Monthly Finds (…but unicorns move fast! These may be gone.) – Page 26

February 4, 2019February 2, 2019

Quick Update – My Mercedes S600 Sequel (Part III?)

As I wrote here, the bargain 2008 Mercedes S600 I transferred in from the West Coast went missing – first incorrectly told the car was accidentally sold in Ohio (an honest mistake – CarMax goofed and shipped an Audi S6 in from the same dealer for me, and that car was relayed to Ohio and sold) then advised the S600 had a failing transmission and would not be sold at all. I was skeptical. Thought for sure a CarMax employee pulled it from inventory for personal purchase. At $22,998 it was a steal. But I have confirmed the car was sold to a wholesaler and is out there somewhere. So a faithful blog reader (who is a far better sniper than I – he also found the first S600) scored me another one in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It’s new (2010), nicer, but more expensive at $30,998. I think I’m in. CarMax transferred it to my local Dulle dealer…..and maybe a hiccup already. The ABS light is on, so they sent it to a Mercedes dealer who needs two weeks to fix. CarMax assures me it will be mine when it returns. I’ll be watching. Hoping to make up for the first one I passed on in 2017 – although pleased that a blog reader bought it! 2010 S600 $30,998 46000 Lancaster

February 3, 2019February 2, 2019

The Grand Marquis Mystery – Why The Interest? (Shout Out to Unique Cars 2.0)

2011 Grand Marquis.JPG Got a fascinating and gathering interest in Mercury Grand Marquis’ as unicorns (like the ugly one at the bottom of this blog) because of the generosity of David Fesz and his far more widely followed automotive Facebook page Unique Cars for Sale 2.0. The page notes, “You’ve discovered a better place to share rare automotive sightings discovered FOR SALE online with other enthusiasts, plain and simpler.“ It’s a closed group but if you ask, and you’re not an ass, you get added. Lots of cars posted there I haven’t seen in years. And they are okay with me posting some of the more unusual CarMax unicorns I find there.

And that’s what has me confounded – when I looked at the number of historical hits on my blog over the past year plus, I found the single most spectacular spike I’ve had was for my post on March 8, 2018 – and they all came from the link I posted on Unique Cars for Sale 2.0. Not the CarMax offered BMW and Audi V-10 powered cars, the Mercedes V-12, the Porsche 911‘s, or Jaguar XKR – but for a 2011 Grand Marquis of all things. I found the car interesting at first because it was gigantic, cheap at $14,000, with only 41,000 miles. A little more research though and I found only 248 Grand Marquis’ came off the Continue reading “The Grand Marquis Mystery – Why The Interest? (Shout Out to Unique Cars 2.0)”

February 2, 2019

Rare 2008 Audi RS4: One of 300 Sold in US

RS4 Side Stumbled on this adorable, aggressive 2008 Audi RS4 convertible this morning while surfing for CarMax unicorns over hot coffee and looking out the window at the remains of the Polar Vortex and thinking spring can’t come too soon. Rare to be this brutally cold, and even more rare to come across an RS4 at CarMax. In fact, never been one since I’ve been tracking. Car and Driver tells me the car originally sold for a whopping $85,000, and with only 300 imported in the US, it’s more rare than the R8 supercar!

Audi stuffed the 420hp, 4.2 liter V-8 into this little convertible, mated to a manual six-speed transmission, and all wheel drive. Is that a sexy engine bay or not? The car is good for 155 mph-plus and a 4.6 second 0-60 time. It’s fast. Loaded. Rare. Expensive. I would predict a quick sale, but $31,000 for a 10 year old Audi might take longer. We shall see. I’d still spring for MaxCare protection to drive pretty much repair free.

Find this low mileage, four-owner – and one accident 🙁 unicorn here in Fresno, California. If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2008 RS4 $30,998 43k Fresno

January 17, 2019

Quick Hits – Three Old School Merc Unicorns; Cheap E550/S550/SL550

Here’s three cheap 11 year old Mercedes unicorns, all different rides although powered by the same 5.5l 382 hp powerplant, and all in their own way be a hoot to own and drive. Reliable E550 family sedan, JR Ewing SL550 drop top, and a luxobarge S550 each for the price of a Honda. And with MaxCare, no high unexpected repair bills. What’s not to like? Check them out below.

