Big Spenders Lay Out the Cash This Holiday Season

Jane David calls the white, leased Jaguar S-Type luxury sedan she received Friday from her husband, Larry, a New York stockbroker, the "best Hanukkah present I've ever gotten."

But the surprise didn't play out exactly the way it does in car makers' holiday television ads. When David's doorman phoned to say she had a "heavy package" waiting outside her Upper East Side apartment building, she put off going down to get it. Meanwhile, her husband had double-parked the car in front of the lobby. By the time she arrived, police had hit him with a $115 ticket.
,br> Many dealers say at least one or two of their customers every December wants to surprise a significant other with a new set of wheels. Each holiday season, cars topped with giant bows are featured in ads, often showing a spouse stunned with joy. But such an expensive surprise also carries risks. The last thing a gift giver wants is to shell out tens of thousands on a luxury vehicle, only to be greeted by an unappreciative recipient.


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