Quick Hits – Old Low-Mileage Turbo Diesel Merc for $17k

I got a thing for the W211 Mercedes body….the third generation E-Series from 2002-2009. I don’t care, E550, E55 AMG….just not a big fan of underpowered six-cylinder cars. But this 2009 E320 Bluetech unicorn is a nice turbo diesel six, and with only 210hp it grunts out 400 ft-lbs of torque. That’s not far off the E55 of the same era, although it’s 6.6 second 0-60 is a little off. But with a 21 gallon tank and 30mpg highway, that’s over 600 miles of cruising range!

This one-owner, low-mileage car looks nearly new inside (pssst! CarMax, clean the fingerprints and gunk off that headlight switch!), with a Harman Kardon stereo and seat heaters as part of the premium package. Found a nice review here. On one hand, the MaxCare warranty on this 10 year old car would mean bumper-to-bumper coverage until the car is 15 years old, but with only 41,000 odometer miles the diesel will only be broken in when the warranty expires. I’d get the warranty anyway. The car’s here in Fort Worth, Texas – you can pretty much drive it home to St. Louis, Albuquerque, or New Orleans on a tank of gas.

2009 Mercedes E320 Bluetech $16,998 41k Fort Worth

October 27, 2018December 31, 2018

$109k Porsche 911 Carrera 4S…and The Five Cars I’d Buy Instead With $109k – By Chuck Banks and Mustafa Gardezi

2017 PORSCHE CARRERA 4S – $108,998

911 Side This is only the third $100,000+ car I’ve covered in the year+ that I’ve been blogging about CarMax unicorns. That’s a lot of money. (Keep reading and I’ll share the five cars I would buy with that same wad of cash and have almost as much fun.) This 2017 911 Carrera 4S is a nice enough one-owner California car with a seven speed manual transmission and 420hp good for 3.5 second 0-60mph and 190mph top speed. Not a big fan of the bordello red interior but maybe I’d get over it. Speed does that. I’m loving Etta, the base Carrera unicorn I bought last year, but have my eyes on a 4S (not this 2017….this 2011!) to get me all wheel drive, more horsepower, and more options.

The Carrera 4S is considered an all-weather 911. I want one. This 911 4S is fairly well optioned with the convenience package, sport package, and driver assist package, and while I have no idea what it cost new, the base price was $110,000 and assorted reviews, like this one in Car and Driver, suggests the options push these cars well over $150,000 just as fast as its 0-60! For what it’s worth, the car dropped $1,000 already in the few days it’s been online. Find the car here in Roseville (Sacramento), California – if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2017 Carrera $108998 13k

——————–

FIVE CARS I’D BUY INSTEAD

(ALL OF THEM, NOT ONE OF THEM!)

So if I had $109,000 to spend on wheels, what other options would I have? How about five cars totalling the same amount, and giving me most of what the 2017 911 Carrera 4S does….and more? This was the best all around package I could assemble….had to adjust here and there as cars sold and others came on the market while I was mulling it over. Would be interested in what others would pick. Add comments or email me with your selections – five cars totaling not more than $109,000. Let’s go.

——————–

#1 DRIVE FAST

Clearly, a 911 has to be at the front of the pack. Been watching these race since I first went to Le Mans in 1981, and now that I own one I’m in love. Not $109,000 in love, so I’m including the most decent, cheapest 911 on the CarMax lot at this time. This $43,000 2008 911 Carrera S is almost Etta’s twin, the only difference being the S has 30 more hp, adjustable suspension, and bluetooth – and it’s $8,000 more expensive. But it’s 10 years old, low mileage, and nearly new inside. Yes, it’s an automatic, but trust me, you get over that. Nailing the perfect used Porsche seems to plus up the price by $10,000 with every must have feature. Here;s a thorough review from 2008 that notes a 4.5 second 0-60. This clean little 911 is currently here in Los Angeles. Earlier this week it was in San Diego. Next it will move to your driveway? ($66,000 left to spend!)

