2021 Mercedes GLE63 to Daytona and Back on the Auto Train. Dash Cams and Danger. And a 10,000 Mile Update.

My 2021 Mercedes GLE63 AMG Sasquatch

Marooned in a Marriott in Colorado Springs during a blizzard 1,700 miles into a cross country drive, and with nothing on CarMax catching my attention, I’m thinking it’s a perfect time to blog about the road trip I took not too long ago to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The ostensible purpose of this post is to provide an update on my 2021 Mercedes GLE63 AMG, and some of the quirks and fixes I’ve endured since the last update in January, and I’ll do that, but the more fun stuff is sharing some dash cam footage of the drive south, the foray onto the Daytona Beach, and accompanying the SUV home on the Amtrak Auto Train.

On the drive to Daytona I rolled past 10,000 miles logged on this 2021 Mercedes GLE63 AMG under my ownership. Found an open stretch of I-95 south towards Richmond and rocked the GLE63 up a bit as my trip odometer crossed 10,000 miles. Interesting, I guess, to see since I bought the car I’ve averaged 19.1 mpg and 35 mpg, in 287 hours behind the wheel of this 600 hp SUV. The gas mileage and average speed have been about the same, from the S55 to the 911 to the S600 to the M3. It’s my lot in life regardless of the car.

Veered off I-85 around Henderson, NC and took back roads through Darlington, SC before rejoining I-95. On those two lanes I once again enjoyed the immense thrust, if you will, of the 600hp V-8 passing others when safe. Having that much oomph influences what’s safe. Here’s a selection of those passes, amateurishly edited by The CarMax Unicorn graphics staff. Let me know what you think?

Made it to Daytona, watched the 24 hour race with my good friend Jerry in the Champion’s Club Lounge (offset by lodging in the roach infested Motel 6), and after the race drove the GLE63 onto the beach, a tradition. Another two-minute video for you here:

Was really a hoot to get the Mercedes onto the same spot I parked the Fiat a few years back. Hurricanes destroyed the palm trees and the retaining wall, and a new place has been built next door. And the Fiat has a new owner. But it’s the same spot.

And in both cases there was a loop playing in my head, “Don’t get stuck! Don’t get stuck! Don’t get stuck!”. Last year I watched from my hotel balcony the dude in the RV below trying to dig himself out, and having to suffer the embarrassment of calling a tow service for help. I would abandon my car first.

After the race and goofing off at the beach, it was time to head north, I’ve taken the Fiat 124 and the BMW M3 on the Amtrak auto train, and would have taken the S600 two years ago but Daytona gave me covid so I aborted and drove home. Left the dash cam on for the loading/unloading, and thinking if you’ve ever had an interest in this unusual mode of travel, you might enjoy this eight minute video.

Well that was fun. Now back to the 10,000 mile (on my watch) update on the GLE63. I covered my 10,000 miles in the seven months since buying the car, and the disappointments I’ve had have nothing to do with the driving experience. It’s a fast, luxurious, high-tech SUV. My frustrations have been over the brakes, the tires, and the uneven level of customer service at my local Mercedes dealership. I think I have the first two fixed, still working on the third.

In the last update I noted the front brakes started screeching at 20,000 miles. Not a warranty item. Mercedes wanted $2,600 to replace the pads and rotors, and only offered a one year, 12,000-mile warranty on their work. Some forum members noted replacement was sometimes necessary every 10,000 miles and I was bummed. I shopped around, and the local cars and coffee club members recommended Honest Tom’s of Sterling, Virginia, so I went there. Honest Tom agreed to install FCP Euro brakes, which come with a lifetime warranty, for about $500 less than Mercedes, and I thought I scored. But FCP Euro couldn’t source the brakes. The independent mechanic still did my brakes for $2,200 and warrantied them for two years, 24,000 miles. Still ahead. While I was at it Honest Tom completed my Service A for $500 – half of what Mercedes charges.

I’ve had Conti’s on several cars, but never summer performance tires. These are nail magnets.


The tires have been equally frustrating. In six months, the rear Continental summer performance tires picked up three tire-killing nails, and replacements ran $600 each. I only had to pay for two since the third one was now covered by Mercedes road hazard. What a bargain. But I was still frustrated that nobody other than Pirelli makes all seasons, the Pirellis would run $3,600 a set, and they were on backorder until at least spring. Even Tire Rack couldn’t help. Did I mention I’m sitting in Colorado in a blizzard?


