A Short Rant about the Information Security Industry

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My employer hosted a public lecture on the relative insecurity of the voting process in the US last night. I’ll post a link to the recording once it’s live. During the lecture though, I got excited and started texting commentary to a non-IT coworker who was also present. This morning she asked me if I was so passionate about the subject why I wasn’t working on it. My off the cuff answer is no one will pay for it. And while in this particular instance it’s true, there’s more to it than that.

I think if I’m honest, that I don’t want to work in the industry. I don’t like the way it feels. I go to professional conferences and hear people talk at one another about the problems, and it’s a lot of “they” don’t understand what we do, and we need to convince the C-suite to give us money. After that a vendor stands up to pitch their latest firewall with a nifty new dashboard. Sometimes they even have the guts to try to disguise it as an academic or scientific talk about new threats, but it’s the same crap in a different wrapper, and they’re not fooling anyone. I earn 8 credits toward renewing my CISSP for enduring this.

 On the flip side, the hacker conferences are at least fun. Everyone gets drunk and shows off their coolest science projects and bitches about The Man and then signs up to interview for a job with an NSA contractor.  

The employment opportunities themselves feel parasitic, feeding off peoples’ fear of technology they don’t understand, or at least fear of getting sued. I read postings on LinkedIn, and they want someone to check boxes to make sure they’re in compliance in case their practices come under government scrutiny or they want someone to configure ACLs and build concentric walls and moats because that’s the analogy that’s been fed to them. For the people already in these positions it’s a cushy gig. They don’t have to actually DO very much, but they can still scream for more resources and cry that no one understands how important they are. I close my browser and walk away without sending my resume.

I want to help solve problems. I want minimize fear and mitigate unnecessary risk. I want to help make our society a safe place without sacrificing freedom. Admittedly, I also want a steady paycheck. If something like that opens up, give me call. Until then I’ll continue to watch from the sidelines.

By the Way, I Got a New Car

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about the car search. To be honest, it came to an abrupt end. I didn’t drive everything I wanted to, but in the end, a dealer made an offer I couldn’t refuse. I went with the Hyundai Genesis. I really liked the car the first time I drove it. By the time the dealing was done and factoring in insurance, the cost was less than the Optima I had. I’ve actually been driving it now for a couple months. It’s taken me a bit to get to the point where I felt like sitting down to write. I figure that’s ok anyway, because it gave me a chance to really get to know the car before I wrote about it.

So let’s start by going through my list of requirements and see how the Genesis matches up. 

NEW – yep. It’s a 2016. It had less than 50 miles on the clock.

AFFORDABLE – I got a great deal on this car. My Optima was close to base, no options. This is a car that Hyundai is trying to position against BMW and Mercedes, and I’m paying less than I did for the Kia.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION – yep. 8 speed with paddle shifters. It gets really touchy about letting you hold the gears too long in manual mode though.

AWD/4WD – It’s rear-biased AWD. It has a “snow” mode. The one brief opportunity I had to use it, it was pretty good.

SEATS 4+ - It seats 4 no problem. Five looks doable but it might not be comfortable for the person in the middle.

WIFE’S APPROVAL – This actually was a hard one. It was dusk when we pulled in to the dealer, and the lights on the lot at that time of day made the car look like an odd shade of brown (it’s red). It’s also big. She was won over by the features and the comfort.

The car checked all the boxes for the needs. What about the wants?

SEATS 4 COMFORTABLY –There’s plenty of leg room, and the seats are comfortable enough. With two in back there’s still plenty of room. There have been complaints about the seatbelt being hard to reach, and my mom had a hard time not accidentally hitting the seat warmer button. I’ll go with mostly there in this area.  

25 MPG COMBINED – We fall a little short here. The Genesis has a 3.8 liter, naturally aspirated direct injected engine. It pushes out 311 horsepower. In a world of turbocharging and supercharging and twin-charging and hybridizing It feels a little old fashioned. That 311 HP is pushing a little over 2 tons of car via AWD. It’s not the most efficient thing in the world. On the other hand, I’ve been getting around 23 MPG on average for my daily commute, so it could be worse.