Sorry only one outside shot of the SL550 on the CarMax page so far, so the interior will have to do. But this is a hard top convertible loaded with seats that heat, cool, massage, and serve up cappuccino. Great Bose stereo (used to own a Merc with one!) and the sport package. This Car and Driver review from 2007 called the car “Very entertaining for a car so aloof in the city.” Driven about 5,000 miles yearly this car is just getting broken in, and seems like a decent ride for $22k. Find this 2008 Mercedes SL550 here in Tacoma. If the link is broken the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred. 2008 SL550 $21,998 54k Tacoma

Continue reading “Quick Hits – Three Old School Merc Unicorns; Cheap E550/S550/SL550”

January 7, 2019

Quick Hit – Cheapest M3…and a Better One For $7,000 More.

CarMax tends to sell a lot of BMW (E90) M3’s in the upper $20k and lower $30k range, usually in higher numbers and higher mileage than I’d prefer for unicorns. Right now they have 50 M3’s for sale all the way up to a 2018 for $69,000. But these two caught my eye – a high-mileage 2008 for only $22,998, the cheapest M3 I’ve seen them sell, and a low mileage 2009 for $29,998. Here’s the Motor Trend review of the E90 M3 from back in the day.

The 2008 is a hard top convertible and an automatic, the most plentiful, cheapest configuration you’ll find at CarMax. It’s high mileage at 81,000 miles, and on other car forums (fora?) folks moan that used M3’s are often beat all to hell, but as always, I say “who cares?!” as long as you buy the MaxCare bumper to bumper warranty. Don’t care how trashed the mechanicals are as long as they are covered for another 50,000 miles.

This one has some wear and tear but the seat bolsters are fine – as with my 2001 BMW 3-series they are the first to go with big butts sliding into the driver’s seat. It’s about the engine (8,400 rpm red line!) and the handling and the braking. Find this two owner car here in San Jose – if the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred.

This single-owner 2009 M3 is neither a hard top convertible nor an automatic, and really low miles for a 10 year old car. The body lines are tight and neat, uninterrupted like the hard top convertible. And with MaxCare I think you can get another five years and ridiculous 100,000 miles of coverage – drive the snot our of it worry free. Find this one here in Memphis. 2009 M3 $29,998 33k Memphis

January 7, 2019

S600 Update – Not Accidentally Sold After All…..

…..but still not mine. After days of busting chops, CarMax tells me the 2008 Mercedes S600 V-12 was not accidentally sold in Ohio, but was deemed not sellable to customers due to a really bad transmission. I found it on the Dulles lot last week. I have asked a number of times why CarMax went ahead and completed a Virginia State inspection (see sticker below) after the car was deemed not sellable, but no response. They tell me it’s going to a wholeseller. Asked for documentation confirming it went, but no response. Until I verify that, I’m still suspicious this car is going to a CarMax insider. It was a bargain at $22,998 and 44,000 miles. They refunded my $899 transfer fee and have offered to ship another car from anywhere for free. No S600 has been that cheap – and there have only been three – in the two years I’ve tracked CarMax. Will be hard to match. And if I see this S600 sold to an individual and not a wholeseller I’m going to flip out on them! And I will know where this car goes.

November 25, 2018

Quick Hit – The End of the Run 2009 1/2 Pontiac G8 GT – $19,998

G8 GT side Pontiac as a company ran outta gas in 2009, and sadly this Holden Commodore……er, Pontiac G8 GT unicorn went with it. The big Australian sedan has been resurrected as the Chevy SS and will cover one soon. Often when I see a Pontiac G8 GT or GXP in a driveway, the owner also has another enthusiast auto; an original Landcruiser FJ or a Mazda RX-7 or something that says they like what they like.

