst case scenario is he tells me he can't help me and I wait another 6 or 7 months and then order the Mustang anyway.