Hi Dan,

The BMW 325 wagon arrived in Berkeley in dusty but good (excellent) condition early Thursday evening. It's a beautiful car inside and out, and the sports car handling exceeds my expectation of the BMW driving experience. The numerous options and standard features included are a bit overwhelming, but I'm slowly figuring out how everything works which is great fun as well. My next act will be to find a sinuous hill road for testing the manual mode of the Steptronic transmission!

Let me know if you learn whether the previous owner completed the 30,000 mile dealer service for warranty. Or, just tell me how I might find that information via a BMW vehicle data file.

Thank you for all your patient helpfulness, and for a pleasant buying experience from afar. Susan was equally complimentary of Shellie's friendly assistance.

Steve C., BMW instant convert

[Tim's response]

Hi Steve,

I'm the owner of LUXE, and I'm covering Dan's email as he's off today. I'm thrilled that you love your new car, and equally pleased that your experiences with Dan and Shelly were satisfying. Your feedback is enormously helpful, and is energizing to all of us here.

Your wagon was just serviced here in Portland at Rasmussen BMW (http://www.rasmussenbmw.com/). It is completely current on all scheduled maintenance.

Obtaining records for your new car is as simple as bringing your key to the service department of any BMW dealership. The nearest dealership in Berkeley is Weatherford BMW (http://www.weatherfordbmw.com/partsservice/partsdept.jsp). On your first visit, you can also register yourself as the new owner to ensure that you receive notification for future scheduled maintenance intervals. You can also then register online for the BMW Owner's Circle (http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Owner/Default.aspx), which is a great source of information.

Having lived in Berkeley for a spell (I'm a Cal Alum), I'll offer Grizzly Peak Rd. as a prime candidate in your search for a "sinuous hill road". Just keep an eye out for the cyclists -- they're not pylons, and it's not a slalom course :)

Thank you for the kind words, and for taking the time to relay them to us. If you have any further questions, know that we're eager to assist any time.

Cheers,
Tim

Tim,

I have been meaning to write you for a long time and let you know how much we appreciated your help and most of all your integrity both before and after the sale of our vehicle.

Our first impression walking into your showroom was the pristine showroom and the beautifully detailed cars. We were impressed with the details of the entire buying experience. We loved being able to drive the vehicle by ourselves and not feel rushed to make a decision about the sale. We were treated as valued guests and customers while in your show room and felt completely comfortable with Mike, who assisted us with our sale. He was very low pressure and seemed to know the vehicles that he was selling. The experience was enjoyable and---fun. Mike went above and beyond making sure that all members of the family were comfortable, fed and happy during the long decision making process.

After the sale of our vehicle we were once again impressed with your integrity dealing with a problem that became apparent after the sale of the vehicle. You treated us very fairly and we were once again impressed with how much LUXE values its customers. When you say that your relationship doesn't end with the sale you really mean it and when we walk into your showroom or speak with Mike, Dan or yourself we feel that we are treated as friends.

We really enjoy driving our 2003 325 xi Wagon and look forward to taking it up to the snow this winter. We are planning a long road trip over the holidays.

We often recount our extraordinary experience with your dealership and recommend LUXE to our friends.

Thank you and best wishes.

John and Judy Thompson

PS--Tell Dan a big thanks for helping our daughter with her class project last week. She really appreciated him taking the time to help her with her research.

Dear Friendly LUXE Team,

We just wanted to thank you for helping us out so much to get us a second car for our family. We love the Land Rover! You can count on us to refer business as much as possible and know that you've created very loyal customers.

Thanks LUXE!

X X O O
Casey, Rian, & Blake

Hello Michael,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that I have a much more complete appreciation for BMW'S and the technology in these cars after spending time talking with you...I delight in information, and you seem to have done a great deal of research learning about them...

I came in today looking for a 530I, 2000-2003 sport model with 25M-75M and ended up driving your 540I M Sport, it was a terrific experience that I thoughly enjoyed...

Thanks!

Phillip

Dear Dan, Mike, Kristine, & Tim,

I'm lovin' the 540i! I tell everyone that I bought my first BMW from LUXE Autohaus.

The car is great! Your service was even better. Thanks for doing what you're doing!

