Alexp

Will Do!! I love my baby.... I pamper it really....... I even give the evil look of death to those who park too close to it but can't wait to the "senior" member of our family. Just hope my bonus at the end of the year is as good as I hope so I can have more freedom in choosing....

Hello Everybody! I was looking for a place like this were I can be in touch with similar minded people. My experience will probably would not be foreign to many. I was Born outside of the USA. When I was growing up, there were no Toyotas (they just recently started to be imported there in the past few years, Nissan had the Japanese import exclusive). I learned to drive in a latin american produced VW called "brazilia" a mix of a VW bug and a rabbit with a boxer engine. when I moved to the US in my late teen years, I bought American, (my dad was a fan of old American cars, he had had an old 1956 Chevy and a Packard before going with the VW Brazilia, a VW Bus and then buying a Chrysler K car (bad mistake)). I got an 1978 Chevy citation that lasted me 6 months before I realized that for 2 grand (in 1988) I had bough a car with an engine block crack that was sweating oil. Although I realized that it was no fault of the manufacturer (buyers of used cars beware), I remebered that my sisters had had "good luck" buying Japanese cars (Nissan (Datsun back then really) was the only Japanese car maker in the market were I grew up). So, I had gotten a new job and some money put aside so I adventured to buy my first brand new car. Nissan back then (1988) was expensive (relatively) and the line f cars not very welcoming to first time buyers. So I went to a Toyota dealer (due to some clever advertising in all honesty) and after some driving I became the pride owner of a brand new 1989 toyota tercel. Ok for some people this might sound ridiculous, but for me was a momentous step. never mind the cheap finishing, the plastic molding or the paper thin doors. The car was cheap, neat, efficient, economic and for my manly side it went fast (never mind the handling). t was a religious experience! I paid it of after 5 years (during that time I married to someone who had a used BMW 320i (model 1982)) and we had two completely different cars a 1989 tercel and a 1982 BMW 320i. The beemer was a great car, when it was not being serviced. I loved the car, but changing the brakes (in 1989) would cost me 550 dollars. Then I got divorced, an in the dumbest move of all my life, I let the ex keep the tercel and I got the beemer (my tim allen side got the best of me). BAD MISTAKE! I had so many problems with that car that finally when I was able to get some money put aside I traded the BMW for a brand new 1994 toyota truck (the small ones). yes, you should have seen the face of the sales woman when I signed the papers! That Truck was absolutely brilliant!!! I loved it! finished paying it and as destiny has it I moved to Europe then. Sold my truck and in Europe I bough another Toyota, an Aygo/corolla (hatch back looks nothing like the corolla here). Fabulous car for the money and amenities, not to mention economically speaking at 6 dollars a gallon in 2000 (ah! the good old times! now it is 10 a gallon there). as destiny has it, I totaled that car and was only able to get a used Renault clio to replace it. Not a bad car, but not a Toyota. Finally I moved back to the US, and the first thing I did was to go back to Toyota. I did not have much money and credit was tight, so I polled everything I got and got a brand new corolla. Toyota and the dealer treated me great, gave me an amazing deal and the car is Amazing! reliable , economic, good looking, comfortable. Now I am more settled, I earn more money and I am a true Toyota enthusiast. I read up on their cars, their history and specially how they can produce such good quality, great technical and reliable product at such accessible prices. I don't do any tuning because I am a very boring driver and I suck at mechanics, but I do go to shows to see the skill of other people.My wife got a nice Camry and so I am planning my next purchases, a Rav4 or highlander for the family (the FJ is sweet and I love its semi-retro looks and the land cruiser is just gorgeous, but we don't need a car that big, honestly). And as a birthday/anniversary/Christmas present an Avalon or a Lexus GS ( a bit pricey for its relation value/price) or an ES (a good deal overall) (input welcomed!). anyway,I blabbed too much, sorry. I look forward to learn from all of you in this forum and I am happy to be here with people that share my love and enthusiasm for toyota products!