It should happen Monday, maybe sooner. The sticker is just below $61,000 for the car wtih modern lux including Mark Levenson and Nav. I don't really know what I am paying since I only looked at the "cash difference" between the two cars...and you guys here all said it was a fair deal. It "smelt" fair even before posting, just based on my feel and experience. I expected them to want $12,000 for an apples to apples swap of my '03 to '04. I wouldn't have bitten at that number. When he came back with $8000, I decided to bite, mostly because about half of that will be recouped when I trade in 3-4 years.

After much contemplation, I decided against the new brownish color and against silver and against pearl white and will get crystal white again. I love white. My '03 is crystal white. And, frankly, I would rather people did NOT know that I got yet another new car. That isn' t the main reason...the main reason is I like white.

Usermel has a point about being fortunate enough to have such "difficult" problems in a world where half the people live on peanuts. Nevertheless, using his logic one would never own a Lexus in the first place, really, but would drive bare bones cars and give the rest to charity. I believe in charity but I also believe in incentive. I always knew I wanted the top-o-the-line car and that is (part of) what inspired me to study, work hard, take prudent risks, invest and save. I don't feel guilty about my success. Actually, just an interesting sidebar. When was 15, Cadillac came out with the first 1975 Seville. It cost about $15,000...which would be about $50,000 today. I wanted that car in the worst way, for my father (for me to drive, really). My father couldn't afford it, although we ended up in a 33% ($10,000...about $35,000 in today's dollars) cheaper 1977 DeVille a few years later, which I enjoyed. The Lexus is "my 1975 Seville". It's what I aspired to 30 years ago, even though I didn't exactly know it and there was no Lexus then.

Another point. I rode my investments through the recent worst stock market since the Great Depression. As of this week, everything is good again. Next year it could be worse. It doesn't hurt to take just a small percentage off of the table and enjoy it. I enjoy cars. I didn't plan this accident, but "shtuff" happens and I'll respond to it as discussed. Had this accident happened 18 months ago, I would NOT have spent one penny more than needed. "Wealth" effect I guess.

Daryll40

 

point taken didnt mean it in the way it is written.I guess thats the one downside to print or typed conversations.You should get what you want D40 I was only saying as you stated the Lexus is your Deville only 30 years later and come on driving bones im not going that far trust me America being the greatest place to live in the world is evident its one of the only places if not the only place were poor people have chances to turn from poor to rich or wealthy Im an example of that abused kid from the projects know I drive a Lexus and also I worked hard at my craft to attain the luxuries that I have but i dont take for granted what GOD has giving me not what I have giving myself .I grew up around alot of kids who had the same dreams and hard working attitude I did and they cant drive $60,000 dollar cars let alone six hundred dollar cars.We all know some honest hard working man such as youD40 who worked all his life and has 3 kids and cant afford to save for a lex used or new so saying working hard gets every one onthe planet the pleasure of driving a high end car is an unfair statement to those men an woman out there who have worked the 30 years since you seen that Deville and still cant afford what we have.and i do give to charity/church yes 10 percent every check i get as an offering toGOD for blessing me with what i have and sometimes i give more and not just since i have had money before i did.I applogize for being against the grain it is your choice to buy what you want this is america.I hope the best for you whatever you decide and hay I drive an LS 430 so I know how good these cars drive BUY IT IF YOU WANT IT.MERRY CHRITMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR AND IM MORE HAPPY YOU OR NONE OF YOUR FAMILY WASNT HURT IN THE ACCIDENT WITH THE DEAR.LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT.