Some car styles hard to find, even in a large auto market

Most of us start the car-buying journey expecting a lot of choices.

When it comes to some types of cars, though, you might be surprised by the lack of choices.

Want a midsize station wagon that starts at less than $30,000? There are two.

Want a car with a bench seat? There are five, but soon there will be only three.

And for an affordable two-seat roadster, you'll find just the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

With that in mind, here's a look at the best of some rare breeds.

Cars with bench seats:

• Your choices: With the Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis ending production, the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS will be your only choices.

The Buick Lucerne is a bargain. It's significantly less than the Cadillac DTS yet shares virtually all of its running gear and options.

Midsize station wagons:

• Your choices: Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo offer midsize wagons.

But if you want one that's affordable, there are two: the Kia Rondo and VW Passat.

If you can afford to spend 40 percent more for the VW Passat, go for it. It offers great handling and good utility.

Midsize coupes:

• Your choices: Front-wheel drive midsize coupes used to be plentiful. Now there are two: the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. Both sacrifice some practicality for style.

They're both good-looking and perform well, but the Honda Accord holds the edge in quality.

New cars under $10,000:

• Your choices: With the Accent hatchback, Hyundai has long been a part of this class.

Nissan has joined the fray with the Versa, a car designed for the Chinese market. These cars are so stripped that even air conditioning is an option.

Antilock brakes with brake assist are options that are unavailable on the Accent.

Petite vans:

• Your choices: If most minivans aren't mini enough, you can opt for one that's slightly smaller.

Both the Mazda5 and Ford Transit Connect offer an impressive amount of space in a maneuverable package.

For families, the Mazda5 is hard to beat. For small businesses, the Ford is a good bet.

Compact pickups:

• Your choices: The Ford Ranger is the only true compact, but its design is ancient.

Larger, newer designs include the Toyota Tacoma, the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins, the Nissan Frontier and the mechanically identical Suzuki Equator.

Either the Nissan or Toyota offer refinement and utility, but a base model, full-size pickup may be a better buy.

Muscle cars:

• Your choices: Wait. Is it 1970? You can still buy a Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. They are quite American, look great and offer gobs of power, even in base trim.

The original is still the greatest. The 2011 Ford Mustang is the proper size, boasts high tech options and comes as a convertible.

Larry Printz is automotive editor at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. He can be reached at larry.printz@pilotonline.com.