 This
is a story that in many ways should not have happened. Even today I still
don't know exactly how I ended buying this car that was beyond me in many
respects.
With
$5000 in cash from the sale of my MR2, I originally had my sights set on
an economy car, like a used Honda Civic Hatchback or even a CRX. But
things would take a turn for the worse
In Honduras I always had expert counseling available in the form of a friend
working as a mechanic, who inspected my prospective used-car purchases
before I took the plunge. While no foolproof guarantee, I felt confident
enough. Being new in a country, I relied on the only people I knew as to how
to proceed. Unfortunately they were in the habit of buying new. Left to my
own devices and receiving only negative input regarding the dangers of
buying used (which reinforced the apprehensions I already had), I convinced
myself that I needed I brand new car and that was the beginning of my
troubles.
Now, I needed financing; something very difficult to obtain
for a newcomer. Here in the US I had no credit history. I tried in vain to
get financing even for a car whose price would have made my 5,000 cash
reserve a sizeable down payment. My new boss recommended me with a friend
of his who owned a dealership. You guessed it right, an Infiniti
dealership. I did not like these cars on the account that all their models
portrayed the image of a married old guy and I wanted a speed-lover
bachelor's car. Finally, when my personal efforts to obtain credit for a mid
10K car failed, I decided that the Infiniti did not looked that bad after
all. In Spanish
we had a say: "No tener otro palo en que ahorcarse". Nobody
would give me credit except them. As a matter of fact, Infiniti Financial
Services did not approve me a loan; the dealer enrolled me in a credit
union that did it. And this is how I ended with a car that was the
complete opposite of what my tastes are.
Now,
I don't want to give you the impression that I hated the car. I liked the
luxurious interior, the chrome appointments on the exterior, the sound
system and its 5 spoke wheels. I tried to get the sportiest feel possible
and that is why I choose the touring model. In other words, since my lack
of credit tied me to choose among the selections of that dealership I
tried to make the best possible election. Of course, it was one of my
greatest mistakes I ever made... Financially that is. My 5,000 cash reserve
was consumed almost in its entirety by taxes and fees, I ended with 60
months of very high car payments, an exorbitant insurance premium and, to
make matters worse, I
was not even driving the car of my dreams.
However
it was a whole new experience for me: A brand-new car. I got to choose the
color, optional equipment (very little since the touring model included
almost everything), and that particular odor that emanates from the leather.
During the break-in period a tried to be very gentle. Once I gave it its
first routine maintenance I started to push the envelope. I quickly
learned that a 190 HP V6 could be at a disadvantage to a 145 HP I-4
Supercharged unit. Horse power alone does not tell the whole story. And
you should forget about cornering. I mean, not the levels that you would
normally get from a sports car.
The experiences I had on this car were nothing of the sort of adrenaline
rushing acceleration or heart pumping windy road driving, but ones of
touring. I traveled the state, from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe. I made
frequent trips to Santa Cruz and Monterey. Although the car was not a
sports one, I did enjoyed high speed rushes whenever it was safe to do
it. US highways offer more opportunity for sustained high speeds and I
took advantage of it as I saw it fit. However I never surpassed the
125mph record I established in Honduras.
Infiniti
knows how to build reliable cars. I never had to make anything other than
regular maintenance. All performed at the dealer, of course. To sum it
all, I enjoyed the car for what it was: A wonderful and luxurious commuter.
My
automotive life sprung back to life one day of November of 2001, when I
traded the commuter for the racer...
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