Been watching this 2009 1/2 Pontiac G8 GT because it seems to be a well-balanced value at only $19,998, with lower miles and price than most (check out the comps at the bottom – two other high mileage cars and a six-cylinder G8), and because it isn’t selling. Then again, back in the day these sold poorly anyway. It has been transferred once so far. Would welcome thoughts from Pontiac experts on why it’s not sold. Admittedly it is only a GT with a 355 hp power plant, not the 400 hp in the more coveted GXP (usually selling for $10,000 more than a GT). It doesn’t have a sunroof, but the 2009 1/2 got Bluetooth! The interior of this one owner car looks nearly new, with seat heaters in the front. It is a 10 year old extinct car, so I’d still roll for the MaxCare warranty. Here’s the Motor Trend and Car and Driver reviews from back in the day. Find it here in Chicago.

2009 Pontiac G8 GT $19,998 39k Chicago

4 G8

November 12, 2018

The (Nearly) Perfect Unicorn for Veterans – AWD Diesel F10 BMW. You Earned It.

Col. Stephanie Wilson, 72nd Air Base Wing commander, waves to the crowd at the annual Midwest City Veterans Day parade Nov. 11. Walking along with Colonel Wilson’s Humvee were CAPT. Ed McCabe, Strategic Communications Wing ONE and Task Force 124 commander; Col. Michael Green, 72nd Mission Support Group commander; and 72nd ABW Command Chief Master Sgt. David Tuck. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)

Haven’t done a holiday themed unicorn blog yet, but it’s Veterans Day, and thought I should pick out a special unicorn for those who have served. Didn’t take long to punch in the requirements. Had to be 4WD/AWD, of course – don’t want to be restricted to asphalt. And diesel. The third world thrives on diesel. Run flat tires – not stoppping if we can avoid it. Room for four shooters and all their gear. Low profile color. And 21st century troops need technology – heads up display to stay focused on the horizon, rear view camera and blind spot monitoring to track bogeys, Bluetooth to communicate with Hqs, and a killer sound system for when off the net. Cold weather package because pretty much everywhere in the world it gets cold at night, and the US military owns the night. Bummed I could not find something with all this and night vision, too! And just in case you read no further, thanks to all who have served in the armed forces in defense of this great nation. Check out Jason Isbell’s tribute, “Tour of Duty”, for those who came home safe.

050426-M-9019H-006 U.S. Marines examine mortar rounds and a BMW automobile in what they believe to be a car bomb in the making during security and stabilization operations in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on April 26, 2005. The mortars and the car are part of the 20 weapons caches that U.S. Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment found during the operations. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Brian M. Henner, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

Only one vehicle had pretty much everything needed, and at first I was bummed it was not a Humvee (there’s one at the bottom of this page as a back up plan. Military folks always have a back up plan). It’s a BMW!. But then I thought after all our troops have been through, this would be a really sweet ride. And having been to Iraq and Afghanistan, I know our Special Operations Forces are not unfamiliar with BMW’s, and BMW is not unfamiliar with tough places either – especially armored BMW’s. (Somewhere in a shoe box, pre-internet days, is a picture of me driving a lightly armored BMW 320 in the Middle East!).

At $34,998 this 2016 BMW 535 dxi would be a really nice unicorn for any road warrior. I was actually surprised to find a two-year old car with low miles, still under factory warranty. Means MaxCare will be really cheap and take this car to 2023 and 150,000 miles without paying for a repair. The diesel will only be getting broken in by then! The expensive electonic gizmos would all be covered, though, and well worth it.

The in-line, twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel puts out 255hp and 413 ft-lbs of torque, and with an eight-speed automatic is good for a mid-5 second 0-60mph run and get this, a 550 mile cruising range on a tank of diesel! Stole some of that from the great Car and Driver review in 2014 (car was unchanged for 2016), where they estimated a fully optioned AWD 535d would run close to $90,000. If that was the price tag for this California leased car, here it is at a deep discount two years later at almost a third the price. I love me some depreciation. The 2015 model was named the Diesel Car of the Year. Even the great and candid Jalopnik reviewer dug it. This is a car I could learn to love on road trips. Owned an E34 1992 BMW 525i in-line six when I lived in Germany and could pull off 600 miles on a tank, and comfortably cruise as long and as far as the bladder could handle. Find this car here in San Jose, California. 2016 535d $34,998 37k San Jose

Continue reading “The (Nearly) Perfect Unicorn for Veterans – AWD Diesel F10 BMW. You Earned It.”