2008 911 S $42k 37k LA NOW

——————–

#2 DRIVE RICH

I have a blog reader who bought the Mercedes S600 after I almost did called the notion of driving deeply depreciated unicorns “driving rich”. Loved it. So for the second car in the stable I went looking for the most luxurious sedan, with the most features, that I could affordably include. Had to pass on the Alpina B7 and BMW 760 V-12 – both were in the $40,000 range and had fewer creature comforts than this bargain 2011 Audi A8. When I plugged in the essentials – a V-8 engine, auto cruise control (who wants to do their own braking anymore?), heated steering wheel, adjustable suspension, air-conditioned seats, blind spot monitor, lane departure warning, and seat massagers – all for under $30,000.

I was surprised to find them all in this Audi A8 at only $27,000. And wasn’t a must have, but the A8 has all wheel drive as a bonus. And a trunk that easily holds four bodies. I also dig the tan seats – usually the silver cars have the scorching in the summer black seats. The drawback? Only 372hp. A bit of a weakling in the luxo-barge category after being spoiled by Guenther, my Mercedes S55 AMG with 493hp. But for comfortable commuting or highway cruising it would be hard to beat this Audi A8 in this price category. Car and Driver reviewed the car and ripped an impressive 4.8 second 0-60mph run, and also noted 27 mpg on the highway. This four-owner car split its time between California and Ohio and is now available here in Cincinnati. ($39,000 left to spend.)

Audi A8

——————–

#3 DRIVE BIG

An SUV is a must have for anybody’s fleet, and the bigger the better, since we all think we need to “haul stuff”. Needs to be four-wheel drive and powered by a V-8 to leave no doubt cold weather will lose in a bare knuckle brawl. Doesn’t hurt to have luxury features. The tough guy image will only take you so far. But if that tough guy is Eddie Bauer, all the better. For the record, I had no idea who Eddie Bauer was, or even if there was an Eddie Bauer, until I started writing this. Eddie was an early 20th century outdoorsman from Washington who started his own cold weather gear business, outfitting World War II pilots and Himalayan mountain climbers with life saving equipment. (Thinking there’s a future blog coming on car models named after people. Stay tuned.)

This 2007 Ford Expedition EL Eddie Bauer is a bit old, and a bit worn at 80,000 miles (a good candidate for MaxCare that will take this truck repair free to 150,000 miles until it is a whopping 16 years old!), but seems to be a pretty good value. It’s a one owner Colorado truck with a recorded accident to the right rear – could be it got rear ended, but my guess is with no rear view camera the owner backed this behemoth into another car in an Orvis parking lot. Eddie Bauer probably never imagined his name attached to such a beautiful truck interior, with two color panels, air-conditioned and heated seats – survival essentials in 2018. Third row seating and a rear seat entertainment system will keep everyone happy on the climb to Everest. My buds at Car and Driver reviewed the truck here, writing “Big as a spacecraft, and tends to drive like one too“. There are better SUV’s for the fleet I guess, but none at $17,998. It’s here in Colorado Springs. ($21,000 left!)

2007 Eddie Bauer $17,998 80k Coloroda

——————–

#4 DRIVE TOPLESS

Volvo SIde

Pretty sure it’s written somewhere that everyone should own a convertible at some point in their life. Too lazy to look it up, but I think it’s in the Bill of Rights or a Beatitude or on the Dark Web, and yet after driving my old Fiat today on a brisk Virginia day, it’s clearly a fact. Convertible is Latin for “car you don’t need that the wife probably won’t like”. Get one anyway. Just never, ever, ever drive with the top down and the side windows up. Nothing says “I made a mistake buying a convertible but I’m trying to deny it” like windows up and top down. Sorted through some Miatas and Sebrings and BMW 1-series and decided to go with this high-mileage 2008 Volvo C70 T5 for a number of reasons. Seat heaters for one. Pretty blue color and nice Pininfarina lines. Seats made of “Vulcaflex” (not to be confused with the erectile dysfunction drug by the same name). A center console that had to be made by Ikea. A great Dynaudio sound system to drown out the dump trucks that try to ruin my top down commute. Swedish safety features that guarantee you could drive off a cliff into the Baltic Sea and survive (not covered by MaxCare).

