The Mercedes CL-class became the S-coupe in 2014, but it’s the same premise; an S-class from the (missing) B-pillar forward in every way. The 2010 CL coupe is the same as my 2010 S-class (S600) for the driver and passenger. At $24,998 there’s a ton of luxury in this unicorn at a bargain price. Again, room in the wallet for MaxCare I would not do without. Thanks to reader Cannon for alerting me to this beauty.
The CL550 has automated cruise control (Distronic Plus), air conditioned and heated seats, seat massagers, a heated steering wheel, AWD, and the cool (but totally unnecessary) night vision assist. CarMax gives it a 9 out of 10 on the features and yet I cannot think of what it does not have.
Okay, it doesn’t have a rear seat to speak of, similar to the CLS63 I covered yesterday. It’s about the driver and passenger. It has a filthy engine bay (shame on you CarMax) with a 5.5 liter V-8 that makes only 382 hp – adequate but not even close to the 500+ in the CLS63 AMG. But not everyone is a horsepower hog like me and most will find this plenty good for a luxury cruiser. The CL550 is a unique alternative to the CLS63, and $13,000 cheaper! Find this two owner, accident free car here in Fort Bend, Texas.
Going to keep this short since CarMax unicorns keep showing up and disappearing on their website faster than I can get to them. What we have here is a low mileage (40,000) 2012 Mercedes CLS63 for a really decent price. Leaves spare change for mandatory MaxCare. It sold new for maybe $95,000 and maybe more. I cannot tell if it has the far more expensive Performance Package – the red calipers suggest it might. What say ye, readers?
For $38k you get a luxury four door, four passenger coupe with a 5.5 liter, 518 hp turbocharged motor, adjustable suspension, and auto cruise control (Distronic Plus). Perfect for stop light launches and highway cruising. Car and Driver claims a crazy 3.8 second 0-60mph run here. But wait! There’s more!
The car is pretty much the same as an E63, although the coupe design limits interior room a bit. But it has seat massagers, heated and air conditioned seats, blind spot monitors, lane departure, rear view camera, and Bluetooth. Not bad. Hard to go wrong with a car like this! I like gold cars – reinforces the idea of “driving rich”! Find it here in Irvine, California.
These are not them. The cars above are in fact the fleet of cars available at CarMax 18 months ago I covered here that reflected the 600+ horsepower club. A BMW 760, Audi S8, and a couple of GM products. (Since then there’s even been this monster 760hp Mustang GT500!). Anyway, when I covered the high-horsepower cars I wanted to write a piece on impressive high-output four cylinder unicorns – the 300+ horsepower club. And fate has dealt me a cruel Christmas, in that I’m down with Covid and need things to do while in solitary confinement (doing fine, thank you!). So why not take a moment to write about the seven CarMax unicorn models that top 300 horsepower from little four cylinder motors. Some may surprise you.
2018 Subaru WRX STI.
The granddaddy of these cars is the Subaru WRX STI. Not the fastest or best handling, but almost 20 years ago Subaru rolled out the Impreza WRX and a road ready rally car. The Impreza and WRX split in 2014, and the STI is the most potent Subaru you can buy at CarMax. Rumor has it the 2021/2022 WRX will pack a more powerful 400hp motor!
With a 2.5 liter 305hp engine and a six-speed manual transmission the car is good for a low-five second 0-60mph run. It’s AWD and yet Car and Driver was only able to eek out a 0.93 g lateral grip, far less than some of the hot hatches to follow. The car sold for maybe a hair under $40,000 new, and is offered here in Parker, Colorado – fittingly just an hour north of Pike’s Peak!
The upstart 2017 Honda Civic Type R
With a wacky but innovative three-pipe exhaust, a monster wing, and lots of scoops and wedges the Honda Civic Type R is hard to miss. The first Type R to make it to the US, the 2017 model debuted at $35,000 and seemed like a bargain for such high performance.
Red motor and red interior to remind you this is not your commuter Civic. With 306hp from a 2.0 liter turbo and a six-speed manual, the powertrain pulls this 3100 lb “sedan” to 60 mph in about five seconds flat. Some reviewers have gotten less. Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2017 where they gushed over the Type R entry into the US, and in a later test they were able to pull 1.02 lateral g’s on the skid pad. Impressive in that it’s only 2WD. It also comes with Apple CarPlay and automatic cruise control, if you just want a commuter. The car was $35,000 new and is now here in Richmond, Virginia almost at MSRP!