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018

Quick Hit – 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS…Didn’t Know This Was A Thing!

HHR SS Side Always a skeptc when it comes to adding “SS” to a car name (like “GT”). Sometimes they are badass like the Camaro SS and of course, the Aussie-Chevrolet SS, and sometimes they are just badges – like the Cobalt SS. Was doing a search for 10 year old unicorns with low miles and came across this 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS. On a lark I opened this page and was intrigued by the the retro wagon look, burnt orange color, low price and low miles. Wondered about the SS part, especially since CarMax has it listed as 0 hp and 0 torque, and searched for reviews. Pleasantly surprised they are almost all positive. Check these out; Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, and even Popular Mechanics. The HHR had a five year production run but the SS was only sold from 2008-2010. Yes, there were hundreds of thousands of base HHR’s sold, but the SS only represented a small percentage of sales (5%?). Me thinks it was Chevrolet’s answer to the PT Cruiser that sold for 10 years.

HHR 3-4 The engine is the 2.0 liter turbo with 260hp, shared with the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky before they went belly up, and the suspension has been tuned to handle far better than a vanilla HHR. Even has a boost gauge in the A-pillar like the kids have! The mid-six second 0-60 mph time ain’t that impressive and yet the reviewers all seem to dig this box. So do I. I’m trying to resist calling my son in Portland and asking him to go get it for me. If none of you do in the next 24 hours I just might. Make a nice little commuter vehicle for me!

HHR SS Interior The car sold for about $24,000 in 2008. There are 59 of these on Car Guru right now, almost all cheaper, and almost all have tons of miles. Only one has less miles at this price. Oddly, it’s an hour away from me. But it wouldnt have the coveted MaxCare warranty to keep this 11 year old car in free repairs until it’s a 16 year old car. That’s special.

Boost Check this out – it’s a one-owner car and was originally sold in Florida, spent some time in California, and is now in Washington. If I bring it to the East Coast it will have done its own One Lap of America. Find it here in Tacoma, Washington. If the link is dead the car is sold, on hold, or being transferred (to me!).

2008 Chevrolet HHR SS $13,998 41k Puyallup

November 8, 2018

Quick Hit – Low Priced 911….For a Reason. 2008 Carrera $37,998 in Albuquerque.

911 side There have been very few sub-$40,000 Porsche 911 unicorns offered by CarMax in the almost two years I’ve been tracking them. Four to be exact, and one of them I bought. I consider these “starter 911’s”, low miles, a decent price point, and the bullet proof MaxCare warranty to keep us unafraid of repairs. I bought Etta for $34,998 plus the warranty, passed on a $33,998 911 in 2017 (had manual seats – I didn’t fit), and there’s been a convertible for $39,998 that comes and goes on CarMax lots. This $37,998 2008 911 Carrera reminded me a lot of my car, almost identical in mileage, $3,000 more in price, albeit with a 6-speed manual transmission. My car actually listed at $36,998 but also said it had navigation. When I pointed out it did not, CarMax immediately dropped the price $2,000 without me even asking.

I wanted to believe this car was almost as good a deal as mine, except I looked into the history and found it’s had not one but two accidents. Bummer. The left rear, pictured above. Also, a close look at the seats shows far more creasing than I have in mine. But if you really, really want to own your first 911, given the scarcity I’ve seen over time, this is about as good a deal as you’re going to get. I suspect it will be months until another sub-$40,000 911 shos up. It’s still a very pretty car at 10 years old, and still goes like stink. Go in eyes wide open and enjoy this iconic car. Find it here in Albuquerque. If the link is dead it’s sold, on hold, or being transferred.

2008 Carrera $37,998 39k Albuquerque