As I drove her away, I knew she needed a name. And it couldn't be just any old name. You see, she is special. She is my first brand new car, shining in all the right places and gleaming in the others. She is positively beautiful. In keeping with her Japanese heritage (she's a Honda), I dubbed her Yumi, a Japanese name meaning, well, "beautiful."

As I drove away this vision in green (Green Tea Metallic, to be precise), I realized I'd had little reason to feel anxious about her purchase. I had worried early on about the purchase process - Would I find a rapport with the sales staff? Would my overall experience be positive?

I wrote of those concerns a couple of weeks ago and salespeople from several local dealerships responded via e-mail with kind words and guarantees to assuage my jitters.

"We would be extremely excited to show you our great automobiles. We would shoot you a great deal no haggle and none of the nonsense. Your experience here will be a good one, I will make sure of that. … I hope you give us a shot so we can prove to you that it will be a positive buying experience."

"I can tell you that the service here will be friendly and we will do what we can to give you all the information you would like. Our jobs here are two-fold: find the right car, and two make it affordable. … Buying a car should be a fun experience. … We want to make purchasing a new vehicle an enjoyable time. I encourage you to put on your dancing shoes and tango your way in sometime. I think your views will change."

"We roll at the customer's pace. … All of the sales professionals I deal with have been certified in product knowledge to the manufacturer's standards and have a keen awareness of what it takes to keep customers happy, both during the sales process and long afterward."

They were right. My experience at the local Honda dealership with salesman John and sales manager Sam was positive. Their knowledge of their product was top-notch, and their no-haggle approach was more than appreciated. They were straightforward and personable.

It's that winning combination that keeps that particular dealership and others like it in business for generations. After all, a business will go only as far as its reputation.

As for Yumi, she's comfortable in her new digs (we cleaned the garage just for her) and expects a long, happy life on the road. No worries, Yumi. I personally guarantee it.