Brand strategy and the automotive industry

In the classic "no good deed goes unpunished" I let my step-daughter borrow my car for one day. She gets in an accident (not her fault) but my car is totaled.  My wonderful little Toyota Matrix, which was completely paid off and the car I was planning to drive until the wheels fell off, was gone.  So this is where the brand strategy part comes in.  I have to get a car so I start looking at brands on the highway - they all look alike to me.  They have different logos, but they do not have a distinctive look.  I am in a quandary.  Nothing shouts "buy me."  In selection and timeline frenzy I narrow it down to a used Mini-cooper and a used Acura (odd I know.)   Here is where the brand experience comes in.  The people at Mini-Cooper were great at the dealership but then they were too busy to call me back with a final price.  I went with the Acura.  It came through a Lexus Dealer who treated me like a new car buyer and has been pretty much first-rate ever since including free car washes.  In our undifferentiated, homogenized world brands really do need to focus on creating a great customer experience.  Brand strategy delivered on an individual basis - what a concept!