Planet Hyundai Centennial's newest Equus customer is also one of the dealership's most established sales consultants.

Mike Landau, a 59-year-old veteran of the car business and certified by Hyundai to present the prestigious Equus, purchased his own 2011 model recently at the dealership situated at 6200 Centennial Center Blvd. in the northwest valley.

Landau actually came out of retirement to sell Hyundai vehicles.

"I drive from near the M Resort hotel every day because I believe in the dealership, the way they treat their customers and the way they treat their employees," said Landau. "I went into the Equus for various reasons including its safety, its features and the minimal price difference for driving a higher-level vehicle."

Landau has owned several other high-end vehicles including an S450 Mercedes and a Q45 Infiniti, which were priced about 50 percent more than the Equus.

"I got a car that is very comparable to those while keeping 50 percent of the money in my pocket. As a retired financial planner, I appreciated the value of purchasing an Equus compared to other high-end vehicles."

Landau is among the top Equus sales consultants at Planet Hyundai Centennial.

"With my job of presenting the Equus to clients, I was able to appreciate more about the car, so I chose to own one of my own," he said. "I didn't purchase the vehicle to impress others, but rather to reward myself for a lifetime of hard work."

Landau said he has big plans for the Equus.

"I usually drive cross-country once or twice a year and my next trip back to New York or Washington, D.C., will be in the comfort and safety of my new Equus," he said. "When I travel cross-country, I never used cruise control because I was afraid of getting myself into a bad situation. However, the Equus has Smart Cruise Control, which keeps you at a set speed and set distance from the vehicle in front of you, that provides me with the extra confidence needed for me to use cruise control on my next trip. If the car in front of you slows down, the Equus Smart Cruise Control automatically slows your vehicle down .

"This is the first luxury vehicle I have ever owned in which rear passenger seats recline similar to front recliners," he said.

"On my long cross-country trips, I look forward to the heated, cooled and massaging driver's seat. I have never had a massage while driving any other vehicle and I'm certainly looking forward to that."

Yet another reason why Landau purchased the car was the fact that the Equus has a low operating cost since it can be run on regular 87 octane fuel and all maintenance for the first five years or 60,000 miles is included in the purchase price.

"The only maintenance the client is responsible for is gasoline and tires," Landau explained. "In fact, if a windshield wiper blade rips, that's even covered. I know what my fixed monthly costs are for the vehicle."

Landau said the Equus is rated for the mid-20 miles per gallon on the highway.

"With 385 horsepower, the Equus has plenty of get up and go," he said.

Laundau added that anyone wanting to test drive an Equus can call him for an appointment on his cellphone at 702-277-3040 any time between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Further information regarding Planet Hyundai dealerships can be found by visiting Planet Hyundai Sahara at 7150 W. Sahara Ave., by visiting www.planetlv.com, or by calling 702-938-1400 (West Sahara) or 702-483-2200 (Centennial).