Jeep – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

January 21, 2022January 21, 2022

Quick Hit – Four NOS SUV’s for Snow? (And Inventory Coming – Maybe More Unicorns?)

New old stock (NOS), or old stock for short, refers to aged stock of merchandise that was never sold to a customer and still new in original packaging. Such merchandise may not be manufactured anymore, and the new old stock may represent the only current source of a particular item.[1] There is no consensus on how old a product must be to be NOS, and some people reserve an NOS label only for products that are actually discontinued. – Wiki

Not to be confused with nitrous oxide engine offerings, also known as NOS in the automotive hot rodding world, the handful of SUV’s below are what I could find of older vehicles with almost no miles on them – or damned near new in unicorn terms. They’re not terribly special otherwise, but I was sitting in my home office watching the snow fall and the plows at the ready, and thought why not?

Interestingly, I started writing this on January 19th when CarMax inventory was maybe 50,000 cars. On January 21st we are up to 65,319 vehicles! Pre-Covid CarMax held maybe 50,000 cars in inventory year round, and beefed up to 70,000 around the end of their financial year (spring). I’m already seeing some fascinating cars, unfortunately most are higher than my unicorn cap of $35,000. Think I’m going to have to up that. There was a time when CarMax offered lots of cars in the $5,000-8,000 range, and rarely one over $100,000. (Here’s the link to the first one I ever saw in 2017 – a Mercedes AMG GT S). Now the cheapest cars (3) are $9,000 and there are 36 cars on their lots that are over $100,000. The market has gone mad. Anyway, let’s get to the SUV’s. It’s still 19 degrees in Leesburg. Maybe when it warms up I’ll find us a real unicorn?

This 2014 GMC Terrain Denali is eight years old, and has only a couple of hundred miles on it. Adequately, but not opulently equipped, no third row, and a decent 301 hp six cylinder driving the front wheels, it’s mostly interesting as a bit of a time capsule. GMC sold about 100,000 units of these first generation Terrains yearly.

Find this single owner, accident free 2014 GMC Terrain Denali here in Las Vegas.

Stock # 21719671 VIN # 2GKFLUE36E6346763

September 19, 2021September 19, 2021

Apologies From a Selfish Blogger on September Absence (Hint – Instead of Writing I Bought Another CarMax Car)

THE SHORT VERSION: I haven’t blogged for a few weeks because I’ve been frantically searching the CarMax app for my next car, ignoring the unicorns that have come and gone. Also preparing to sell my remaining two cars and working too much. Pathetic excuses. I bought a car and will be back to blogging shortly! What follows are my three test drives and one purchase.

My latest ride – 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited

THE LONG VERSION: Not what you were expecting? Me neither. A couple of months ago I zeroed my SUV search down to the BMW X3 M40i and the Mercedes GLC43 AMG. And if you’ve been here before you know I tend to change my mind as more information becomes available. Or my whims change. Well, I really, really don’t want to get pinned down to only an SUV and a business car (my Mercedes S600) and headed in a different direction. It’s complicated. I’m selling my vintage 1971 Fiat 124 Spider after some minor repairs shortly (will post here soon) after taking first place in the annual Fiat gathering in July. Right after the Fiat goes I’m selling the S600 as it approaches 95,000 miles. The big Merc still has over two years and 30,000 miles of MaxCare coverage. Both cars are as marketable as they’re going to be. That leaves me, the CarMax guy, without a car. So for the past three weeks I’ve been going nuts on how to manage my replacement strategy and not get boxed in to cars I don’t want. Been searching night and day at the expense of blogging about cars for you. Don’t get me started on the unicorns that got away this month. Maybe they’ll be back? So this past week I went on the road and looked at not one, not two, but three CarMax unicorns.

In short, this is why I bought this SUV – fully loaded with every modern feature, reasonably priced, only a few years old, and nearby. It also had a V-8. There were lesser equipped Jeep’s out there but savings were minimal. And all similarly equipped Jeeps were thousands more. And while I knew it was a compromise for a Euro-luxury guy, when I loaded all these features into the CarMax website and asked it t spit out a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes, they were all $15-20,000 more than this Jeep. It started to feel like a bargain. It’s also just a stopgap car until my wife gets around to replacing her SUV, and I find successors for my Fiat, the 911 I sold earlier this year, and my S600. So as a short term vehicle it’s not bad.