HEATED/COOLED SEATS – I got the heated part, and the rear seats are heated too. There is an option for cooled seats, but I would have had to get a bunch of other things I didn’t want along with them. It wasn’t worth the price.

HEATED STEERING WHEEL – YES! My wife made fun of me for this one until we had a cool day and she used it. I don’t think I’ll ever go back.

REMOTE START – sort of. This is one of the few issues I have with this car. The only way to get remote start from Hyundai for this car is through their app. Which is an extra charge. Which I will pay, because I can preheat my car in the winter and precool it in the summer. I will still grumble about it. My understanding is this will be complimentary in future versions of the car, when it becomes the Genesis G80.

USABLE CARGO SPACE – The trunk is pretty big. I managed to get two six foot (portable) folding tables and three camping chairs in it with no fussing. You could probably fit several pieces of luggage in there, or maybe two or three bodies. I probably wouldn’t use it for hauling bodies though, or yard and garden stuff. It’s too nice to dirty it up.

FUN TO DRIVE – The Genesis is not a sports car by any stretch of the imagination. That said, it’s by no means slow. The 311 HP I mentioned above moves the car easily. If you step down on the pedal at 65 the power rolls on pretty much instantly.  The car lets you know it’s go plenty more to give and it’s happy to do so. It makes a happy grunting sound when you step on the gas that may be at least partially simulated and pumped through the speakers, I can’t tell. But it’s a fun sound, like it wants to be driven hard. The car feels planted in corners for a big sedan and doesn’t waddle all over the place like say an old Crown Vic or a new Impala would. At the same time the suspension is soft enough that you don’t rattle your teeth out on Rhode Island’s fantastically cratered roadways. It smooths out the road without disconnecting you from it. Steering is right in the middle, not overly sensitive, but not sloppy. There’s a sport mode. I’m not entirely sure what it actually does. It appears to change the gear mapping and tighten the steering. That could all be psychological. It does appear to make a noticeable difference at least in fuel economy.

That’s all well and good. But I spend a lot of time commuting in heavy traffic and crawling along at 25 miles an hour. Speed and handling don’t do me much good there. What the Genesis does offer in this situation is a very comfortable seat. It’s possibly second only to a Volvo S60 in this area. The sound system is good and the radio controls are fairly intuitive, with a voice command system that actually works pretty well. Apple CarPlay is available, but I haven’t installed it at this point. So while commuting isn’t really ever fun, at least it’s relatively pleasant.

It will be interesting to see what happens as the Hyundai stands up Genesis as a separate brand. This car, renamed the G 80 for the 2017 model year is the pivot point, along with an Equus replacement. I think it has the quality and enough of an upscale feel to hang with the Lexus and Mercedes crowd without all the badge snobbery. Hyundai is also promising white glove top notch service from the Genesis dealerships. This will be a necessary component, especially given that there will be no standalone Genesis dealers to start. I’m a little skeptical of the plan. Hyundai dealerships have never impressed me as being detail oriented or refined. The one I got my car from is crowded, dark, and didn’t strike me as being terribly clean. They are building a new building, so that may change. At this time however, they are not on the list to get the full Genesis line. That may be inconvenient when it comes time for another round of car shopping.

Car Shopping Round 1

After repeated calls from the Kia dealer, I decided to start looking at cars yesterday afternoon. I started at the Toyota dealer, first because they really only had one car I was interested in, and second because it’s at the extreme end of the highway that most of the dealers closest to my house occupy. I think with a couple exceptions every brand available in RI has a presence along Route 2. So in spite of the kid I talked to trying to sell me anything else but a 4Runner, I drove one. It’s not as big as I thought but still plenty roomy. It’s an honest truck based SUV, and the one I tested didn’t have many frills or unnecessary extras. It would be great for camping trips or hauling things, and I have no doubt that it’s plenty capable in any situation I’d be likely to throw at it, and then some. The problem is I’ll be using this car primarily for commuting in often heavy traffic. The truck based MPG and truck based ride kind of don’t make sense there. Even though the thing has some torquey grunt, it’s a big heavy truck so it doesn’t get off the line quickly. What I’m getting at is I think the 4Runner is great, but not the right tool for the job. I’ll probably look at it again when we decide to replace the Jeep.

