Author: Chuck Banks

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1 of 48 and The Only One For Sale – Final Year 2010 Hummer H3t Alpha – $31,998

Hummer SWideThanks to reader Hans Mertens this rare 2010 Hummer H3t Alpha pickup truck came to my attention – rare because the Alpha has the 5.3 liter 300hp V-8 instead of the 3.7 liter inline 5 cylinder with 240hp, and because only 48 units were sold in 2010 – the final year of production. 

The V-8 is certainly faster than the I-5, although mileage suffered significantly, and the added weight dropped the payload of the V-8 pickup over the I-5 by couple of hundred pounds.  The truck has full-time 4WD, and the V-8 gets only the four-speed automatic.   The Hummer H3t Alpha sold for roughly $38,000 new, so not terribly impressed by the $31,998 price as I prefer deeply depreciated unicorns.  But it is the only one for sale in the US at the moment so would give you bragging rights in the Hummer community. Hummer BedBragging’s not really what owners do on the Hummer forums I looked at (except for Jeremy the Canadian who wrote this long term review of his Alpha and vowed to never sell his!) – instead they’re a little bemused that their pickups turned out to be so rare.  Reviews are not great for this pickup, from the crushing critique in TheTruthAbout Cars, to Car and Driver claiming “the H3t a niche product from a niche brand, and the era of Hummers as fashion accessories is over.”

The review from PickupTrucks.com got my attention – have to include the summary here:  “The thing about this Hummer — actually, any Hummer — is that its character sucks you in. As a Hummer outsider, you can’t help but approach it now with a weirdly preprogrammed sense of reactionary disdain for the wretched excess it represents. But by the end of your first week, you’re wearing military surplus parkas and growing your beard out. It’s completely incomprehensible. It’s as if the truck was infused with testosterone and it influences your persona.” Hummer int

If you hate it, it’s a tarted up Chevrolet Colorado that’s not very good as a pickup, adequate as an off-roader, and obsolete.  To me, the Hummer H3t Alpha makes no sense, unless it does.   This one-owner 2010 Hummer H3t Alpha spent the last nine years in Connecticut and is now for sale here in Nashville, TN.

2010 Hummer H3T Alpha

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2009 Mercedes CLK550 – $15,998. (Time is Running Out!)

CLK sideSurprised to see this great little Mercedes unicorn show up on CarMax this weekend (would be even better to see a CLK55 AMG!).  The CLK550 is a nice coupe sporting a 380hp 5.5 liter V-8 and 7-speed automatic good for a sub-5 second 0-60mph sprint.  Checked out the data card and found it has a sport suspension and AMG wheels/skirts package.

According to this lengthy and very positive NewCarTest review from 2009, the car sold new for maybe $57,000.  For a 10 year old car, 38,000 miles is very low and should lead to a decent MaxCare warranty plan – maybe up to 150,000 odometer miles and for sure five years. 

Why the “time is running out headline”?  Because CarMax doesn’t sell European cars more than 10 years old, and the CLK line ended in 2009.  Maybe there’s time for a CLK55 AMG, but not much. 2009 Mercedes CLK550 $15,998 38k Modesto CA

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1 of 25 in US: 2015 Range Rover Autobiography – $110,000 Less Than New!

2015 LR SideThanks to eagle-eyed CarMax sniper and blog reader Mustafa Gardezi for sharing this Range Rover with me.  Per this review in AutoBlog, the Autobiography is the highest level Range Rover out there, and while Autobiography Black models were limited to 100 – only the first 25 were produced in “Valloire White” – and CarMax has one!  This car sold for circa $200,000 new just four years ago, and is down to $89,998 (stretching my unicorn threshold quite a bit).

Yeah, it has a supercharged V-8 good for 510hp and 4WD, and can climb mountains and cross the Sahara, but check out the interior – especially the back seat.  That’s first class seating for sure – haven’t seen anything like that at CarMax in a long time.  Not going into the features since it has ALL of them.

I’d spring for MaxCare no doubt, although this SUV may have a few months of manufacturer warranty on it – that means you get a shot at the dealer making it right before leveraging MaxCare, and also MaxCare tends to be a little cheaper when there’s a manufacturer warranty.  Check out this beauty here in Columbus, Ohio. 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography $89,998 29k Columbus OH

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Who Let The Interns Add Inventory?!

Got a kick out of this car that surfaced last week in the CarMax inventory.  Thought you might find it amusing.  CarMax carries nothing older than 2008 models, and 130,000 miles.  Not sure if this would even be a bargain.  It came up with no photo, and disappeared pretty fast, but not before a few of us saved it.  Oddly, it has a stock number and by searching that it’s still out there in th CarMax ether as inventory!  Here’s the link.Avalon

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400hp Low Price Porsche Cayenne GTS Work Truck (And a Better BMW X5!)

2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS $24,998 52k LAThis 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS listed here in Los Angeles got my attention at a price point of only $24,998, and with 57,000 miles it fits nicely in my made up unicorn world ($35,000/60,000 miles or less).

Thinking not bad for a 10 year old SUV (former Porsche CPO), and with a 400hp naturally aspirated V-8, 4WD, a tow hitch, front and rear seat heaters, Bluetooth and Bose, it has the minimum I would need in a work “truck”.  Throw in the MaxCare warranty and tax and probably out the door for $30,000.  Not bad for a Porsche Cayenne GTS that once sold for over $70,000.

