Did the cousins intend to return for their Mercedes?

Question

As The Cousins were making their way into the US to kill Heisenberg (Breaking Bad, Season 3, Episode 1), they turn their Mercedes in at a humble farm and take clothes from the line to swap for their suits, as the farmer (with a look) warns his wife not to interfere.

They then go to walk past the couple's daughter, who is with a tethered goat. One stops, looks at the girl, takes the car key from his pocket, and hangs it on the goat's horn, before walking on.

Did they intend to return for the car, or was this act a way of saying 'Eh, we took some clothes, but you get a car in return!'? I keep imagining them returning to find the farmer had turned the car into a chicken coop (or something else very practical).

Answer 1

Having read your comments and actually having rewatched the scene, I'll majorly change my answer now.

No, it doesn't appear they did intend to return for their Mercedes. I took two possible meanings from the scene.

1. The first is fairly unlikely - that they left the car there, left the keys there, but knew it would still be there when they returned, how ever long in the future that may be. This would symbolise their power and authority and the fear they (and the cartel) strike into people... But it just doesn't seem very likely to me.
2. The more likely reason, as far as I can tell, is that is symbolises them going on a long trip and not returning. They no longer need the car, as they're going North. By ditching the car in the way they do, it also shows you that they don't value it in the same way normal people would. They don't need to sell it, or trade it in, or anything like that. They can simply leave it without worrying about the consequences.

If course, there is a third and final option - that the car was payment for their trip across the border. But this strikes me as particularly unlikely as it would hardly be discrete.

To conclude, I think the second reason is most likely. They didn't intend to return, didn't need the car or the money it would bring and simply left it.

Answer 2

If they wanted to come back for the car they would have simply kept the key. Like Andrew said, they didn't need the car.

What they needed were the clothes.

For them it was simply a fair trade.

Answer 3

They ditched their clothing and the fancy car because they needed to get past the border without creating a bunch of attention. They could not just walk up to the man who was transporting non-US citizens wearing luxury suits plus the nice car. Once they look like the other illegal immigrants, they are able to pass into the USA and progress with their mission. Side Note: It is not like they could walk through the normal border station, I doubt hey have ID's/VISA (Plus Cartel members strolling around in the open is not what their about)