The next stop was a Ford dealer. I didn’t actually drive anything here. I sat in an Explorer and a Flex. Both were very nice, but HUGE. Way too big to serve primarily as a daily commuter. I also took another look at a Taurus, just to be sure. I quickly confirmed that they are oddly small inside, like a reverse Tardis. The kid also showed me a Fusion even though I explained my issue with them. I get the impression that maybe he got some extra incentive if he sold one. Unsurprisingly, the center console remained unchanged, so I had no interest. I will say that all the Fords I looked at were nicely appointed. With the exception of the Flex what I looked at were midlevel trim models (The Flex was the only one on the lot and had all the options save a couple minor cosmetic things). Ford has really stepped up their game in this regard. I was impressed, but the individual pieces didn’t come together in a way that worked for me.

I drove down the road to the Hyundai dealer. I really only wanted to see a Genesis. After a brief glance at a Santa Fe and Tucson to ensure that they really are nondescript egg-like CUVs, I spoke to a sales person and drove a Genesis. There’s a reason Hyundai is using this car as the breaking off point into a luxury brand. This thing is NICE. It’s slightly bigger than the Optima, and the base model has more bells and whistles than I really want or need but it was comfortable. It’s also laid out intuitively, which is something car makers seem to struggle with as they cram more gizmos into products. I wouldn’t call it fast, but it hit highway speed with no effort, and it wasn’t afraid to pass. For a bigger car it corners well. There’s apparently also a sport mode that the salesman didn’t show me until after the test drive. I’m not sure it would make a huge difference, but I’d like to find out. I priced it out, and it’s easily in my range. This thing makes the short list.

At this point I was running into the time I had agreed to meet up with the Kia salesman, so I made my way down the road to the dealership. I was expecting it to be a quick trip, as I’d already decided the Sorrento is too big, and the only other option is the Sportage, which looks eggy. Or at least the 2016 model did. They’ve recently updated the looks and released the 2017 model (in March?). It’s slightly less hideous, and I’ve had good experiences with this salesman and this dealership, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt and drove one. If you’re in the market for a car and not sure what you want, dump any preconceived notions you may have and go look at a Kia. They’re putting together some decent cars for fairly reasonable prices. The Sportage I drove was an EX, their midlevel trim. But it had heated leather seats, dual climate control, a heated leather steering wheel, a huge fancy power sunroof I would probably never use, and all sorts of the warnings and nannies and things that people want now.

It drove fine. It wasn’t exciting. The ride was fairly smooth. The seats are comfortable. It was capable on the highway. It’s got space for people and stuff. It’s a good solid all –around car. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. If it was crazy cheap I would consider it. The problem was, it wasn’t crazy cheap. It’s not expensive either, no Kia is except maybe the K900, but I’ve never actually seen one in person. They may be a myth. These things are fresh off the truck and Kia is trying to flush out the 2016 models, so there’s no incentives on them. That combined with the fact that I need to dispose of the Optima put the price just a few dollars shy of the Genesis. I can’t think of a reason I would do that to myself.

It took me about four hours to run through this gauntlet. I think they were fairly productive. I eliminated Toyota and Ford, and unless something interesting happens, Kia. I didn’t expect the Genesis to make the cut, but it’s currently a top contender.  I’ve also come to the conclusion that most SUVs are probably a bad fit for my situation, even if I like them (Jeep). I’ve also got time. I don’t need to rush to find something, and I can make sure I’m getting a  good deal when I figure out what I want.

On a final note, I’d like to encourage you again to go look at a Kia if you’re in the market for a new car. My opinion is likely strongly colored by the good experience I had at the dealer (Bald Hill Kia) and with the salesman (Al Paulo). The thing is, Kia really is building good cars now, and for the price it’s hard to beat the options. If they made an all wheel drive Optima, I’d take one in a heartbeat. They don’t currently, and the AWD options they do have aren’t meeting up with my personal taste and use case. Maybe they’ll meet yours though.

Rhode Island Auto Show

After reading the last blog, my wife pointed out her two requirements and asked that I add them. First, she would like to be able to sit high enough so that she can see out of the car. Second, she would like the gas cap to be on the driver side. She realizes that this is largely up to chance, and it's not a deal-breaker. 