2017 Ford Focus RS
Sticking with hot hatches, but pivoting from Asia to Germany – here’s a badass Ford Focus RS, with a whopping 350 hp from a 2.3 liter turbo. Imported only from 2016-2018, the RS beast hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and ran all the way to a 165 mph top end.
The engine bay is pretty damned dull for such a hot car. The Ford was more expensive than the Subaru and the Honda, starting at $41,000. Car and Driver described the Focus RS as having “explosive takeoffs, all-wheel-drive grip, drift mode can unlock your inner Ken Block.” (I had to Google Ken Block. Rally driver. Now I know.) The Focus RS is also AWD. It also pulls more than 1 g in lateral grip. Unfortunately, CarMax doesn’t have any of the 2018 models available. With only 1,000 imported, and as the final year of production, would think there’s some collection value to them. Find this pretty Nitrous Blue model here in Birmingham, Alabama.
2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
My favorite I think, because it is the fastest and almost the most understated. The fins on the front fascia I could do without, and maybe the rear spoilers could go, and then it would just be an unassuming small sedan, right? A baby Benz that costs anywhere from $50-70,000 depending on options. But only $38,998 as the lease and factory warranty nears the end. Why is it so alluring?
The motor. This hand-built and autographed AMG 2.0 liter puts out a whopping 375 hp. With AWD and a seven speed dual clutch automatic it’ll do 0-60 in less than four seconds. Preposterous. It’ll also pull 1 g per Car and Driver, who loved everything about this Mercedes here except for its price tag – more than a C63 AMG with a beefy V-8. But it’s depreciated to match the price of the other four bangers. The CLA45 will run to a governed 155 mph, unless it has the AMG Dynamic Plus package, then it’ll top out at 167 mph. Enjoy this ruby red racer here in Norcross, Georgia.
2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost
I really, really don’t want to like this Mustang but I do. And yet it confuses me. A real Mustang has a snarling V-8 and the 2015’s and up have the independent rear suspension that makes them handle nicely and this one is yellow, which I really dig, and it’s a six-speed manual. But it’s an itty bitty turbo four cylinder, the first in a Mustang since the SVO’s of the 80’s. A 2.3 liter turbo four pumping 310 hp, 10 more than the Mustang V-6. Sigh. (Okay full disclosure, I had a Merkur XR4ti once – also with a 2.3 liter 175 hp turbo Pinto motor like the SVO. Loved it.) Here’s the Car and Driver review of the automatic version of this Mustang.
But the Mustang only weighs 3,600 lbs (looks so much bigger and heavier!) and will still rip off a low five second 0-60 mph run. Maybe a half second off it’s V-8 kin, and yet it will sip 30 mpg on the highway. I have never heard one of these on the road and think I would be confused by a Mustang with a turbo whirr and hum. If you can get over that, it’s got a fine cockpit and a lotta style, and it’s the cheapest of the seven 300 hp four cylinder cars! This five year old Mustang is available here in East Haven, Connecticut.
2018 Volvo S90 Plug-In Hybrid T8 Inscription
This may be cheating. Technically a 2.0 liter four cylinder like the rest, but this big sedan is augmented by a 10.4-kWh Lithium-Ion electric motor. Together they make a massive 400 hp, the most in this group. That hybrid puts it in a sub-5 second 0-60 mph category, very fast for a frugal but luxurious car. Here’s the review from Motor1, where they described the Volvo as “efficiency done with style.”
This Volvo has the most handsome interior and by far the richest list of features. Apple CarPlay, auto cruise control, seat massagers, Bowers & Wilkins audio, it has it all. Surprisingly it sold for $82,000 new and just two years later it’s less than half that. A real bargain. I suspect this is the one car I could own and enjoy almost like my S600 for long distance cruising. But there is one deal breaker for me – it’s made in China. I’m not ready for that. If you are, it’s available here in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
Last but not least, a real 365 hp four cylinder mid-engined sports car. A fourth generation Porsche Cayman flat four, going 2.5 liters. Oddly, it’s not as fast as the Mercedes CLA45 AMG at 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, but it will out handle and out class the Benz.