The retractable hard top is nice. Most convertibles looks like shit with the top up. Or at least the top ruins the lines, like they do on the Jaguar XK. Whole different topic on why people buy landau roof cars – looks ugly like a convertible but the top don’t go down! And, by the way, CarMax has 804 convertibles for sale today, and not one with top down photo. I know I have at least one reader who is a CarMax employee – please pass on the word that top up photos are lame. Anyway, I blew a big part of my $109,000 budget on the 911 and the A8 and this was the most unusual convertible left for under $11,000. Top Speed did a decent review from back in the day. Satisfy your Stockholm syndrome with this Fresno Volvo. (Only $10,000 for the fifth car.)

Volvo

——————–

#5 GO FAR

Saudis killing journalists. Iranians eyeballing the straights of Hormuz. Gas was once under a buck (at least in my driving lifetime) and now straddles $3 a gallon. I worry the day is comin’ when we see European gas prices here in the USA, and thinking why not throw in a cool car that gets over 40mpg? So with two German cars, and American SUV, and a Swedish convertible in the fleet, why not an Italian car? (Let’s ignore it’s made in Mexico and Poland – it’s a sensual little Italian coupe at heart.) And I absolutely loved the Fiat 500 from the day it hit the cobblestones streets of Europe in 2007. Keep in mind I only have $10,000 left. The feisty Fiat 500 Abarth blows my budget, so had to make do with this 2015 Fiat 500 Sport. At least it’s still under manufacturer warranty for another year – should keep the MaxCare cost down.

This little guy has a 101hp 1.4 liter engine that putts to 60mph in 10.5 seconds – almost identical to the 1.6 liter in my 1971 Fiat Spider – and a manual 6 speed transmission. Bluetooth, leatherette interior, cool wheels and a rear spoiler – what else do you need? Here’s the Top Speed review. As a bonus, here’s the clever and award-winning Fiat 500 commercial “Liberation”. Look for this one owner car here in Kansas City.

2015 Fiat 500 Sport

Perhaps I dig the car so much because I accidentally rented one in 2009 while living in Europe, two years before they were introduced in the US. I was in Oslo, planning to check off a bucket list item and drive north to the Arctic Circle. Was offered this Fiat 500 and I declined – too small. For 50 Euro a day more I could “upgrade” to a VW Polo. I’m 6’4″. Both cars looked to be disappointingly small, so I pocketed the 50 Euro and took the Fiat. I loved it. North of Oslo the highway disappears into a two lane, winding mountain road. And it was raining. And there were so many logging trucks. And curves. But I was able to flog that little Fiat 500 and work the gears and pass when I could.

One of the top 10 drives in my life. Took 16 hours to cover the 600 miles, with only one stop halfway in Trondheim to buy gas, coffee, and food. And not once, not once, was I uncomfortable in those upright seats! Got 39 mpg and I drove the car hard. Arrived at 2 am – in broad daylight – and checked off the The Arctic Circle Centre in Saltfjellveien the next morning. Raced back to Oslo the day after with an equally exhilarating run. Take your shots at this goofy car, but I’d own one (an Abarth) regardless of the budget.

——————–

So there you have it. Five cars from all walks of life for $109,000. No single car was the best in its field, and perhaps you’d rather spend more on an SUV and less on a sports car, or choose a lesser sports car than the 911, but this was the best all around menu for me. Again, would be a hoot to know what readers might pick – warn you – it’s far more work than I had planned on to mix and match and stay under budget. Add comments or email me at chuckbanks@thecarmaxunicornblog.com if you’d like. And if you made it all the way to here, one of my longest blogs ever, you have my eternal gratitude.

October 22, 2018December 31, 2018

1 of 723…2012 Mercedes CL550 – By Chuck Banks and Mustafa Gardezi

CL550 3-4 Last week I wrote about a couple of BMW 650i’s and the Car and Driver review suggesting big coupes were not long for this planet. Well, here’s another big coupe unicorn, a 2012 Mercedes CL550 (C216) – the third and last generation of the CL class, as Mercedes transitioned to the S-coupe in 2014. But the CL has always been the coupe version of the S-class Mercedes, a big, luxurious, powerful GT. Mercedes never sold more than 4,000 of these in the US, and in 2012 only 723 units. So this CarMax offering is a bit rare. Last year I covered a few of the older ones, far less expensive 2007 models with fewer horsepower, and it’s been a long time since CarMax offered one. Of course, I would not recommend one without the bumper-to-bumper MaxCare warranty – repairs ain’t cheap.