This past weekend I managed to convince my wife to attend the Rhode Island Auto Show with me. This is a smaller show, sponsored primarily by the RI dealers association and Motor Trend. It’s mostly current model cars, though I saw at least one preproduction model. There may have been more, but if so they blended in with everything else. This isn’t the sort of thing I would normally attend, but since I’m in the market for a new car it was a good chance to look at a lot of things on the list without dealing with sales people. I did have to contend with other people trying to do the same thing but they generally weren’t bad. People letting their kids play in the cars was mildly annoying, however. I also found the teenage boys taking selfies in the high end cars mildly amusing.

The RI convention center isn’t huge, so not every model from every brand was represented, and there were a couple of makes that were absent entirely. Still, I was able to check out a majority of the cars on the long list and get my wife’s impressions. We agreed on two overarching points. First, there is very little diversity of design, even across brands, particularly in the midsize sedan and small and midsize CUV categories. I find this to be especially true with the CUVs. They all tend to be vaguely egg shaped high riding boxes of bland.

Second, control layout, particularly the center stack in most cars is in serious need of UI engineering. It’s like everyone is so fixated on cramming as much tech into the car as they possibly can that they forgotten to make it usable. The potential for distracted driving is really high with some of the layouts and options. It’s no wonder they’re starting to pile on assisting breaking and lane departure warnings as a standard. 

Like I said above though, I did get a chance to take a look at several of the cars on the list, plus a few more, and get my wife’s opinion before she got too burned out and just responded to everything with “meh, car.” It altered the long list pretty significantly. My notes are below. I will say first, that after looking at the crew cab pickups, they’re out. They just feel like a compromise in every direction. Anyway, on with the notes:

Mazda CX-5: The wife says it’s practical and too cute. “A kindergarten teacher’s car”.

Mazda CX-3: We both liked the way it looked, but it’s really tiny on the inside.

Volvo XC 70: The wife said “I like this” but Volvo is really the first place we took note of the crazy center console design. The dial pad in the middle is weird and dated. I didn’t look at an XC 90 to see if it still existed in a newer offering. Maybe I should have.

Audi A3: it’s too small. Incidentally, the wife pointed at the A3 avant, laughed, and said it was a total kindergarten teacher car. So there’s that. I’m not sure why she hates kindergarten teachers so much.

Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe: bland, inoffensive, boring, forgettable. They blend right in. My actual note was “meh”.

Honda Pilot: Not originally on the list, I was on the fence about the Pilot. I still am, but the wife liked it, so it bares a closer look. I usually have a problem with the seats in Hondas being too firm, but they weren’t awful in the Pilot we sat in. Also of note, I didn’t see an HRV. It may have blended in with all the other Hondas. If so, not a good sign.

Honda Civic – they had a 2016 on the floor. I’m really impressed with it. It’s big enough that I initially thought it was an Accord. It’s really nice looking, and the wife thought so too. It’s not AWD though, so it doesn’t get added to the list.

Ford Flex: The wife really liked the Flex. I want to hate it, but I don’t. I’m adding adding it to the list. It wouldn’t be the first time I’m surprised by something I think I’ll hate.

Ford Taurus: For as big as this car is, there really isn’t much room inside.

Ford Fusion: The Fusion made realize I should have been taking pictures all along. It, along with its cousin the Lincoln MKZ had what my very well be the stupidest design “feature” we saw the entire day. Forward of the gear selector, right next to your knee in the spot where in most cars there’s a little tray or a bin where you chuck your phone and your extra bits and spare change, there’s this impossibly deep hole with open sides. W.T.F? I don’t think I’ve ever been turned off from a car by a more minor, but significant detail.

This is by your knee. How is that useful?

Ford Explorer: They had a Platinum trim model on the floor. It was very nice and Crissy really liked it. I still on the fence about them, they’re big, and they get expensive quick when you start adding options. Also, it’s sitting on the same platform as the Taurus but it still wants to pretend it’s a truck. I have a hard time reconciling that.

Lincoln MKZ: same as the fusion. The 2017 is probably the sexiest Lincoln I’ve ever seen though. Or maybe I’m just getting old.