Rolled the dice and took the train from Washington DC up to Newark, Delaware to look at the Jeep. The risk was there might be something wrong with the car that would interfere with the sale and I’d have to hitchhike back. But the purchase went off almost without a hitch. The auto cruise control isn’t working and will be fixed if we keep the Jeep. MaxCare was $3,800 for the $50 deductible up to 150,000 miles. Driving home was pleasant with Apple CarPlay going, air conditioned seats, and the V-8 adequate at best with only 360 hp. I got 23 mpg at a steady 70-75 mph. Interestingly, the trip odometer / fuel economy info had not been reset for the past 9,000 miles, and it looks like the previous owner enjoyed a whopping 11.9 mpg. Had to be all city driving. But I didn’t drive straight home. There was another unicorn I had to see that same day!

May 12, 2021May 12, 2021

A Really Good Deal on a Jeep SRT-8 (and why I haven’t blogged in weeks)

Oh I so wish this 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 fit the bill for my next family SUV. It’s a damned good unicorn. Over the years I’ve been surprised how much these hot Jeeps retain their value, often costing much more than this one and having far more miles. As of this writing CarMax has seven other Jeep SRT-8’s available or coming soon, ranging from $49,000 for a 2014 model with 56,000 miles to $64,000 for a low miles 2019 model. This hot rod is $38,998 and has only 40,000 miles. That’s a deal.

For 2012 the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 was redesigned with a bigger motor, now 6.4 liters and 470hp, and good for a 4.6 second 0-60 mph run. The Jeep got great marks for handling with AWD and adaptive dampers. Here’s what Motor Trend had to say (I could hardly understand it myself but maybe you will) “The rear-mounted electronic differential also uses clutch packs to send power side to side. The torque vectoring keeps the Jeep turning even when the front end is losing grip. It felt much more natural on the racetrack than it did on our figure-eight. In big sweepers, it is tough to keep a steady speed as small inputs in throttle will cause torque vectoring, but as soon as neutral throttle is needed, the added turning force goes away.” Remarkably, the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 handled as well in the slalom and on the track as the Charger and 300 SRT-8 sedans. The Brembo brakes stopped the 2 1/2 ton Jeep from 60 mph in 106 feet – less than comparable Porsche Cayennes and BMW X5’s. What was unimpressive in the reviews was the outdated five speed automatic transmission with no rev matching on downshifts.

As impressive as all the oomph and performance and raucous V-8, the interior features surprised me at this price point. Auto cruise control. Air conditioned and heated seats. Heated steering wheel. Panoramic sunroof. Carbon fiber trim as standard. This Jeep sold new for just under $60,000. While $38,998 may not seem like much depreciation for a nine year old Jeep, given the prices of all the others on the lots it’s damned good. And with 40,000 miles, add on MaxCare and this thing is good for 85,000 more worry free miles. And yes I checked – accident free and only two owners! Find this 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 here in Torrance, California.

September 23, 2019September 22, 2019

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

2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS $24,998 52k LA This 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 Fresno What 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!)”

June 4, 2019

Quick Hit – 2008 Jeep Wrangler X Driven 10 Miles PER WEEK!

Jeep Side I’ve driven a Jeep off road (tons of fun) and on the highway (lotta noise) and not really for me. But for a brand that has survived being owned by American Motors, Chrysler, Daimlier, Fiat, and maybe Renault next, and a World War, it must have something going for it. Was surprised to find this 11 year old, lovely yellow, 2008 Jeep Wrangler X unicorn sporting less than 6,000 miles on the CarMax website today. That’s 10 miles per week of driving!! But here’s the downside; per this Car and Driver review from 2008, it looks like this car is actually listing at CarMax for the same price as when it was new!

It’s a manual transmission, six cylinder legit Jeep. With a bad ass subwoofer. Surprised this little box weighs in at 4,200 pounds. But it’s a real Jeep. And with these miles, you could buy the MaxCare warranty for up to 150,000 miles. Think about it – you could drive five more years, almost 30,000 miles a year, worry free with a bumper-to-bumper warranty. That would be a rough 30,000 miles of highway driving annually! Find it here in Los Angeles. 2008 Jeep Wrangler X $21,998 6k LA