The Keys to La Buena Vida

"The Golden Moment is when I give them the keys," he says. "The look on their faces -- everyone is happy. A year from now, this brand-new Accord will be sitting in the driveway of a brand-new home. That's the picture I always have."

Star Treatment

Golden Moment by Golden Moment, the Hispanic middle class grows in Washington.

Lucy Mendez arrives to look at the 2006 Accord, her beige suit and heels harmonizing with that rich exterior finish. Since immigrating from Bolivia almost 20 years ago, where both she and her husband, Edwin, received medical degrees, her family has traveled a good way down the American highway -- in Hondas, sold by Vidal, from whom they bought their first new car. In the driveway of their Silver Spring house are three Accords.

Today is her 25th wedding anniversary, and she has come to spend part of it with Vidal. Edwin, now a dialysis technician, has urged her to pick out a new car for an anniversary present.

She slips behind the wheel for a test drive. From the passenger seat, Vidal goes over the car's features, in Spanish.

"¡G racias a Dios!" she says, when he points out the zoned temperature controls.

Cruising around Bethesda, the salesman drops the car talk. He asks about kids, work. Diego is studying hard, a business and marketing major at Towson University. Monica's quincea ñ era party has been put off until the better weather of April. Work hours are long.

"My car is my office sometimes," Mendez says. "I don't need a car that's going to be stopping all the time."

All that remains to discuss is price. "That's the easy part," Vidal says.

The sticker price including destination fees and options is $28,787. Vidal offers about $6,600 for the trade-in and knocks off another $2,000.

His fingers fly over the Casio again, factoring in taxes, tags, interest rates, various payment options. He writes a number on a pad.

That's the best price? Mendez asks.