Fiat 500x: I think Fiat probably has one of the best marketing media groups in the industry. On line these looked neat. They gave the impression of being bigger and a little more rugged, almost like a rally car. In person they’re almost indistinguishable from the other versions of the 500.

Chrysler 200: I had read the warnings about how small the rear passenger openings and back seat are. I still managed to hit my head trying to get in. Who designs this stuff? How does it get past QC?

Jeep Patriot: This one caused a little confusion, and I admit some frustration for me. My wife has laughed these off repeatedly as “wannabe jeeps” in the past. I ran with that opinion in my mind, and, added to the consistently poor reviews these have received, I didn’t consider it. My wife pointed it out at the show, said it was neat, and refused to hear my objections. I may have to drive it before I’m allowed to dismiss it entirely again.

Jeep Wrangler/Unlimited: I knew my wife liked these, I just didn’t realize how much. There were all sorts of alternate driving arrangements proposed, and after sitting in both a 2 door and a 4 door, both in Sahara trim, she was spent. I still question the practicality of the Wrangler as a daily driver.

Mercedes GLA: Mercedes also has a great art department, or at least good photographers. On line, the GLA looks like a slightly lifted, sporty little hatchback. In person this thing is a toad on wheels.

Lexus IS: In particular, an IS 350 F AWD. Lexus takes the cockpit feel to the extreme. It was a neat car. I’m not an overly large man, and my wife is on the petite side. When we both got in the car the word she used was “smooshed”. I’m guessing the backseat is there for show.

BMW 2 series: This is the only realistic car BMW had at the show. It’s tiny like a go cart. There was an M4, and I wanted to take a look to get an idea of the interior room. It was surrounded by teenage boys taking selfies. I couldn’t get close to it.

Toyota 4runner: This thing is truck in all the right ways. It still might be too big.

We also looked at several other things on list but they received reviews of “acceptable” from my wife, or at least “meh, car” which I take to mean “acceptable, but I’m tired of looking at cars, and we’ve been here two hours and I’m hungry.” As I may have mentioned previously, cars are really not her thing. For those of you keeping score, we’ve eliminated all the Mazdas, the Audi A3 and the Hyundai CUV. Also gone are the Fusion and the Taurus from Ford ( I thought these would be top contenders), The sole Lincoln on the list as well as the lone Fiat. Rounding out the eliminated pool are the Chrysler 200, the GLA from Mercedes, the Lexus IS, and the 2 series BMWs.

I also added a couple cars. I will definitely be taking a close look at the Ford Flex, and I haven’t ruled out the Explorer, but again, I think it’s too big, and too expensive when you start adding options. I’ll also likely be taking a closer look at the Pilot when I go to find the elusive Honda HRV. Finally, I don’t think I can satisfactorily dismiss the Patriot without a test drive.

All in all this was a worthwhile trip. Admittedly it was a lot to take in, and even I got burned out by the time we left. The next step is probably some dealer visits and some hefty review sifting. I probably won’t start that for a couple of months to give the weather a chance to stabilize and to be closer to the lease end date on the Kia. As always, if you have a comment or a suggestion, let me know.

The Long List

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As mentioned earlier, I've put together a long list of cars. It’s cars that I plan on going and checking out in person, and probably writing about. The list is mostly based on the criteria that I listed in my last post and my own personal aesthetic taste. Not everything on the list necessarily fits all of the desirable but not required features, and all are pending wife approval. It’s likely that I will get priced out of some of these. There are some things you’ll notice about what’s not on the list:

Vans – I’m not even sure you can get an AWD van in the US. It doesn’t matter. My experiences driving vans have been uneventful at best, and never pleasant.

Pickup trucks (for now) – Full size trucks are completely beyond anything I would need and quickly spiral out of my price range. Midsize trucks are becoming more available, but they always look odd to me with the crew cabs. It’s a flimsy reason to discount them and I may still take a look when I’m wandering around.

Mitsubishi – I would really only consider the Lancer anyway, but the the closest dealer is out of state and inconvenient even from my office.

Nissan – The Xterra was originally on this list, but they discontinued it after the 2015 model year.

GM, with the exception of Cadillac – One of the things I should have mentioned in my list of desirables was fewer electronic gadgets. I know that’s harder and harder to do, but GM is purposefully going in the opposite direction. A standard wi-fi hotspot pushes them over the breaking point. I don’t want it. I still want to take a peak at the ATS.

