Dear Smart Toyota of Madison,

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the unexpected death of one of your offspring, my white 2011 Toyota RAV4.

After 364,452 miles, this beloved member of my family expired on my driveway, having safely delivered my wife and me from the scene of a horrific encounter with a very large buck in Cross Plains. The buck darted in front of our car and the collision caused massive damage to the hood, bumper, radiator, and various other parts. Thanks to the superior design of this vehicle, my wife and I survived the collision without a scratch. Adding to the miracle, the car was able to get us home after the accident—smoking, grinding and wheezing the whole way, but persevering nonetheless.

Your dealership was not well acquainted with this vehicle because in ten years the car almost never needed service, but I thought you might enjoy this brief recap of its exploits:

• Dozens of road trips with my wife, son and two daughters, including to Florida, Texas, Washington D.C., California, South Carolina, Colorado, and more.
• At least 100 trips from Madison to our Northwoods home in Winchester, Wisconsin
• More than 3,000 meandering “morning drives” in the country to see the sights and listen to NPR
• Driving lessons for my youngest daughter
• Hundreds of Saturday-morning drives to find new diners and family restaurants for breakfast because my son loves nothing more

Thank you to Smart Toyota for selling me the best car ever.

Sincerely,

John Boutelle

RESPONSE FROM SMART TOYOTA (Is this classy or what??)

Dear John,

After a decade of memories, I can only offer these words in hopes of comforting you and your family at this time of great loss:

Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. When grief or sorrow try to steal the memories you had together, just remember this: Love. Never. Dies.

Take solace in knowing, even after your horrific encounter with God’s own creation (a large buck), your beautiful, super white 2011 Toyota RAV4 stayed true to its purpose: to serve you with a tremendous heart (engine) grounded in quality and reliability.

In all honesty, John, I am so glad your wife and you were not hurt in the accident, and really appreciate your taking the time to write about your adventures in your RAV4. And such a creative letter too! As one who prefers to travel by land before air and sea, I wholeheartedly know how attached we become to our vehicle. And while I have yet to surpass you and the 364,452 miles you shared with your RAV4, the day my Highlander Hybrid passes on will be a sad day for sure.

Thank you for your continued support over the past decade, John. The relationships and memories we have built with our customers are what make us who we are today, much like the memories you built with your RAV4 help define who you are, and the experiences will last forever.

Best Regards,

Mike Urso, General Manager