After much internet research I found Nitto all season tires, staggered and in my size, priced at $1,200 for a set of four installed. At Walmart. No shit. Walmart doesn’t advertise them as fitting my SUV, though. I called Tire Rack for advice and they said Nitto is a sub of Toyo tires, and nothing wrong with them. However, my Continentals are rated at 186 mph, and the Nittos only 168 mph. I’ll take my chances. There was some buffoonery at Walmart getting them installed but it got done properly. Reviewers have generally approved of the Nittos but some said they were noisier than they would have liked. That gave me pause, and as you can see below the tread pattern is big, and yet on this road trip I don’t hear or feel them at all. The motor growl and the stereo, while not loud, easily offset any tire noise.

Now I have a spare set of rear, summer performance Conti’s I don’t need, taking up space in my garage, But they were $600 each, so what do I do?

The last significant engagement with Mercedes was a safety recall. “The fuel pump impeller might not meet current specifications regarding its material characteristics. As a consequence, the impeller might deform and contact the fuel pump housing, resulting in mechanical resistance on the impeller. This could cause the fuel pump to stop operating.” That could be a problem.

Happy to say Mercedes quickly replaced the fuel pump, no small feat given the fuel tank had to be drained and dropped to do so. At the same time, while in for service the dealer reset a fuse under the passenger seat that caused my power socket to fail. When I picked up my car I found they had broken the plastic trim that covers the seat bracket, and left it hidden under the seat. Pretty much every visit to this Mercedes dealer includes these surprises. My service rep ordered a replacement and fixed it no charge, and yet I think it’s time to try a different dealer. Still not as happy as I am with my CarMax service folks.

And with that, signing off to (hopefully) head through the Rockies tomorrow and continue my journey. But my car was totally cleared off when I went into the restaurant for dinner tonight, and an hour later it’s buried again. And the snow keeps falling. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Quick Update – My (Non-CarMax) 2021 Mercedes GLE63s AMG. Love It Or Leave It?

Last summer I strayed from CarMax and bought a 2021 Mercedes GLE63s AMG, a Certified Previously Owned (CPO) hot rod SUV I found in Santa Fe, New Mexico after a nationwide search that went on way too long. The whole saga was posted here. I’ve now put 8,000 miles on the car despite only one short road trip to North Carolina, and the experience had left me undecided on whether I love the car or whether I should sell it and start anew. Some unexpected repair expenses had me leaning towards selling, and will get to that later.

First, I want to document (in case any of you are IRS agents) that this is in fact a work “truck” and I frequently use it as such! Even my drive to Fort Liberty, North Carolina was for work! For the record, I only refer to it as a truck to make my family cringe.

That said, it’s a performance SUV first and foremost, and the fat summer tries have caused me some trouble. In July I picked up my first giant nail in one of these beefs and had to replace it – for $600. The tire was only available at the Mercedes dealership. Thought that was unfortunate since I’d really rather have all seasons on the vehicle but now I’ve got sunk costs. It got worse. Picked up another nail in the opposite rear tire a month later, and sunk another $600 for a new one. Thinking these high performance tires attract nails I started to explore just replacing all four with all seasons, only to find out nobody, but nobody, carries them. Pirelli makes a set sold through Mercedes dealers, but they are out of stock until spring (at least). Turns out the 22″ diameter is the problem. There are options for 21″ rims, and the GLE63 was sold with them too, but that means I gotta buy four new rims and four new tires. That’s a $3,600 proposition. Seems silly, but so does an AWD SUV I can’t drive in the snow. No room at home to store the summers. Still negotiating with Tire Rack on 21″ tire and wheel combos, and the weatherman is calling for our first snow this weekend. Looks like my BMW M3, with all seasons, will be my go to car?

Twice when I had the GLE63s at the dealer they’ve tried to fix the clamshell center console doors. A single button triggers both opening, except in mine only the left side opens regularly. Mercedes said it’s a known problem. The fix, not so much. The third time the dealer replaced the entire center console storage bin. Likewise, when I pointed out a fender flare was loose and the rear bumper molding had a 1/4″ gap on one side, the service manager agreed to order completely new pieces, have them painted to match, and installed. These fixes were done at no cost under warranty. In two weeks the GLE63s heads back to the dealer for Service A and a recall to replace the fuel pump (Mercedes learned the plastic fuel pump impellers fail). We shall see how that goes.