You may also notice that there are a lot of crossovers that easily fit the criteria but didn’t make the list. I have a hard time with crossovers. I understand why they exist and why they sell so well. In fact, if someone told me they bought a Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4, I would congratulate them and tell them they made a good choice. These are both really good cars. I could also say the same for a lot of other CUVs. They just really aren’t for me. So when I do have one the list there’s something in particular I like about it, or it’s close enough to a hatchback or a wagon that I can convince myself that’s what it is.

Anyway here’s the list with some brief preliminary thoughts thrown in:

Dodge

Charger – it’s a cop car

Chrysler

200 – These got good initial reviews in the press but rumor has it the transmissions are finicky. I’m also on the fence about the styling. It’s still light years ahead of the old version.

300 – I don’t know if I’m old enough for one of these

Ford – The last Ford I had was a probe, so there’s that.

Fusion – particularly the 325 hp sport version they’re releasing

Taurus – I always picture the 90’s version when I hear the name.

Jeep

Wrangler – I’ve always wanted one of these, but I’m concerned about the practicality of daily driving

Wrangler Unlimited

Grand Cherokee

Mazda

CX-5

CX-3 – might be too small?

Kia – At one time I said I would never own a Kia. They’re staggeringly improved over the first one I drove in the late 90’s. If they made an AWD Optima, this whole exercise might be moot.

Sorrento – this is best looking AWD vehicle Kia makes. It’s probably too big.

Hyundai –

Genesis – Probably too expensive, also maybe no longer a Hyundai?

Santa Fe Sport – maybe?

Toyota

4Runner – one of the last genuine SUVs in existence. They’re big and they get expensive quick. Used examples are somewhat rare and still expensive.

Honda

HRV

Subaru – When in New England, do as the New Englanders do?

I’m open to anything but the BRZ. I’ve also heard that the Legacy is a little weak compared to other cars in its class.

Lexus

IS

RC

BMW – I’m not sure I can pull off a BMW

2

3- I particularly like the wagons but they’re pricy

x1

x3

Infiniti

Q50

Q60

QX30 – this really is just a hatchback. They’ve said so.

QX50

Mercedes – I… have a hard time with Mercedes.

CLA

GLA

Volvo – fun fact: there are three Volvo dealers in Rhode Island. THREE!

S60

V60/crosscountry

XC70

Volkswagen

golfR

Fiat

500x – I don’t know why, but I like the way it looks. The interiors are supposed to be really nice.

Audi

A3/S3

A4
A5

Allroad

Jaguar

XE - I’m not sure I can get one configured the way I want in my budget. They also aren’t actually on dealer lots yet in the US as far as I know

Land Rover

Discovery Sport – same issue as the Jaguar.

Cadillac – I don’t know if I’m old enough to drive a Cadillac

ATS/coupe

Lincoln – I don’t know if I’m old enough to drive a Lincoln either.

MKZ

Mini

Clubman All4 – Probably not.

So that’s the list. I probably won't actually start looking at cars until the weather warms up a bit. Let me know if there’s anything I missed, or a reason that something that’s here shouldn’t be.

I'm in the Market for a Car. Want to Read About It?

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I find myself once again in the market for a new car. I’m currently leasing a Kia Optima. This is the first time I’ve ever gone down the lease road. I may not have considered it but at the time it seemed like the most viable option given the situation. It hasn’t been bad so far, but I may feel differently when the lease is up and it’s time to turn in the car. Speaking of the car, I have been really pleasantly surprised by the Kia. It’s well put together, sporty (for a midsize sedan), and not bad to drive. I might even consider keeping it, except that I went for a less equipped model because of the situation at the time. There are a few things it’s missing that I’d really like to have.

This puts me in an interesting situation. I like cars and driving but I wouldn’t exactly call myself an enthusiast or an expert. My wife calls me a car snob, but she has to listen to me talk about cars. I live in an area with a prolific variety of car dealers. I don’t really hold any brand loyalty. I do have a fondness for Jeeps, and admittedly, I’ve owned as many Chrysler products as other brands combined. That said, I’d like to explore all the options.

