DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Joe At The Staples Center

Q: Great coupe! How long have you owned it?

A: I have owned it since the summer of last year pretty much. When I got it, it had somewhere between 12,000 and 13,000 miles, so a little over 25,000.

Q: It's definitely a hot car. Do you have any tips, tricks or advice for people looking to buy a used car?

A: Do a lot of internet research before you go anywhere and take your time. A lot of people just get excited when they see something they like and then spend $2,000 more than they should. Take your time. Spend a week on it. Look on the internet.

Q: What's your coupe's main use?

A: It's about half pleasure, half business. My full time job is mostly from home, so I don't do a lot of commuting. But I am also a freelance musician, so I'm driving it all over L.A. and surrounding counties. I'm a trumpet player actually. So I play in a couple bands. I'll basically do whatever I get called for to be honest.

Q: Do you have a website?

A: Not a personal website, although I do play with a band pretty regularly. It's called Tino Productions, tinoproductions.com.

Q: Tell us about driving in L.A. What's the worst part?

A: Traffic. I try to avoid driving in traffic. I will leave four hours before I need to be somewhere if it means I can relax, have a coffee, dinner and then not have to sit in traffic. If I'm in traffic, if I have to absolutely drive in traffic,  I try to do things that keep me from going out of my mind.

Q: Where's the farthest place you've ever driven in this car?

A: San Francisco. It probably took about four and a half hours.

Q: Wow, you were flying. What part about that drive did you like?

A: First of all, I like the fact that I can go fast for a long time and not have to deal with traffic. It's like letting the beast out of the cage, I guess. But it also gives me a lot of time to think because there's no stress. You have four and a half to five hours where you cannot do anything except either think or listen to country or Mexican music, so I'd rather do the former.

Q: Do you have any rules in the car?

A: You cannot hit my car door into another car. My fiancée does that all the time. It drives me crazy. Literally, I will say, "Alright sweetie. When you get out, just be careful of my car door." Then I hear a clunk. Other rules: Don't leave trash; take your trash out. That's about it.

Q: If your car had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: Ferocious. I think that more has to do with my own road rage than anything else. I think my car just has to put up with it as much as I do. Like I said, the beast out of the cage. I guess it's a good analogy.

Q: Any other general philosophies about driving in L.A.?

A: When you drive, just focus on driving. You can't think about other things when you drive. Driving is in an active activity. If you make it passive, you start screwing up, making people angry and getting into accidents. Please think about what you're doing!

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about your car?

A: You know, it's a coupe. My mom was funny. She was like, "Don't get a coupe. You don't want a coupe. Climbing in and out of the backseat." Well, I don't really have people in the backseat, but she's right. The backseat sucks. But it's OK. I think every young male needs a hot coupe at some point. This is as hot as it gets for me for now. It's a really nice car.