The interior is identical to the Boxster and the 911, as they have been since inception, and smartly appointed. The driving position is even better than my 997 911. I got a kick out of the engine bay photo – nothing to see here! Move along! Here’s the Car and Driver review from 2018. They were a little underwhelmed by the GTS compared to the S models but not unhappy with the car at all. Just unclear on the value. It was an $80,000 car when new just two years ago, and honestly has not depreciated hardly at all. At this price it really doesn’t make my unicorn cut, but it is a 300+ hp CarMax offering. Find it here in Houston, Texas.
So that wraps up all the 300+ hp four cylinder cars you can get at CarMax at this time. There are some oh so close bridesmaids that would be fun, such as the 292 hp Audi S3/VW Golf R, the 291 hp Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR, and even the 263 hp Mazda3 Mazdaspeed. I do enjoy big motors, and yet some of the most fun cars I’ve had, including my 1971 Fiat 124 Spider and my old Ford Fiestas, have been four cylinders. None of them matched the 300 hp of these cars and yet still a pleasure to rev. Having 300 hp in these would be quite the hootenanny!
Hard to read the screenshots, so will summarize quickly. Twelve nearly new (2019-2020) Mercedes A220’s with a handful of miles on them, one or two each at all of the CarMax dealers within spitting distance of me (Baltimore-Washington area), and all 12 came out of Washington State as fleet vehicles. The mystery for me is who in Washington State ordered a small fleet of A220’s for $36-50,000 each and unloaded them on CarMax all at once? Why did CarMax put them all (probably) on a single car hauler and move them cross country? Is there that much demand for A220’s here? Welcome any ideas from all of you. Perhaps the open recalls common to all 12 are a clue:
“FONT SIZE OF TEXTS IN THE INDICATOR LIGHTS. LOCATE YOUR NEAREST AUTHORIZED MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER TO SCHEDULE REPAIR.”
Sportlich (sporty), Leicht (light), and Kurz (compact). The Mercedes SLK’s are all that and more. And they seem to come in unicorn pairs for me. About 18 months ago I covered a pair of SLK55’s here, and today we have an SLK250 and an SLK55. Let’s start with the 2013 SLK250, mostly because it’s cheaper and has a rare 6-speed manual transmission. It’s no rocket with only a 1.8 liter 201 hp turbo-four, but it is nimble. And good looking.
The 2013 SLK250 appointed like this one, with “air scarf”, heated seats, and a decent audio system ran about $50,000 new. It’s half that now. It’s also only been driven about 4,000 miles annually. It got reasonably good reviews here in Auto Guide back in 2013. Sporty. Light. Compact. Find this accident free car here in Knoxville, Tennessee. Keep scrolling for the badass SLK, though.
I hope you’re not tired of affordable V-12 Mercedes. I’m not, but I promise to move on to other cars soon. I got carried away with them in this V-12 Lollapalooza in October, and this one is an awful lot like my 2010 S600 so I have no interest in buying this one. Just something about a car that was over $160,000 new selling for this price. Driving rich.
Luxurious interior with the high end Bang & Olufsen audio system (pro’s tell me I should just call it a “B&O” but that sounds like a railroad), I have to admit I’m baffled by the torn up center console cover – I’d be having CarMax repair that before buying. On the other hand, looks like the previous owner left behind an aftermarket wedge cup holder storage bin – totally unnecessary given all the storage space in an S-class.
What’s with the mud, CarMax??!In the center arm rest there are headphones and a remote control. I did not check when I bought mine and the remote is missing. Will have to buy one before I sell .
The creature comforts are impressive, and so is the S600’s performance. The 5.5 liter twin turbo V-12 is rated at 510 hp and a whopping 612 lb-ft of torque, and while it only has a five speed automatic it’s good for a mid-four second 0-60mph run – and a 186 mph top end. When I think you all have forgiven me for my road trip posting in the 911, I plan to write about the 6,700 mile journey I just took in my S600. Absolutely a sublime long distance cruiser these S600’s are! This accident free, three owner 2012 Mercedes S600 is available here in San Antonio, Texas for $35,998. And don’t forget the MaxCare!
