Quick Hit – #25/70 2022 Land Rover TReK Edition, Mecum Auctioned, Celebrity (?) Competition Off-Roader!

First, thanks to blog reader and fellow CarMax enthusiast Cannon for sharing this 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 S TReK Edition, a one of 70 factory special edition off-roading unicorn that has already proven itself in a competition of sorts. And been auctioned off by Mecum in Florida. And discounted. And available with MaxCare for another five years and up to 125,000 miles (or 116,000 more, even in the mud?. By CarMax standards this is a find.

I’ve tried and tried to find how this particular Defender fared in the competition, without any luck. It didn’t win. Land Rover of Rochester took those honors. This one still has an interesting history beyond the competition, though. It sold and was first registered new with all of 8 miles on the odometer in late December 2021 for maybe $90,000 in Tampa, Florida. But that was after the September 2021 competition. Apparently they didn’t drive very far off-road? Then the was auctioned off by Mecum in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2023 for $82,500 according to Classic.com. Fast forward to the fall of 2023 and here it is back in Asheville, North Carolina, on a CarMax lot not far from the competition site for $17,000 less than the Mecum sale. What happened? No idea.

The “competition” is an annual Land Rover sponsored event for media first, then teams of Land Rover sales, service and technical staff run a series of off-roading obstacles in these 70 SUV’s, winching, mudding, driving, and navigating across some uneven terrain according to the team from The Drive. The celebrity (professional?) team, if you will, “consisted of Olympic skier and Land Rover ambassador Lindsey Vonn, high-altitude ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, and ESPN journalist and experienced navigation rally competitor Alyssa Roenigk. They called themselves Team Rocky Road and put in a strong effort in the competition.” – according to winning team “No Time To Cry”, from Gear Junkie. The 2021 competition was at the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, North Carolina – not a place I’d think of for off-roading. I think of touring the wealthy estate followed by touring a brewery, and that I’ve done.

Motor Trend reviewed one of these, and noted ….”for gear and equipment, our Defenders each had a powered winch and winch controller, which ended up getting plenty of use over the weekend, as well as a winch kit with pulleys, straps, and gloves. Each SUV was also dressed with Land Rover’s available Explorer Pack which comes with a raised air-snorkle-like intake next to the windshield, improved wheel arch protection with tougher body panel materials, and a waterproof side-mounted lock box which we used to store a jack and tire iron. Land Rover also outfitted black-painted side tubes, a spare tire cover, a fridge in the rear cargo area, a retractable awning, and an available roof-mounted collapsible tent that one of the team members ended up sleeping in over the weekend.”

The 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 S is nicely appointed inside, with a heated steering wheel and seats, Meridian audio, automatic high beams, and Apple CarPlay. The cabin belies a real off-roading capability. Not sure about the rear cargo area below, more like a paddy wagon or K-9 hold. Looks way functional.

The Land Rover Defender only has a 2.0 liter four banger, although it’s a turbocharged I-4 gas engine good for 296 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission and of course four wheel drive. It’ll do 60 mph in about seven seconds and tops out at 119 according to Land Rover. Probably not buying it to sprint.

This 2022 Land Rover Defender 110S is currently reserved here at the CarMax in Asheville, North Carolina. You can still track it by the stock number or VIN on CarMax’s website even though it says not available, should it not sell or get transferred again. Not sure I’d want to commute in it, and yet it seems all of the competitor teams thought it was a worthy off-roader for the Land Rover brand. It still has four years and 40,000 miles of manufacturer warranty, so not sure I’d get MaxCare for just one more year of warranty, unless you plan to burn through those 40,000 miles soon. Enjoy.

Stock No: 24802557 VIN: SALEJ7RX0N2063664

1 of 600 and a One Year Model – 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic (SVAD?)

Stumbled on this hot 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic and wondered if there was anything special about it. Was surprised to learn it’s a one year only model and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) made only 600 units. A unicorn, but not a cheap one. Invested another whole hour on the web only to learn that 60 made it Canada, and no idea how many to the USA. It was once a $100,000 SUV and two years later, it’s on the lot for $83,998. A bargain? Probably not. Exclusive? I’d say so.

With the convenience package and driver assistance package there is nothing available from Land Rover this vehicle don’t have. Adaptive cruise control, heated, cooling, and massaging performance seats for all, knurled-metal finish on the infotainment and HVAC knobs, multiple big screens, leather, carbon fiber, and on an on. Looks handsome. Tasteful.

No rear DVD system – probably interferes with the suit jacket hangar built into the driver’s headrest? Nothing opulent in the back. Nothing really to see here mate, move on.