Back in 1993 I attended the US Air Force War College in Montgomery, Alabama, and while there the State of Alabama was courting Mercedes to put their first US assembly there. Alabama won the competition over rival states by donating the land and using the Alabama National Guard to clear it. We joked at the time that the new ML SUV’s to be built there would come with optional gun racks. I drove a Merkur XR4ti at the time, never imagining that 30 years later I’d own a luxury Mercedes SUV from the same plant.

Anyway, I wondered if some of these misfit parts were the result of assembly in Alabama, and not Stuttgart. Then I wondered about the hand-built AMG motors – were these shipped in from Germany or were they being made in Bama too? The service rep said he’s visited the Alabama factory and yup, motors made there. Disappointed. But not convinced. So I popped the hood all by myself and found the signature plate below. The engines are made in Germany. The umlauts say it all.

In early December the front brakes began to screech. Thought that’s a problem and had the Mercedes dealer check it out. The first answer was we could replace the front pads and rotors for $2,600 and the problem would probably go away. But they also said the pads still have 6/32″ and don’t need replacing right away. No wear indicator on. Maybe they’ll talk to the shop foreman and see what’s up. But they don’t and instead suggest maybe the brakes were glazed when I bought the car. My experience is the service techs are hit or miss on expertise and communications. Ryan the CarMax service rep is so much more conscientious. Replacements by Mercedes are warranted for 12 months, 12,000 miles. GLE63 owners on the forum say they sometimes replace brakes EVERY 10,000 MILES! Not for me, although I am looking into FCP Euro pads with lifetime warranty. Even my local Goodyear store warranty is 24 months/24,000 miles!

The tires and brakes are normal wear and tear items not covered by warranty and expenses are escalating. Before I commit to doing them, I decided to take a shot at selling the GLE63s to CarMax. I figure if they give me something close to what I paid last summer I might just cut my financial loss and start over. Besides, the car was not deeply depreciated and so I don’t feel like I got over on the dealership like I have in the past with CarMax. I miss that, too. CarMax has not had a current generation GLE63 (they have a few 2019’s). The appraisal below tells me they don’t want one. It’s $30,000 less than what I paid just few months ago, and $25,000 less than comparable Mercedes CPO GLE63s’ are selling for right now. CarMax prides itself on offering to buy anything customers bring in, and they will. That said, they can make the price such that no rational seller would ever take them up on it. I’m not.

Pretty sure I’m going to keep the car and love it, although I don’t have a course of action for the tires and brakes just yet. What helps make up my mind is a spirited drive through the rural roads of Loudoun County, Virginia. The audio in the video doesn’t do it justice. I think I’m going to lean into this car and enjoy it. I haven’t seen another one on the roads in the six months I’ve owned it, and that helps me feel a little special. Maybe when I take it to Daytona later this month for, uh, some business meetings around the same time as the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, it’ll feel like a unicorn.

History repeats itself. On New Year’s Day 2024 I tested positive for Covid again, so I went for a rural Loudoun County drive to the John Lewis Memorial Bridge to clear my head before checking into my hotel refuge (my goal this time is to not infect my family). The bridge is on a remote road that crosses Catoctin Creek. Built in 1889, according to the county it’s “a rare surviving example of a wrought iron truss bridge—one of only five still standing bridges built by the Variety Iron Company.” It’s peaceful here. And not unfamiliar.

Three years ago almost to the day – New Year’s Eve 2020 rather than New Year’s Day – I took a short road trip diversion to the same bridge in Etta, my 2008 Porsche 911 CarMax unicorn, after getting the devastating news that I had tested Covid positive. Things were much scarier then, with no vaccines and no Paxlovid. Tomorrow I will load up this Mercedes GLE63s with all the crap I brought with me to my isolation hotel and head home, and if the worst I have to deal with is finding brakes and tires for a badass 600 hp SUV, I guess I’m in a pretty good place after all.

Mild or Spicy – 2013 Mercedes SL550 or SL63 AMG?