Remember the fully loaded 2011 Mercedes E550 unicorn I wrote about in October 2020? (Act like you do while catching up on it here.) Well here’s its BMW twin, a 2011 550i chock full of features usually only found in the more expensive 750’s.
A handsome interior with a nice infotainment screen, the car also has all the buttons – blind spot, collision avoidance, lane departure, my beloved night vision assist, and heads up display.
The BMW 550 also has rear DVD entertainment for the kids or your Uber customers. But wait there’s more! Cold weather (heated seats and steering wheel) and convenience packages, air conditioned seats, and a 400hp twin turbo V8.
If the car had AWD it would be perfect. It’s a two owner, accident free southern car currently here in Naples, Florida. Enjoy.
Fifty years ago Dodge introduced the Challenger to compete with the Camaro and Mustang. Bigger than both in size, it was dwarfed in sales. The Challenger sold about 76,000 models in 1970, compared to about 125,000 Camaros and a whopping 190,000 Mustangs. Sales dropped off rapidly for the five year run of the first generation and the model disappeared after 1974. Skipping the second generation Challenger of 1978-1983, a rebadged Mitsubishi import (although I’d love to have one of those!), the Challenger returned in 2008 for a third run. The Challenger below looks remarkably like the original, and the model continues to sell well despite little change for the last 12 years – over a half a million so far. I don’t know how they do it, but CarMax just Hoover’s up low mileage, older muscle cars. Could write a whole piece about the scores of Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers on the lots that have hardly been driven, but after last weekend’s novel I’ll stick to one. And keep it short.
My favorite, and not just because it’s yellow. A 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 Yellow Jacket with what appears to be 393 miles on the odometer. That’s crazy – 50 miles yearly?! Yeah, yeah, yeah, cars are meant to be driven….all the rubber and gaskets could be rotted….but it’s damned near new!
Love those seats, although I suspect wrestling with the bolsters to get in and out might get old. The 6.4 liter V-8 is good for 470 hp running through only a five-speed automatic, but still hits a high four second 0-60 mph run and a top speed of 175 mph. Plenty good enough for me. Heated steering wheel, but not seeing Bluetooth. But with a 900 watt audio system I wouldn’t hear the phone anyway. Here’s the thorough Top Speed review from back in the day.
The SRT-8 has four piston Brembo brakes, and the Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) – tracking acceleration, g-force, and other cool stuff we had to do with a slide rule and stopwatch in the original! The car sold for a good $45,000 new just eight years ago. Not sure it’s a bargain but the price just dropped $1,000 to $36,998. Find this NOS (new old stock) one-owner, accident free Dodge here in Buford, Georgia.
The auto industry and American buyers are shunning the sedan, and my hunch is that it’s cyclical. We went nuts for front wheel drive hatchbacks for a while, then minivans, now SUV’s – I’m betting sedans will be back at some point. Here’s seven that caught my eye for various reasons and I thought I’d unload them all at once. Enjoy.
#1 – Cheating by starting with a red car to get your attention. It gets better.
It wasn’t just the red that caught my eye. This 2014 Audi A4 Prestige S-Line has a manual 6-speed coupled to a 220 hp 2.0 liter turbo four. Not a lotta manual transmissions at CarMax – of the 60,000 cars on their website today only 1,500 have manuals.
This little Audi is also well equipped as an S-Line and Prestige model. It’s a one-owner accident free Minnesota car (love the Audi AWD) and only 30,000 miles – and it’s still here in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. (Pssst – there’s a cheaper manual 2012 A4 here in Puyallup, Washington but it’s the lower horsepower model and higher mileage. This doesn’t count towards the seven.)
#2 – A Subaru sans wing. I hate wings. Sports bars notwithstanding.
Very nice sleeper sedan here – a 2016 WRX STI Limited with only 8,000 miles. It also has a manual transmission, AWD, and a crazy 2.5 liter 305 hp four cylinder motor. The Audi A4 wouldn’t have a chance. Of course, this is a good $8,000 more than the Audi.
The WRX just screams rally car to me. Pike’s Peak. Michele Mouton. So many of them come with the boy racer wing that this wingless, ultra low mileage sedan and slick silver color just got my attention. Find this single owner WRX here in Oxnard, California.
#3 – Another AWD sedan and another Japanese car. I blog too much about European cars!
