Tah-dah!!!
newest member of my family

As you can tell, I did it. I got an offer that I couldn’t turn down. My ex came through BIG TIME. (No, not that one.) Through some connections, I got an offer (through the phone) from Longo Lexus for an IS350 with navigation system, which I wasn’t even considering because I couldn’t afford it (it was either gonna be the IS250 with nav or IS350 without), and the offer was lower than what I’d expected to pay for the 250. Just on a whim, I then called another dealership that had internet sales specials, and that guy gave me a quote on the same car for $200 less than the connection’s quote! I was pretty set to go on that, but I called the connection guy back as a courtesy to let him know to not bother running financing numbers for me. That guy, once I told him the offer I got from the 2nd dealership, told me to hold on while he checked for permission to go below what he’d been authorized, then called me back within minutes and beat the last guy by $111. So we took off and drove there. The car was being primped and gassed while I signed some paperwork that was already laid out for me, credit check was run and my amazing credit score was 127 points higher than what qualified for their best financing offer, so I got the lowest APR ever offered to me by any Lexus dealer I’ve spoken to, with 5 work days to find a better offer to switch over financing without penalty. Costco’s car loans, by the way, seems to be 2.5% lower than the best dealership offer on Lexuses. So I’m gonna get that going in the beginning of the week and drive up a check to the dealership.

I bought that car sight-unseen without a test drive. The drive home was amazing. It was quiet, the dealership guy programmed my home as the first hot-key destination for the navigation system, my cell phone has been synchronized to the car via Bluetooth and I can now take calls thru the car’s speakers without ever taking the phone out of my purse, the ride was smooth and the car is incredibly responsive to the gas pedal. There are so many luxury things inside and around that car that I’m having trouble absorbing it all into my head. Perks like starting the ignition with a push-button instead of a key-turn, and oh yes, oil changes that will come to YOU, at your home, place of business, school, wherever, without an additional fee. So I can have my oil changed while I work and have it done before lunchtime, and I don’t miss a beat in my day. The navigation is wonderful, too, the way she talks to me and dings at me to alert me to when to turn and how many lanes are on the freeway, and which side the freeway entrance is on. My only complaint is that gas mileage is crap compared to my Accord, but everything else is so sweet I’m sure I’ll get used to it. I haven’t even seen my new car in daylight yet. Can’t wait.

Many thanks for doing research, listening to me contemplate the decision aloud, offering advice, tolerating me re this car purchase, to Mr. W, Gary, James, Dwaine, Diana, Jordan, Vicky. And of course, all the blog readers who had to read all these posts. The salesguy, Martin, is awesome; extremely efficient, no-nonsense, funny, informed and informative. Let me know if any of you want his info for your own purchase!