Now that’s a nice car, the original Tesla Roadster. I’d buy one of those. 
FYI, not all hybrids are equal. BMW i3 and Chevy Volt have Rex (range extender) and use gas only to fuel the generator which charges back the batteries. They both run exclusively on electric initially and then the generator kicks in only after the batteries are drained. There is no ICE. It converts kinetic energy to electricity. Much more efficient.
Plug-in hybrids like the i3 REX and Volt do use ICEs (internal combustion engines) as their generators.
The i3 REX has a longer electric range than the Volt, but is not very suitable for road trip use due to the small fuel tank and relative inefficiency of its ICE generator.
I know someone who bought a very short range VW EV. That seemed impractical. But my 310 mi range is more reasonable.
My niece bought a new Suburu Forester. It had about 2500 or so miles on it but 1st owner didn’t qualify for financing or something so they got a great deal on it (about $23,000 or so, which was lower than lots of the “used” cars). They love it and the insurer considered it new and gave them the lower new rate than the higher used rate.
Audi A4, Mercedes C-class, BMW 3-series, or the equivalent Lexus.
I like the A4 best – best mix of performance, tech, comfort, and price – but I’m not sure it is the quietest of those four. For comfort and quietness, ya need to drive them.
You can get a (fairly new – 30,000ish miles) used A4 for around $25000-$30000. Recent-year (2014+) A4s are awesome cars.
The Subaru I had which required premium fuel had a turbocharged engine. While anyone can test out whether performance is compromised with a mid-range gas, some engines by their nature should use premium.
@prezbucky - I have an S4 and think it checks all the boxes. It’s over budget, though. Negatives are: service isn’t cheap and the tires we have on it are expensive. Mine was driven by the dealership owner’s wife so had a few thousand miles on it. Still well over $45K when we bought it. Hoping my next car will be an Audi Electric.
Well the S4 is a more expensive, more powerful A4 (essentially). The A4 is probably quieter. 
G’Son was born Saturday evening at 9.5 lbs. We may need a bigger car LOL.
Back to the drawing board! I think H is really hung up on his past views about yuppy cars.
He is having trouble with he idea of a Mercedes or BMW. And he thinks Cadillac’s are just for old people
(he is 69! so he thinks he is too young?).
We have not gotten out to drive yet but I am leaning towards an Audi4. The premium gas is throwing me.
Bring a car seat to test fit in the back seat of any car you may be interested in buying.
I had a BMW and now drive a Mercedes GLK which is a small SUV. In the Mercedes I hear very little road noise. I think if you want a quiet ride in a smaller car you need to go with a more premium brand. Both my BMW and my Mercedes call for premium but I’ve aleays used the middle grade gas. Saves some money and my mechanic approves.
Congrats on the grandson.
If you want to bump up to a midsize, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is comfortable and quiet. It would be great for grandkids - congrats on the grandson!
No one has mentioned Infiniti. People I truly respect test drove many of the cars mentioned above, and chose this.
“he thinks Cadillac’s are just for old people”
I live in Florida and can confirm that your husband is 100% correct.
Typically cars that recommend premium gas will work just fine on a mid-grade. For example BMW’s 4- and 6-cylinder engines all come with a recommendation for 91 octane, but the manual also says there’s no harm in using 89. You lose a bit of power and mileage, but not too much. I used to run my previous 3-series mostly on 89 octane around town, and 91 octane when going on road trips where I knew I’d blasting up mountains and passing other cars on 2-lane roads. Anyway, you can always google and check out the owner’s manual for the particular car if that issue is holding you back.
Glad that Mr.'s EV is not picky about what kind of an outlet its electrons come from.
Congrats on the grandbaby! A sporty coupe is probably out of the question now. With a smaller SUV, it will be easier to put the baby in his seat in the back seat… just saying. Lexus NX, that smaller Porsche, and others.
The 2019 Volvo S60 is my ideal car length. Longer than a Corolla but shorter than a Camry.
I’m also car shopping but at a lower price range. I’m thinking about Costco’s Auto Program for my purchase.
Cadillacs may be for old people… except the Escalade. Seems to be driven by limo drivers and sports figures.
Forget brokers and salespeople. Use Truecar.com. Costs you nothing and the dealer is required to honor the price given. If you don’t have a trade (and you shouldn’t) just don’t let them sell you and warranty or any other items and if you need to finance have that in hand before entering the dealership.
One anecdote…friend had that awesome Mercedes SUV…and really liked it UNTIL her grandchildren got a little older. She found lifting them into the car seats as 2 year olds was really difficult.
She traded hers in for a BMW sedan…which she says is far easier to deal with in terms of moving those grand children around.