Sincerely,

Kerwin

[a follow-up from Kerwin]

LUXE,

Thanks for getting me the maintenance docs I requested. Helps me in preparing for my next visit. The ride is awesome! The experience with Luxe is top notch! I'm telling everyone where I got the 540i!

Kerwin

Dear Dan,

We wanted to thank you again for the great deal on the Jeep Wrangler. Our daughter loves it! This was the best car buying experience we have had. It was the easiest and quickest. We appreciated the no hassle and no haggling and the straight forwardness. We have referred several friends to you and will definitely return again when we are ready to purchase that BMW.

Thanks again!

James, Julie, and Maranda Shumway

Buying a vehicle from Luxe Autohaus is an entirely different car buying experience. When I first walked into the dealership, intuitively I knew it had to owned by a couple. Sure enough, the owners are Tim Michaels and Sena McCarthy. In meeting him, he seemed like a down-to-earth gentlemen with no pretense coming from Alaska and more engrossed with his woodworking in the neighboring room. Although I never met her, in my opinion, only a woman would be brilliant enough to realize the importance of not only accommodating a man's car-buying needs, but also a woman's and especially a family's.

First of all, the inventory is housed in a giant warehouse, free from the elements. We bought our car in December just before Christmas so at Luxe Autohaus we didn't have to contend being in the bitter cold like at most car lots. I can also imagine it's convenient to be indoors during the blazing heat of summer or out of the annoying rain during most times of the year here in Portland. Yet, don't misunderstand, it's still certainly easy enough to test drive a vehicle simply by driving out the large warehouse doors.

There is also a living room setting off to one side of the warehouse with a state-of the-art massage chair, a large screen TV and a variety of DVD movies and video games. This may seem excessive but with kids in tow, it creates a nice convenience and reprieve from typically impatient youngsters. Even the smaller, simpler details such as the crayons, coloring books and children's books on the coffee table was perfect to occupy my 5-year-old while we studied the selection of cars.

Due to a great selection, we were able to narrow in on a few options that met our specifications and desires. In the end, my husband chose a beautiful, pristine top-of-the-line Audi that he drooled over. I, myself am the more practical, meticulous and skeptical one in the family but supported his choice because 1) I knew it was the car of his dreams and 2) I instinctively felt comfortable that we were in the right place to be buying this car and from the right people who care about the reputation they are building for themselves.

When it came time to negotiate on a price, the sales experience was equally pleasant. We popped in a DVD for my son so we could have uninterrupted time to deliberate and discuss terms of agreement. Really though, the true gem of the place is Sales Manager Dan Cohen-Peltier.

Dan proves that not all used car salespeople need to be smarmy and conniving. He is knowledgeable and patient, not uncommon among quality salespeople. But what is truly different about Dan are his zen-like traits. He is soft-spoken, listens well and is genuinely earnest -- a rare quality in any human being, let alone among people in sales. Yet, he doesn't sell himself or his establishment short. Instead, he creates a situation where everyone walks away content.

When I first viewed the website for Luxe Autohaus, I found it thorough and helpful since they obviously had what we were looking for; but initially I didn't think I would want to buy a car from this establishment because I got the impression it might be over-priced. However, our experience proved to be just the opposite. There was no denying that we had received a good deal. We purchased a fully-loaded, sporty Audi A6 4.2 Quattro that was not only everything we would want in a vehicle and well worth what we paid, but well below other dealerships we dealt with. Most importantly we knew the car was not only worth its current value, but would continue to hold its value even in years to come. And when we're ready to trade-in for a newer model down the line, I feel confidant in returning to Luxe Autohaus as well as recommending the dealership to others.

Thanks again for the extremely professional and equally enjoyable car buying experience.

All the best,

Abigail Collins and Gerard Gioio

Dear Dan:

I am writing to thank you once again for your help in finding us a beautiful 1997 Landcruiser. Everyone who has seen the car has remarked on its fine condition. This is the second vehicle we have purchased from you, and this experience duplicated the first: a fine vehicle as represented, a quiet and pleasant environment in which to evaluate the car, and straightforward discussions. Sharon and I thoroughly enjoyed the time with you and your staff.

I particularly want to thank you for the time you gave us to drive the vehicle and then examine it in detail. Once again I appreciated the nice, clean floors as I was sliding around under the vehicle to complete the extensive evaluation checklist Sharon and I had prepared. The result of this evaluation opportunity was not only a component of real fun, but more importantly no "suprises".