But this leaves me with a lot of choice. The auto industry is probably the best it has been in my lifetime. No matter what your requirements are there is a good car to meet them, and probably two or three. If I randomly wandered on to dealer’s lots I would probably waste a lot of salespeoples’ time getting lost in all the options.

So I’ve decided to put together a list of requirements in order to narrow things down. Oh yah, I’ve also decided to write about my experiences and the cars I look at in order to give you a layman’s view of the car buying process. Maybe we’ll all learn something. Maybe (likely) you’ll all laugh at how stupid I am. Anyway, here are my requirements:

NEW (or possibly CPO) – In the past I have purchased used cars almost exclusively. The depreciation hit a new car takes alone is worth it. I would still consider a used car if the right one came along. The problem is (1) the used car market, at least in my part of New England is really ugly. It’s almost as if cars don’t take anywhere near the depreciation hit they used to. (2) there are A LOT of used cars out there. At least for the purpose of trying to decide what I really want, it’s better to focus on the new ones. Maybe after I narrow things down to a specific model or two I’ll take a look and see If I can get a deal on a gently used example.

AFFORDABLE – I’m going to avoid talking actual numbers here because I think it’s crass. If you pay attention you’ll be able to figure out what the range is anyway. I will let you know if I come across a great deal. Something like $10K below MSRP for example. Anyway, the goal here is to keep both my payments and my insurance from making me want to drink when I get the bill every month. I should also note here that I’m open to leasing again if the terms are favorable.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION – I know; hardcore car guys shun autos. This is part of the reason I don’t claim the enthusiast title. My wife and I can both drive a stick. The problem is the area of the Midwest where we both learned to drive is MUCH flatter with much straighter roads than Southern New England. My wife doesn’t want to worry about making a mistake in bad weather or heavy traffic and causing an accident. She will occasionally drive the car. I can’t blame her. Auto it is.

AWD/4WD – I understand the arguments. I know without a doubt that a good set of snow tires will do more in winter weather than AWD. I have driven front wheel drive cars and even a rear wheel drive pickup in northern winters without major problems. Still, the weather is unpredictable here with intense rain and snow blowing up out of nowhere from time to time. It would be nice to have an extra bit of traction when things get interesting. It also limits the pool of contenders a bit.

SEATS 4+ - I honestly don’t have passengers, other than maybe my wife. Still, it’s nice to be able to cart visitors around when we have them without having to rent a bus. I may need to take the dogs somewhere at some point too. I can’t see fitting all three of them in a two seat coupe.

WIFE’S APPROVAL – She will have to drive it occasionally. She will have to be seen with me driving it. I’m spending our money. She gets a say.

Other things that would be good to have, but aren’t deal breakers if they aren’t possible:

SEAT 4 COMFORTABLY – Like I said, sometimes we haul visitors around southern New England all day. Ever ridden in the back seat of a Mustang?

25 MPG COMBINED – Gas is fairly cheap now, but I’m not holding my breath that it will stay that way. 25 MPG combined isn’t too much of a stretch given current engine technology. Also: environment and stuff.

HEATED/COOLED SEATS – the better to be comfortable with.

HEATED STEERING WHEEL – Every winter I want one more and more.

REMOTE START – I never knew I needed this until I had it. I’m not sure I can live without it anymore. I love going out to a pre-warmed car on a cold morning. I know, it’s not so environmentally friendly.

USABLE CARGO SPACE – we like to go places. It’s nice to take stuff with us, especially if we’re also bringing the dogs. I also have a decently sized garden and lots of home and yard projects. The more cargo space, the better.

FUN TO DRIVE – This should probably be required rather than nice to have. The practical side of me says this shouldn’t matter. I’m stuck in slow traffic for part of my average commute anyway. Even so, there is a great deal of value to me in having something that is enjoyable to spend time in since I spend at least of an hour of my day there. I’ll probably end up putting a great deal of weight on this quality.

So that’s it. My plan is to throw up my longlist of options in the next post with some preliminary thoughts. I would love to get suggestions and thoughts as I’m going through this process. You can even tell me I’m making mistakes. I’m open to constructive criticism. Please don’t tell me “FORDSUCKSCHEVYRULEZ!!!!” though. I already know.