Fighting the Gas Monster

No, I didn't have beans last night...

I'm talking about my wife's GMC Yukon getting about 16 mpg and costing us about $100 a month just for her to drive the 15 mile round trip to work. No big deal when gas was a buck and a quarter but nearing $3 it's getting sick.

So, after many reviews and even more test drives we pulled the trigger on a new car last night. It's a 2006 Lexus ES 330. We wanted something in the entry-luxury segment and this was the most luxurious one by far. Leather is so soft, everything is just so comfortable, it would be very easy to imagine a long trip in it. In addition to the heated seats it also has ventilated seats which means on those hot summer days you can crank a/c directly into your crotch. How great is that going to be? I can't wait for a hot day. I tested it out on our test drive Saturday in 50 degree weather and within 30 seconds I jumped off the seat.

The Lexus dealer had 7 of them left and are clearing out the '06's to make way for the '07's later this month so we got a very good deal. In addition to the gas savings (at least 10 mpg more) we're saving $100/month on our previous payments and it's only a 3 year lease (we don't keep our cars long).

We had a very hard time with the color though. Cdubya originally wanted white but I wasn't that crazy about it and after thinking about what it would be like with 2 feet of snow on the ground and no one being able to see you we were able to eliminate that one. We ended up picking a black garnet pearl. It is a very interesting color in that it looks different depending on the lighting. In the show room it looks almost black but outside in the sun it has a purple/chocolate tint to it and the pearl is just beautiful.

Here's a picture, not the right color obviously. We really had a hard time deciding but Lexus just won us over. Our salesman was top notch. No pressure, he made us feel like we were his most important customers ever and treated us with respect and patience throughout the process. In addition at Lexus each salesman handles everything the whole way through the process including financing so there's no handing you off to someone else.

We also test drove the following cars:

• Lexus IS 250 AWD - Too stiff for her but I loved it. 6 speed auto with paddle shifting on the steering wheel and man it goes.
• BMW 325xi - Again, I loved this baby but she didn't drive it correctly so there's no point in getting her something she'll ruin.
• Toyota Camry SE (2007, new one) - Came away going yeah, it's ok but here's how Toyota screws up. They give you one that looks cool from the outside (SE) and one that has all the good stuff on the inside (XLE) but not one that combines both. Besides, after riding in this and the Lexus back to back there is no way you can buy the Camry even for $5,000 less.
• Acura TL - This was what we were going to get. But when a dealership treats you like shit and then when you call them on it and they don't improve the offer you have to walk away. I love the TL too. It hauls ass and has every option under the sun but they wouldn't budge off MSRP and I will not pay that. The Lexus was listed $2,500 higher than the Acura but we got it for $1,000 less. And for Cdubya, she was all about the smooth ride and classic luxury feel of the Lexus.

We pick it up tomorrow after work. She's pretty excited but also a little blue about losing her "baby". She hasn't driven anything but a truck or suv since about 1992.