Here’s what you really get for the $40,000 over a regular Velar – a monstrous 550 hp 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 powerplant mated to an eight speed automatic that’ll take this beast to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Same motor in the higher priced Range Rover Sport SVR and lower priced (usually) Jaguar F-Pace SVR (see the bottom of this piece). The motor engineered and built by Ford for Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations until 2020. The SVAD gets bigger wheels. bigger brakes, and corners with brake-based torque-vectoring. It also has a bigger gas tank – gonna need it. JLR is also pretty proud of the active exhaust system, providing the video sound track below to whet your appetite, or be music to your ears, depending on your epicurean preferences.

This one-owner, accident free 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic is available in Corpus Christi, Texas here – it’s been on and off the net today so the stock number and VIN are also below. What about MaxCare? This Range Rover still has two years and 20,000 miles of manufacturer warranty – after that it’s a crap shoot. I suspect the legendary unreliability of JLR vehicles is by now more folk lore than reality, despite Doug DeMuro’s famous Range Rover some time back. (For the record, CarMax dropped more money repairing my Mercedes S55 AMG – $35,000 – than they did on his Range Rover – $21,000!) Spending $84,000 on this Velar would be a strain for me, and MaxCare might push that to $90,000. But I couldn’t own this without it. Your call.

Stock # 22148367  VIN # SALYU2EE2LA264027

Continue reading “1 of 600 and a One Year Model – 2020 Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic (SVAD?)”

Quick Hit – $22k Supercharged Range Rover Now Available

Love this 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged unicorn and impulsively put it on hold like a fool. I keep forgetting I must replace the 911 soon, the S600 later, and my old Ford Escape….someday. But it’s free again and at $21,998 for 510 hp it’s an interesting buy.

Fairly well appointed for a 10 year old SUV with heated steering wheel and seats, rear view camera, Bluetooth, and adjustable suspension. For $22k it’s damned near a British beater!

But for me it’s about depreciation, loads of luxury and horsepower, and MaxCare. Your chance to be Doug DeMuro (although he only got $16k in repairs on his CarMax Range Rover – I got $35k on my S55!). This beaut is here in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sorry for the iPhone formatting – WiFi failed in my hotel and wanted to get this out quick!

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

RR Conv sideSorry 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””

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

rr sideSomething 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 2This 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

Happy Mother’s Day – The Queen’s Range Rover (Sorta) for $23,998!

My mother never had a license or drove a car in her life, and passed away last year at 92.  And here’s Queen Elizabeth II driving a Range Rover at the ripe old age of 93 (when the photo was taken I think – she’s 94 now!).  Ignore the media hullabaloo that she’s not wearing a seat belt, it’s still impressive.  Live on the edge at that age!RR Side So to celebrate here’s a low mileage 2012 Range Rover Sport HSE unicorn at a bargain price.  Once sold for about $80,000 and is now $23,998.  Or less than 20,000 British pounds if you’re so inclined.  This Range Rover Sport is adequately equipped, with four wheel drive, optional nine speed transmission (not sure that’s accurate – thought they only had an optional eight speed?), heated steering wheel and so on.

Not tremendously equipped, but good enough.  Same with the 375hp 5.0 liter V-8.  Good enough, although I’d have to wait on the occasional supercharged Range Rover that drops into the $25,000 range (like this one from last year).  Or if supercharging is too much oomph, this stupid cheap one at $16,998 that stayed on the net for a very short time would do. Here’s the review from 2012 in Top Speed.  Of course, I’d especially want MaxCare to protect myself from repair bills.  Find this two-owner California car here in Loveland, Colorado. 2012 Range Rover $23,998 45k Loveland

Quick Hit – Bargain 510hp 2012 Range Rover Sport – $25,998

RR sideI love this unicorn.  Don’t see a lot of Range Rovers in red.  Don’t see a lot of supercharged Range Rovers for $25,998.  Don’t see any other 500+ hp SUV’s for under $35,000 – BMW X5M’s and X6M’s sometimes come close (check out this X6M with 555hp for $36,998 in Tuscon).  Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8’s don’t have the oomph and cost more.  Mercedes GL63’s top 550hp but also cost twice what this Range Rover does.

This supercharged Range Rover is ripe for MaxCare though – repairs aren’t cheap.  Minor point – CarMax has this car listed under the more luxurious Range Rover category and not Range Rover Sport.  The Sports are usually cheaper – regardless $25,998 is a good deal for a single-owner Ranger Rover Sport Supercharged.  Find it here in Sacramento.

2012 Range Rover Super $25,998 43k Sacramento 12-11-19

Quick Hit – Cheapest Range Rover in Years at $16,998

Not much to say and not much time to say it. Don’t believe this low mileage, two owner, 10 year old Range Rover Sport will be on the market long.Only a 300hp V-8 but can’t imagine a better SUV for this price – provided you splurge on MaxCare. A money loser for CarMax but a helluva beater. Find it here in Parker, Colorado.

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

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!)”