1. the recent XJ8 jags are very nice cars. the new XJ8L will be lovely. i rent them whenever i can when travelling. a very nice ride: prior to the 2004 aluminum variant, smoother, quieter, and better-behaved than any benz or lexus. imho.

i would own one were it not for the fact that the jag dealer in houston sucks. not to be dealt with.

2. lexus maintenance costs. it is my understanding that the 60k scheduled maintenance can be quite pricey[my mechanic claims that he did a 60k for a client and purchased $8k+ in parts to do the job by the lexus book. this may have something to do with toyota's orientation towards japanese vehicle termination regs - which essentially mandate the removal of 6 yr old cars from japanese highways.

it may also have something to do with how lexus fixes its original sale sticker price.

clearly, if this is a true cost of operation, then lexus vehicles are built to be leased for no more than 3 years, at 15,000 miles per year.

this may be where we have arrived - cars as wardrobe elements. to be discarded with the next change in fashion.

i intend to defy that trend. i enjoy my old benzes. and i especially enjoy the incidents such as the one which i encountered today. i was driving my 1995 e320 cab[white, blue leather, blue top]. at every stop light, it was keenly viewed. at every stop on my rounds, someone took the time to tell me, what a great looking car.

i thank them for their good taste, good design sense. i continue to think it better looking than any of d-c's current cabs.

god bless you bruno sacco.