Thumbing through the cars saved to my profile and a few that just surfaced today, and came up with this quick list of interesting, odd, or special unicorns. Not necessarily all cars I would own, but they are peculiar finds that coupled with a MaxCare warranty could be something different. Here we go.
I was surprised to see this bargain 2010 Mercedes S550 for $23,998. Same body style as my 2010 S600, not as much horsepower at only 382, but it is “4Matic” four wheel drive – and those four wheels look to have some cool aftermarket rims. Beautiful single-owner, low-mileage Oklahoma car found here in Colorado Springs. Great opportunity to “drive rich”!
Heading in a totally different direction with this one. Found this adorable one-owner, low mileage 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser Classic selling for less than $10,000. Hardly driven around Tennessee with only 29,000 miles and zero accidents, I’m thinking this would make a nice short-range commuter car. The 2.4l four banger makes 150hp, although it doesn’t get very good gas mileage. Made in Mexico, “the vehicle’s design was inspired by the late-1940s/early 1950s Chevrolet trucks, specifically the 1947 Chevrolet Suburban…..while taking cues from Chrysler vehicles like the CCV, Prowler, Pronto Cruiser, and the Airflow” according to Wiki. 
The Italian mechanic for my vintage Fiat, who once worked in the Fiat factory in Italy and owned a garage in Maryland for many years, loved PT Cruisers and thought they were great cars. No idea why. Anyway this cutie is now here in Norcross, Georgia.
Okay back to an enthusiast car. Not a hard sell on this one. A pretty, white 2011 BMW 335 XI with low miles and selling for $19,998. Four wheel drive, seat heaters, sunroof, Bluetooth, and a sweet turbocharged in-line six cylinder making 300hp. Not an M3 and also unlikely to have been flogged like one. Owned a 1992 BMW 525i and a 2002 BMW 330ci and absolutely loved the in-line six. Smooth as silk and purrs in German. I swear. This two-owner Nebraska car is now for sale in Las Vegas here. Jawohl!
If you like the BMW 335 XI but don’t want to shell out $20,000, or just want to buy American, here’s a close competitor. The Cadillac CTS DI (direct injection) was meant to compete with the 3-series, and the larger 3.6l six cylinder only makes 304hp, and yet the car got favorable Road and Track reviews back in the day. It’s nicely styled for an 11 year old car and also all wheel drive, and well appointed. Not to mention $4,000 less and equally low mileage. Nice two-owner car that’s sitting here in Oklahoma City. It’s actually white on black – it’s hot off the press and no pix on the CarMax web site yet. I borrowed the ones above from the web.
Why not stick with another obscure American made six cylinder sedan, and one that’s only a unicorn because it’s extinct. This 2010 Mercury Milan Premier, also Mexican-made like the PT Cruiser above, has a 250hp six cylinder and is also all wheel drive – not something I come to think of as common for Mercury sedans. Nothing sexy about this low mileage car, just solid transportation. Dual zone climate control and heated seats, and sold for about $28,000 new – $13,599 now. It’s a single owner, accident free Pennsylvania car and is still for sale in Lancaster here. 
Now back to a car I could easily own. If I had less than $20,000 to spend and wanted to treat myself to a decent luxury car it would be this 2008 Lexus LS460. It’s as loaded with features as the Mercedes S550, with heated steering wheel, seat heaters and coolers, power lift gate, power rear sunshade, rear view camera – and a decent 4.6l 380hp powerplant. And because it’s a Lexus, I think I’d pass on MaxCare. Just drive the highways for another trouble free decade. With the team colors of The Washington Football Team it should be popular around here in Northern Virginia where I am. The car sold for about $63,000 new and can be yours here from Las Vegas. 
Enough namby-pamby sedans. Make a statement with this extinct SUV – a 2010 Hummer H3 Alpha. Not sure what exactly that statement is, and yet four wheel drive, a tow hitch, and a “Monsoon” audio system says it all. The 300hp V-8 will get you a good 16mpg on the highway, but you really don’t want to be on the highway anyway, do you? The 2010 Hummers were the last ones manufactured, and they came out of the Shreveport, Louisiana plant. This one has Bluetooth, seat heaters, and a sunroof so it’s not all rough and tumble. It’s a one owner California car that’s for sale here in San Diego. 
From big to small. Just for fun here’s the cheapest car you can get from CarMax nationwide – a 2008 Kia Spectra EX for only $4,998. Spent more than that for the MaxCare warranty on my car! But hey, it’s got a peppy/noisy 138hp two liter engine, five speed manual transmission, and a rear spoiler. Yeah, I don’t know either why it has a rear spoiler. It actually got a fair review in The Car Connection when it sold new for $16,000. For fun I looked at the market for used Kia Spectras and this CarMax price isn’t that far outta line with private sellers. And there are lots of these with over 150,000 miles, and since this Kia has 113,000 miles I’m thinking skip MaxCare and just drive it until it blows up. It’s a single owner car here in Scottsdale should you want it. 
While we’re at it, here’s the most expensive car in the CarMax inventory. Probably the one I’d own if I were rich. A 2020 BMW M5 with only 1,000 miles for ONLY $92,998! Selling new for $105,000 here’s your chance to save $12,000 on a 600hp beast. At least you won’t have to spring for MaxCare – it’s still under manufacturer warranty. This Car and Driver review pegged the M5 at a 2.8 second 0-60mph run. Nothing about this car meets my unicorn threshold (under $35,000, less than 60,000 miles). Just thought it was a nice bookend to the Kia. What’s a car that’s less than a year old and under 1,000 miles doing on a used car lot? A CarMax rep once told me these are often repossessions picked up at auction. And now it can be yours. Pick it up here in Newport News, Virginia. 
Here’s a more affordable unicorn and another extinct brand. A 2009 Saturn Vue XR with only 29,000 miles for $12,998. Almost NOS (new old stock!). I’ve always loved these little SUV’s and this one has the decent 3.6l 257hp six cylinder motor. Not the Honda engine that made their way into Vue’s in 2004, but better than a four banger. This Vue is pretty basic, and would make a nice first car for a college kid or an extra little SUV if your other car is a sports car. It’s an 11 year old, two owner cute-ute available here in Austin, Texas.
Last but not least, another NOS SUV – a 2008 Ford Escape Limited. Limited driving is what the single owner did, putting just 2,000 miles a year on this truck. Unfortunately, one of those drives included an accident. But these Ford Escapes run forever. Fact – they accumulate the most mileage as the most reliable New York City taxis. I had a 2004 Ford Escape and now have a 2010 model and they just don’t break. Both of mine had the 3.0l V-6, and so does this one. If the accident doesn’t bother you, skip the MaxCare and drive this nearly new 12 year old SUV for a long, long time. Right now it’s here in Jacksonville, Florida.