The CL550 knocks out a 0-60mph run in 4.6 seconds, courtesy of a 429hp twin-turbo V-8. The car is all wheel drive, has my beloved night vision (Car and Driver review of Mercedes night vision here), and pretty much every luxury option available in 2012. The car listed for about $130,000 new and six years later is about $95,000 less. Here’s the review from Autoweek back in the day. I’ve driven CL550’s and have only one beef. The car is for secure drivers only, since it’s one of the most anonymous high performance luxury cars out there. If you likes sleepers, you’ll love the CL550. They don’t even look large on the road. That said, the CL550 should be my perfect car. When I had my S55 I was always aware of the size of the gigantic car. I loved it, but since I largely drove solo I didn’t need all that heft. The CL550 is an S-class from the driver seat forward – how nice it would be to have all that luxury and performance up front without the tail? Find this one owner car here in Colorado. If the link is dead it’s sold, on hold or being transferred.

2012 CL550 $34,998 47k Colorado

October 17, 2018

Beauty and the Beast – BMW 650i Unicorns

The second generation BMW 650i (E63), along with the 750 of the same era, were bubble butt BMW’s that were hard to like. Perhaps if the equipment, price, and miles were right, I could. They certainly were for the 2007 BMW M6 I regret passing on last year ($24k, 44,000 miles – wrote about it here). CarMax doesn’t carry a lot of E63’s, except for an occasional and dwindling supply of M6’s, but I found one and share it below.

At the same time, the third generation BMW 650i (F06) – a far more beautiful car from the rear – has been dropping in price to unicorn territory. I’m surprised how affordable these far more stylish, and better performing 650i’s are. When Car and Driver reviewed the 2012 BMW 650i…..back in 2012, they whined that big coupes – “two door luxury” were nearly dead. I’m not so sure – Mercedes morphed the CL550 to become an enormous S-Coupe, Lexus has the RC500, and I’m thinking a two door Panamera is coming. Anyway, thought it would be fun to post these cars at the same time. (Came close to adding a 2008 39,000 mile M6 that keeps showing up and vanishing daily that is oh so close to the one I passed on in NJ, and happens to be close to me – but as of tonight it’s off the net. But stay tuned.)

This 2010 BMW 650i V-8 produces “only” 360hp but is still good for a mid-five second 0-60 mph sprint. Car and Driver called it “lumpy and semi-demented-looking” – harsh, but funny and from the rear accurate – but if you can get past it’s rear, it’s still a big luxurious GT coupe. Here’s a ho-hum review from 2010 – perhaps at $80,000 the car should have delivered more, but for $25k it’s a better deal? Only 3,050 of these coupes were sold in 2010 – you won’t see a whole lot of them on the road. I very much recommend the MaxCare warranty to drive almost repair free for another 100,000 miles. This one is a three-owner California/Nevada car available here in Sacramento. If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2010 BMW 650 $24,998 52k Sacramento

The 2012 BMW 650i is a twin turbo V-8 boosted to 400hp, nailing 0-60 mph in the mid-four second range. You also won’t wince when eyeballing from behind. In fact, I found the feuerwehrfahrzeug red coupe with the semi-blacked out wheels to be quite striking. With options it topped out closer to $100,000 just seven years ago. Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2012 that’s also ambivalent on the car – the most impressive point for me was the Bang and Olufsen audio system on this car was a $3700 upgrade! BMW sold four times as many of these third generation coupes than they did second generation. Perhaps Car and Driver’s death knell was premature? This 2012 BMW 650i is a four owner, one accident car found here in Las Vegas – same deal on the link.

2012 BMW 650i $32,998 39k Las Vegas

BONUS CAR!!!!

