6/2020 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

June 16, 2020

Quick Hit – Exclusive (and Cheap) Jaguar XJ Supersport – When Normal Supercharging Isn’t Super Enough

xjss side There’s a whole lot to like about this 2011 Jaguar XJ Supersport unicorn. Pretty much all of the options in all of the other Jaguars were standard in the Supersport. Auto cruise control. Twelve hundred watt, 20 speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system. Seat massagers. Rear seat DVD system.

And more power. The “normal” Jaguar XJ Supercharged saloon had 470 hp – the Supersport has 510 hp. Good for mid-four second 0-60 mph and a governed 161 mph. In this 2011 Motor Trend review they described it as “The Quickest Production XJ Ever”. The Supersport isn’t terribly more distinguishable than the Supercharged, other than more wood, aluminum, and leather, and special for this car wheels.

But this big Jaguar is also really, really inexpensive at $23,998, and has really, really low miles – driven maybe 2,500 miles yearly. The price leaves plenty of room for MaxCare to protect against unexpected repairs. This two owner, accident free car sold originally for over $110,000. Find it here in Reno, Nevada. 2011 Jaguar XJ SSupersport $23,998 22k Reno 6-14-2020

June 10, 2020

Quick Hit – Range Rover Evoque HSE Convertible and BONUS Murano Cross Cabriolet – “Not Much Sport; Even Less Utility”

RR Conv side Sorry about two Range Rover posts in a row but this deja vu SUV unicorn caught my eye. The 2017 Range Rover Evoque HSE convertible. Fascinated that this didn’t go so well for Nisssan with the two door, faux luxury convertible SUV, and hadn’t realized Range Rover headed down the same path. That said, this 2017 Car and Driver review suggested the Range Rover is actually not a bad car, if what you want is a “niche within a niche.” I also stole the not much sport….line in the headline of this post from Car and Driver.

And I had to borrow the photo of the car with the top down from them, since CarMax rarely (and foolishly) provides photos of their convertibles with the top down. This Range Rover Evoque has the 2.0l four banger good for 240hp, and it is not fast by any means. But it rides well. Disappointed that new it sold for close to $60,000 and is only discounted by 25% after three years.

Fortunately, it has some manufacturer warranty left and perhaps the MaxCare warranty isn’t too expensive. I’d think long and hard about getting MaxCare – I mean CarMax shot the marketing photos with the car already in the garage! So if a convertible two door SUV is your thing, find this one owner California car here in Sacramento. 2017 Range Rover Evoque HSE Cab $44,998 21k Sacramento 6-10 Continue reading “Quick Hit – Range Rover Evoque HSE Convertible and BONUS Murano Cross Cabriolet – “Not Much Sport; Even Less Utility””

June 9, 2020

Quick Hit – Another (Cheaper) Range Rover – $18,998!

rr side Something about a Range Rover Sport HSE selling for less than $20,000 seems like a bargain. Here’s a 2010 model with 59,000 miles for only $18,998. Other than the 2009 model selling for $16,998 last fall (covered here) I haven’t seen one this cheap. The 2009 model had the 300hp V-8 and this 2010 has a new 5.0l V-8 rated at 375hp. It’s a bit faster, but it ain’t fast. But it is luxurious. A chance to “drive rich”.

Here’s the 2010 Car and Driver review covering the introduction of the then latest Range Rover offering. Beware, when I wrote about this 2012 Range Rover on Mother’s Day a reader pursued it and learned the MaxCare warranty that makes these unicorns worthwhile, was approaching $9,000 for the maximum coverage. That’s a bit steep. I always recommend calculating how many usable miles one expects to drive and match the warranty accordingly. The warranties are always five years, but you can choose the mileage cap you want – 100,000, 125,000, or maybe 150,000 for this Range Rover. The warranty goes up with each cap. rr int 2 This is a two-owner Texas SUV, and yes, one of those cowboys had an accident and pretty clear that contributes to the discounted price. If that doesn’t bother you, find it here in Irving, Texas. 2010 Range Rover $18,998 59k Texas 6-9-20

June 5, 2020

Quick Hit – Pretty Little 2009 Jaguar XF. Low Miles. Low Price.

XF side Surprised to see this 2009 Jaguar XF pop up at only $13,998. So many lesser used cars one could buy if you want to play it safe. Not that this is a high performance unicorn, but it does have considerable style and adequate oomph from the 300hp 4.2 liter V-8. Car and Driver seemed enthusiastic enough in this 2009 review, when the XF first replaced the “S” model.

The car sold new in the upper $50,000 range, and while I see four or five comparable 2009 models on Autotrader for less, none of those are available with MaxCare. That’s the CarMax advantage – lock in a five year, 100,000 mile warranty on an eleven year old car and avoid unexpected repair bills. If that’s not a worry then I’d pass and buy a supercharged XF elsewhere. Find this one owner, accident free California car here in Buena Park. 2009 Jaguar XF $133,998 42k Buena Park 6-3-2020