I mean I'm past 50 and have a lot of interests, so for me a car is just a means of getting from point A to point B in comfort. I don't want to spend very much time or money on maintenance or repairs. When I get in the car I want to feel it's always going to work.

Mind you I once loved cars as much as anyone could. My first new car was a Silver 1971 Datsun 240Z that was the love of my life and a major babe magnet. And a repair and dependability headache by 2001 standards.

In 5/95 I was still driving a good running 83 accord with well over 100k but my daughter was turning 16 so the Honda would be snatched away from me and I would be left walking or hitchhiking. You might guess I'm not the kind who trades every 2 or 3 years. And how is it a "trade" when you get to pay retail and sell you old car wholesale. I'm usually not driving the latest model but I pay cash for my cars which I find liberating in many ways.

But back on topic. My experience buying the car (gold V6 LE/sunroof) was unique. I was in Dallas for a business trip and had time to kill. I drove by a huge Toyota dealership south of 635 near Farmers Branch and saw they were advertising "Camrys at Invoice". This interested me since I had been car shopping in St Louis, testing Maxima, Accord, and Camry and had settled on the Camry. I had walked in the local STL dealership and offered to buy the car at just over invoice: $21,000. This would have given them a profit just over the 3% maker holdback (the imports have caught up to the US makers on that game). They countered with 22 but were not interested in 21. I could have gotten the Maxima for that price but that was my third choice on my short list and I felt the Camry was definitely a nicer car.

So I visit the Dallas dealership. I didn't really want to buy a car 600 miles from home but like I said I was bored, and you know if you've ever bought a new car other than a Saturn you will be killing time playing their silly game. The catch was their "invoice" price included a lot of things that were worthless to me or just plain worthless i.e. sunroof, interior protection package, exterior protection package, rustproofing, alarm, vin etching, and chrome painted gold that bought the sticker over 25k and the invoice over 23k. I offered 21 and after consulting with the sales manager (read: having a coffee and a donut, going to the bathroom, calling his bookie or whatever) the salesman said the best they could do was 22. I was not all that keen on buying a car in Dallas anyway so I said thanks but no thanks and got up to leave. The salesman kept trying to convince me and said the Gulf States region was throwing in two years free financing. I told the salesman I could get the car in St. Louis for just over 21, and it would be a hassle to have to drive it back home, and not have a local dealership to return to for covered repairs. To make a long story short - oops, too late - I got the car for 21, cashed in my plane ticket and drove home the next weekend.

The car was and has been perfect. I mean absolutely perfect except for the dealer installed alarm which went off even when the car was parked in my garage and has always been switched off since. It's just needed required servicing and changing the oil every 3-4k miles, and a new set of tires.

The car drives like a dream and I have to agree with the opinion writer who said it is a Lexis at a Toyota price. I didn't get the leather seats which were standard I think on the LXE but the standard cloth seats are more comfortable but just don't look or smell as nice.

After 6 years I've just gotten it broken in, but I have another devil-woman (probably redundant for a teenage female) who will take it away from me soon. She wants to trade it in on a red convertible (I don't think so, and around here we go by the golden rule - those with the gold make the rules). But I will feel better knowing she is driving a decent sized dependable sedan.

God, I hate to give up this car.
Amount Paid (US$): 21,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 1995