But this Motor Trend review clocked it as a six-second 0-60mph, and while I’m sure it handles well, it’s kind of…slow.  It’s a three owner one accident SUV and also lacking a number of features – third row seat, rear view camera, air conditioned seats – so I kept looking.2012 BMW X5 $22,998 53k FresnoWhat I found was this 2012 BMW X5 XDrive50i for $2,000 less and about the same mileage, and also with a 400hp (twin-turbo V-8), 4WD, and a tow hitch (pictured, but not listed as a feature!). But it also has the Cold Weather Package (front and rear seat heaters AND heated steering wheel), Premium Package, Technology Package, rear view camera,

third row seats, and air conditioned seats.  Does everything the Cayenne does and more, for less money, and per this Auto Guide review was faster than the Cayenne GTS.  And no accidents.  Unclear to me how the BMW X5 compares handling-wise, and if it matters, it’s a little less panache than the Porsche.  But that’s all.  Find it here in Fresno. It’s a bargain.

Continue reading “400hp Low Price Porsche Cayenne GTS Work Truck (And a Better BMW X5!)”

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1 of 2,500 – 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super. $11,599 Sleeper.

2008 BuickI only knew the 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super was a thing because one of the unicorn blog readers told me so last year.  The “Super” was only offered in 2008 and 2009 and sold for over $32,000.  Some say it’s a pretty good sleeper, with a 300hp LS4 V-8 good for 150mph and a 5.7 second 0-60mph run.  Had no idea it was even close to that quick, and perhaps the sub-3,800 pound weight has something to do with that.

This Motor Trend review was quite kind, making it clear the Buick LaCrosse Super was built for a purpose – comfortable, mature performance.  The Buick got Magnasteer (variable assist steering) and Stabilitrak (electronic stability control).  It also was an unconventional front wheel drive V-8.  Thinking the brown-on-brown look is in keeping with the sleeper profile?

I’d still spring for MaxCare – it can’t be expensive and something comforting about having a bumper-to-bumper warranty on a car through 125,000-150,000 miles and until it is a whopping 16 years old!  Find this three-owner, accident free Buick here in Memphis! 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super $11,599 61k Memphis TN

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175mph/Sub-4 0-60 mph Family Wagon for Fast Vacations: 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG

2012 E63 sideThis family rocket sold new for maybe $110,000, so depreciated to $63,000 doesn’t really put it in my unicorn price range, but these are pretty special wagons so thought I’d include it.

Last E63 AMG wagon I covered was this 2018 E63 AMG S that sold for a whopping $92,000.  That was a 600hp 4wd model, so I guess for $30,000 less you only get 2wd and 518hp.  That said, this single owner 2012 model only has 6,000 miles on it — driven less than 900 miles yearly.  Car and Driver had a great review of the car when it was new here.  They dug it.

I do too, from the hand-built motor to the auto cruise control (that’s actually the vool night vision control pictured!)  to the massive cargo bay.  Absolutely MUST get the MaxCare warranty to protect against blowing up the motor or transmission drifting with the kids.  Find this beaut here in Costa Mesa, California.  2012 E63 Wagon $62,998 6k Costa Mesa CA

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Quick Hit – 2011 Volvo C30 T5 R Manual Transmission – $13,599

C30 SideThe first time I saw a C30 T5 R unicorn I thought it was the most badass Volvo since the 80’s chop top Bertone Volvo.  Since then I’ve learned the little two door coupe has quite a following, especially the more hard to find manual transmission model.  This model sold for upwards of $30,000 new with the preferred package, seat heaters, and with 88,000 miles methinks it’s a bit high priced, but it will run for many more miles trouble free.

The 2.5 liter five cylinder turbo is good for only 227hp, and the 0-60mph is only about 6 seconds, so the car ain’t that fast, but the R-Design stiffens the suspension presumably making it a far better handling coupe. 

It may not be the fastest small coupe out there, but it does have that Swedish style and you probably won’t see many others around.  Here’s a review from Left Lane News, and another from New Car Test Drive.  This three owner C30 is available here in Dallas, Texas.  2011 Volvo C30 T5 R $13,599 88k Dallas

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Quick Hit – Four Big Old Cadillac DTS’ (DT’s?) for Cheap.

Won’t spend too much time on these old school Cadillacs, the biggest Caddies available while they were made through 2011, but someone likes them somewhere – they appear to be on the short list of low mileage unicorns CarMax scarfs up all over the country.  There were about 30,000 DTS’ sold in 2010-2011, so they’re not rare, but they were once $50,000 reliable V-8 powered luxobarges, with a trunk that would hold four dead bodies and a set of golf clubs.  They are all the 275hp Northstar V-8’s – no 292hp “Performance” packages.  Means the gas mileage is low, and the cars are slow.  And yet damned comfortable highway rollers.  All are two owner cars, three in California, but the $17,998 model in Columbus would be my choice – nicely appointed with Bose stereo, seat massagers, and other nice stuff from the luxury and premium packages.  Couldn’t find any relevant reviews (that says something) – here’s some quick photos and links.

2011 DTS Side
2011 Cadillac DTS – Columbus, Ohio.  
2011 butt
2011 Cadillac DTS – Roseville, California

Continue reading “Quick Hit – Four Big Old Cadillac DTS’ (DT’s?) for Cheap.”

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