Car Talk Continued

Of all the cars I've had, my favorite, by far, have been the Lexus(es). My office roommate Mark makes fun of them -- he calls them appliances. Sure, he says, they're dependable, and well built, but BORING. Well guess what? I love boring when it comes to cars. I want leather seats, a good sound system, a/c that battles well Miami weather, and the car to not freaking break down. And so, yesterday, after Paul and I attended a photo shoot for Gospel Truth Magazine (really), I had some time to car shop. The photo shoot was with my old friend Daryl, who's being featured. We've decided to team up with him to handle injury cases, and he wanted us to be seen in the shots, along with an impressive young lawyer who handles criminal cases. I walked into my local Lexus dealership, and met with the internet manager. He said simply, that hybrid leases were NOT the greatest deals, since many people wanted them after spending with disgust at the gas pump. But, he promised, he would hand me over to a salesman with instructions to offer me the car "at invoice." Mauricio was about 6 2", a charming and handsome young man, about late 20s. He looked Dutch to me, but was Brazilian. He was direct, professional, and courteous. He explained that my Hyndai was worth about $500 more than the lease payoff, given its body damage (I had cut too close to a pole in my office lot). He gave me the prices on the small crossover C model I had interest in. He told me getting the navigation and backup camera would add $50 per month to the lease, but why would I want that when I had GPS on my cell phone (he wrongly assumed) and the "you only need a back up camera on a big vehicle). In short, he was the best salesman I ever met. Next thing I knew, I was signing papers. There was nothing down, and the monthly payments were $50 less per month than my Korean car. They pulled the Hyundai around next to my new small crossover model, I transferred stuff from the trunk that I had put inside nearly 3 years ago and never used, and off I drove, silently at first, in my little hybrid. I called D1 first. She was positively scandalized at the thought that her big shot Dad would drive a Camry. She looked up photos of the new vehicle, and although it was small and the second cheapest Lexus you can get, she was relieved. I next called Paul, and told him the good and bad news: he wouldn't have to stomach telling folks that his partner drove a Camry, but the Lexus I got WAS a small one. But wait -- he could justify it by telling people that I had become a Green guy, and that was why I got a small hybrid instead of my previous land cruiser LS 460 (which would now cost about $1200 per month to lease). The hilarious part of all this is how much psychology and sociology is involved in the car you drive. All I know is, my new little gray buggy smells new car leather terrific, has XM/Sirius radio, and a freezing cold AC. I have a strong sense that the seat switches won't fail 5 times like the wannabee Lexus Hyundai. Mauricio smiled as I shook his hand and said "You have had your fling with the Korean, but have come back to the best of Japan." Whatever. I do look forward to round trips to Gainesville on a single gas tank. I guess I also look forward to smirks and chuckles from the valet when I go to restuarants like The Palm. That's ok. They don't have to pay high gas bills.