My best bud had an Infiniti M45 and I loved it. We’ll ignore that he once had a Citation X-11 and I loved that, too. This 2009 M45X is selling for only $14,998 but it does have some miles on it – all by a single owner from Illinois. This car sold for over $50,000 new back in the day, and in that day 325 hp from a 4.5 liter V-8 was good enough.
The interior is quite handsome and luxurious. Interesting for an 11 year old car, this model has automated cruise control – a highway cruising feature I can’t live without. Bluetooth, Bose, lane departure warning, air conditioned and heated seats, and AWD. And beautiful blue over tan – my favorite combo. Not seeing many third generation M45’s any more. Only 8,500 2009 models were made. You can get one here in Tampa.
#4 – Sticking with the non-European AWD sedan for a second.
I’m on a roll. This is a Korean AWD V-8 cruiser. How did it come to my attention? Two ways – reader Jerrell Maple got me interested in G90’s, and as many of you do, sometimes I search by compiling features I like and see what comes out. In this case, I plugged in AWD, Apple Car Play, automated cruise control, a heated steering wheel, and a V-8 motor. And a price tag under $40,000 (otherwise the BMW M550ix is just a better car!).
By checking those boxes, out came the 2018 Genesis G80 Ultimate. Powered by a 420 hp V-8 and having every single feature I could want in a car, it’s a really, really nice bargain at $36,998. If I wasn’t so vain I’d buy one and debadge it. Oddly it’s a three owner car – what’s that all about? But it’s still under the Genesis warranty so no need even for MaxCare. Jerrell likes G90’s or this would be his. So it’s still here in Tinley Park, Illinois.
#5 – A Cadillac that’s not an old guy car!
Well, this is also an AWD luxury sedan, but not an eight cylinder. That said, this 2014 XTS Vsport Platinum has a powerful 410 hp turbocharged 3.6 liter six. That’s good for a mid-five second 0-60 mph run. No slouch at all for a two ton sedan. A nice alternative to the rough and ready CTS-V.
With handsome two-toned interior and every feature the Genesis above has – except Apple Car Play. It’s also $10,000 cheaper, and almost $50,000 less than new. Yes, these were $70,000 cars new. It’s a two owner, accident free Illinois car here in Omaha, Nebraska.
#6 A phantom Mercedes. Watch this one.
I try not to cover cars that are not currently available. This 2011 Mercedes E550 luxury came online yesterday and went offline while I was writing. I’m so hoping it comes back. It’s a great example of “driving rich”, in that it’s a nicely appointed low mileage German sedan for not a lot of money.
Two-toned like the Cadillac. Air conditioned and heated seats. Adjustable suspension. Bluetooth and Harman Kardon sound. Blind spot monitor. The 5.5 liter V-8 is good for 382 hp. Not bad. But here’s the clincher.
Only 18,286 miles on this nine year old car. Damned near new, except it was a nearly $60,000 car back then. Now only $20,998 it’s here in Duarte, California – or hopefully it will be again!
#7 – The American dream? Yes, if that American is cruising the interstate to Florida for the winter.
The 2011 Lincoln Town Car was the final year for the Panther platformed luxury yacht. And this one is an ultra low mileage (30,000) Signature Limited model. What’s special about a Signature Limited? Absolutely nothing – that’s what the base Town Car was called in 2011. Let’s keep that between us. I’d feel special in this, an old school car – baby blue like Frank Sinatra’s eyes over an interior as tan as Trump.
Tan as Trump? That was kinda dumb. Pale like Pence more fitting. Regardless this was a $57,000 buy when new and is less than $20,000 now. I wouldn’t even spring for MaxCare. The 4.6 liter V-8 is solid, a little underpowered at 239 hp. And while the car looks enormous it’s only 150 pounds more than the Cadillac XTS above, and still 600 pounds less than my S600!
What’s with this oddly configured Town Car trunk? I swear it looks like there are hidden compartments for running guns or other contraband. If this scratches your itch, this two owner Town Car is available here in Kenner, Louisiana.
CarMax continues to surprise me with unicorns I thought we might not see anymore. For example, this 2010 Mercedes CL550. I’ve covered more than a few of these and if you’re familiar with them you know it’s an S-class coupe.