Just in case there are blog readers who slog through to the bitter end, here’s maybe the best value of all…..a beautiful 2012 BMW 650i also with 400hp, not as well equipped as the red one above and with 17,000 miles more, but at $5,000 less! That savings will likely pay for the MaxCare warranty. It’s a three owner accident free car that ironically spent some time in Leesburg, Virginia, where I live, before moving to California this summer.

2012 BMW 650i $27,998 52k Irvine CA

October 11, 2018

A Pair of Vintage (Looking) Lexus SC430’s

A dozen years ago in a local dealership I sat in a Lexus SC430 and thought it was a peculiar and precocious little coupe, with the coolest retractable hard top I had ever seen and luxurious leather and real wood trim inside. The SC430 has a little 4.3 liter V-8 with a not terribly impressive 288hp, but it does pull off sub-6 second 0-60 and is governor limited to 149 mph. A heavy car, but not a pig. These 10-year old unicorns look retro to me already. Suspect reliable as hell and would probably pass on MaxCare? Check them out below.

Both are 2008 Lexus SC430’s nearly identically equipped. The gold car is $1,000 more than the silver, with 6,000 less miles. The gold exterior looks…rich, but the interior looks more worn….the cream color shows scuffs more than the black. It’s a two owner lifelong Florida car found here in Boynton Beach – if the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2008 Sc430 $25,998 53k Boynton Beach FL

—————————————————————————————————-

For a little less money and a few more miles, you get a cleaner interior in this 2008 Lexus SC430. Both have the high end Mark Levinson audio system that was once exclusive. I dig the silver car’s wheels way more – remind me a just a little of BBS wheels of days gone by. That said, the gold car really catches the eye outside. What to do? This one is right up the road from me near Baltimore – it’s a two-owner Delaware and Maryland car. Find it here in Ellicott City…..same deal on the link.

2008 SC430 $24,998 59k Ellicott City MD

October 4, 2018

New Old Stock (NOS) – Damn Near New 10 Year Old Unicorns

Still fascinated when CarMax scarfs up and offers for resale cars that have unbelievably low miles, such as these two 10-year old cars driven about 100 miles PER YEAR! Most of us drive more than that a week, and some every day. The first one here, a 2008 Mustang GT500, is a decent enthusiast unicorn that would be a hoot to own and drive. It deserves to be here. The Hyundai….not so much. But there’s something kinda cool about a 10 year old SUV that has only 1,200 miles on it. Even a Hyundai. Both are time capsules. And to think with MaxCare you can drive them another 100,000 miles, maybe 150,000 – until they are almost 15 years old, and never have a major repair bill. Check them out.

The 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is a supercharged 5.4 liter V-8 with 500 hp, a six speed manual transmission, and pulls a 4.3 second 0-60. Here’s a review from Motor Trend back in 2008. On one hand, the car sold for just under $50,000 new back in the day, and hasn’t depreciated hardly at all. On the other, with 1,300 miles on the odometer it’s hardly been driven – damn near in showroom condition. I defer to Mustang fans on whether the ultra low mileage warrants the not so low price. I also think the MaxCare warranty will be cheap, and could get you another 150,000 miles and five years of no cost repairs. But will the next owner drive it or also mothball it? This is a one owner car out of Carrollton, Texas found here in Dallas; if the link is broken it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred. It’s been around for over a week – wondering why no interest?

2008 Mustang GT500 $37,998 1310 Miles Irving TX

THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE

I’d be real surprised if blog readers are still reading at this point, but what the hell. Like I said, there’s something interesting about a car driven 2-3 miles A WEEK. Decent little SUV that got decent reviews. Car and Driver wrote, “The Santa Fe’s strengths are value, a comfortable ride, and a high-quality interior that is better than most of its Japanese rivals.” It sold in the low $20’s and is sold here for only a few thousand less. I wouldn’t even get the MaxCare warranty – just buy it and load up the miles for the next 10 years. It’s got an under-powered six cylinder and it’s only two wheel drive, but it will hold a dog and groceries and is XM ready and has a USB port and cruise control and…..no miles. This one owner car spent it’s whole life in Kernersville, North Carolina and is offered here in Greensboro, just down the road. Somebody take it in?

2009 Hyundai Santa Fe $15,998 2k Greensboro