Finally, Sharon and I truly appreciated the opportunity to review our vehicle needs with you and then have you and Tim go "hunting" for such a vehicle. You truly succeeded and saved us time and money…and perhaps some heartache as well. Sharon and I believe you are offering a very valuable service, and we fully intend to continue to work with you to meet our vehicle needs in the future.

Thanks for your support!

Yours truly,

Stephen M Russell

Dear Dan:

Kimberly and I are thrilled with the Landcruiser we purchased through you. It was a lot of fun to arrive home last Wednesday evening with such a nice car...just what we needed. Indeed the car to date exceeds our expectations.

We enjoyed the buying experience through you. It was nice of you to allow us to drive the vehicle on our own. Further, we appreciate your tolerance of our compulsive and extensive evaluation of the car on-site. It paid dividends to us as an extensive inspection by German Master Tech here in Bend revealed no surprises whatsoever. I would like to know how you treated the cement floor that made sliding around on my back under the car a much more pleasant experience than usual. I had worn old clothes that day with the expectation of a greasy experience, but it never materialized.

This was our first visit to your operations, and I intend it will not be our last. The possibility of having you search for cars that meet our specific needs from time to time is very appealing to me. Furthermore, the quality and condition of this vehicle gives me confidence that your evaluation of cars as "excellent" is reliable.

In short, we thank you for a virtually ideal buying experience. Please use us as a reference when an individual wants to speak with a buyer.

Very best regards,

Stephen M Russell

Hi Dan,

Just a note of gratitude for being genuine, honest, and passionate toward Luxe Autohaus' business & philosophy. My experience was refreshing amidst other dealer visits from hell. I greatly appreciate the great service and the trust I felt in doing business with you. I will not hesitate to recommend Luxe to anyone.

On another note, I could not get in for a car inspection today, but have one scheduled tomorrow morning. I hope you'll still honor anything that may be astray, although I highly doubt anything is. I truly love that car.

Thanks again,

Kathryn

[Kathryn's car checked out fine. We have all of our vehicles independently inspected by experts in the respective makes, and we fix everything that needs to be fixed. We don't sell cars with deferred maintenance. We also routinely sell cars with a contingency that a second independent inspection by a mechanic chosen by the buyer shows no issues -- we'll even deliver the car to your mechanic!]

THANK YOU LUXE AUTOHAUS!

To all of you at Luxe; thank you for making our anniversary so special. Specifically, Dan and Tim for playing along and telling my husband the BMW was already sold. He was so disappointed; and telling him you'd try to find another, but couldn't promise one "as clean" was a great touch — perfect salt for the wound. And a special thank you to Sena for going the extra mile and preparing the car for surprise delivery with a big red bow!

My husband was very happy to see his anniversary present in the drive way — it's just what he always wanted!!

Thank you,

Alvin and Audrey Bland

Dan:

I don't know if you remember me, but I bought a red Mini the end of November. We shared a Fat Tire beer while I tried not to be too disconcerted over the lack of sales pressure and intimidation. I just want to tell you I absolutely love, love, love my little car, as does everyone else. I've even been introduced as, "this is Sherrie, she has a Mini". While I'm not sure it's a necessarily good thing that it is my most distinguishing factor, it still makes me glow proudly. The car is well-loved, always clean, and well cared for. And while it is small, I refuse to be convinced that it is too small for anything. I even managed to back a 7 foot Christmas tree in during the holidays with doors/hatch closed AND drive it home with my daughter and I in the car (she sat right behind me). After that, I knew we could do anything.

I have just wanted you to know. My life is much more fun since I wandered in that night wondering if I might find a way to move on from minivan weariness. Thanks for adding your personal touch to the wonderful experience. My little black-box micro mini you sent sits on the dash and is the perfect finishing touch (people have also started bringing me Mini matchbox cars — original and current — just out of the blue). I also take every opportunity to tell people where I got it — I get asked by strangers all the time — and sing the praises of Luxe Auto. I'm forever loyal.

I hope this finds you well AND still getting your morning exercise! I send best wishes.

Sherrie Evenson

PS: I never took off the white racing stripes and now can't imagine it.