Recent lurker, first time poster; California/USA.

I’m looking for some recommendations for a (relative to the market) inexpensive ebike that has a torque sensor rather than a cadence sensor. I recognize that this isn’t customarily an entry-level feature, but I’d like something with markedly improved “feel” over the cadence sensor used on bike-share ebikes. I intend to pass the recommendation onto a friend that lives in the city, so it should ideally not be something which would look out-of-place.

I myself have a mid-drive Bikonit MD750 which does have a torque sensor, and it makes low-speed manoeuvring possible without being too jumpy. However, this bike is not subtle, in appearance, weight, nor sound, making it quite cumbersome in town.

Any and all advice is appreciated!