So a few months ago I broke down and purchased a new-to-me vehicle. The process of obtaining a new car was quite humerous (if it were happening to someone else). So here is the car buying summary and the car.
Summary
I originally set out to get a used BMW 530i. Well, several of my friends suggested I look into other cars. This irritated me, of course, because I had made a decision. One of my friends suggested I look at the Lincoln. That conversation went something like this:
Friend - "You should look at the Lincoln MKZ."
Me - "A Lincoln?!?!? I don't have an AARP card yet!"
Friend - "It has air conditioned seats."
Me - "Where can I test drive one?"
So I did some research (with a lot of help from friends) and test drove a few cars. The Toyota Avalon is the freakiest quietest car I've ever driven (or ridden). The Volvo S60 underhwelmed me but speed-sensitive steering is neat. I was hooked on the Lincoln MKZ with A/C seats and Microsoft Sync (you may recall that I bought a Zune a few months back).
The funny side is that I was starting to work with some dealers and look for one when the transmission in the van died. So I was stuck. Couldn't find a used '08 MKZ that fit what I wanted, didn't want to fix the van, couldn't find a buyer for it. I was about to give up and on a whim called Andy Clark Ford in Princeton, WV at 1:34PM. By about 7:20 that evening I had the car.
The Car
My version is Silver Metallic (darker silver, almost gray) and a charcoal interior with wood trim. It has driver/passenger heated and cooled seats, auto-dimming rear and driver side view mirrors, auto-defrosting mirrors, a 263 HP 3.5L Duratec V6 engine and gets around 28MPG highway (21 city), power moon roof, Microsoft Sync, and, oh yeah, a 600W, 14 speaker THX II Audiophile soundsystem.
I was ready to compromise on color and other features like the THX soundsystem, moon roof, etc. In the end I didn't have to. I got the car I wanted and love it. Sync is way cool and having a Zune makes it soooooo sweeet.
Why the Lincoln? I got more car, for less money and better warranty. It "glides" (to quote a friend who drove it). It has a lot of power yet low road noise. The sound system is amazing and it is generally a pleasure to drive. Here is a link to the '09.
http://www.lincoln.com/mkz/home.asp
Thanks to everyone who helped and gave me advice. I usually have buyer's remorse before I even get the product but this time it's different. I am actually glad that I bought both the Zune and the Z. It's an incredible combination that I do not regret (yet :) ).