Holed up in another hotel on a business trip splurging on Popeye’s fried chicken and thought it’s time to revisit the mild and spicy post from August. Here’s the link if you missed it. The theme was just like Popeye’s, there are some pretty good cars out there in a reasonably fun version and the same car a bit hopped up – spicy. Well, here’s two more – a pair of Mercedes hardtop convertible unicorns! “Super Leicht”…or SL’s.

Above we have the relatively mild 2013 Mercedes SL550, with a ridiculously low 6,927 miles on it! Ten years old and hardly driven. Below, a spicy 2013 Mercedes SL63 AMG with more mileage, but cheaper than the SL550.

These are sixth generation SL’s, R231 models which were made from 2012 to 2020. The SL550 sold new for at least $106,000, the SL63 for more than $150,000.

The cars are similarly, but not identically equipped. The cheaper SL63 has adaptive cruise control and massaging seats, and the SL550 does not. The SL550 has the Harman Kardon audio and the SL63 the Bang & Olufsen (although CarMax lists it as having both the Harman and the Bang!)

That’s the SL550 wheel above, and the SL63 controls below.

Both convertibles have the wonderful Air Scarf neck warmers below.

What distinguishes the two the most are the motors – both twin turbo V-8’s. The “mild” motor is the 4.7 liter, 429 horsepower one in the SL550, with the SL63 sporting the “spicy” 5.5 liter, 530 horsepower engine. The SL550 takes just over four seconds to hit 60 mph – the SL63 just under four. Both have seven speed automatics and are governed to 155 mph top speeds. Reviews suggest the SL63 has an almost marine engine sound to it. Interesting.

At the moment, the 2013 Mercedes SL550 is on its way to Salem, Oregon and is selling for $41,998. Again, it has less than 7,000 miles on it and of course MaxCare is available up to 125,000 and another five years. Makes a nice sleeper. You can track it with this link.

Stock No. 25135608 VIN WDDJK7DA6DF019221

For me, the 2013 Mercedes SL63 AMG is the menu choice I’d make. It’s only $37,998 but does have 56,000 miles on it – and one minor accident involving the driver’s door. It’s currently reserved here in Sacramento, California. Of course, I’d rather have the best of both world’s – a low mileage SL63, but Isaiah bagged that one over a year ago! Here’s the link to that story.

Stock No. 25051893 VIN WDDJK7EA4DF006630

Mild or Spicy? Fair Question for Chicken and Cars, and Six Menu Choices.

Earlier this week there was a decent preseason NFL game between the local Washington Commanders and my hometown Baltimore Ravens and that meant dinner in the recliner watching football. And football often means fried chicken. Popeyes being the closest joint I fired up the M3 and raced my way into the drive-through slalom for a four piece chicken meal with Cajun fries, cole slaw and a biscuit.

It didn’t take long for the dullness of preseason tryouts to set in, and so with greasy fingers I found myself scrolling the CarMax website for unicorns. And I noticed that just like the chicken choice at Popeyes, mild or spicy, many of these cars are available the same way. And so here are three pairs that you can have either way. The choice is yours.

First on the family-sized menu are a pair of Jaguar XF’s. Have to be careful here. Have gotten to know a great guy and Jaguar owner through this blog and we met for drinks once to talk cars. I mentioned this “mild or spicy” angle and implied his XJ was mild because there’s an XJR version. He noted his 5.0 liter V-8 was not exactly sluggish and he was correct. The 2012 Jaguar XF Portfolio below has exactly the same motor, rated at 385 hp, and runs a very respectable five second 0-60 mph time. The XJ only weighs a little more so probably not far off. Regardless, this XF reminds me of the unicorns I posted about when I first started this blog – it’s selling for $17,998, and there’s a slew of boring-ass cars you could be driving but don’t have to if you’re trying to keep costs down. Throw in a couple of grand for MaxCare and drive worry free, in style, for the next five years.

The black XF above is a little newer (2015), with fewer miles, and $11,000 more, but boasts the spicy, supercharged 5.0 liter V-8 making 470 hp. It is called (cleverly) the XF Supercharged! The additional horsepower drops the 0-60 time to 4.7 seconds and a governed 155 mph top speed. It also growls and snarls more aggressively. Sometimes that’s important.

The Portfolio interior (above) and the Supercharged interior (below) are pretty much the same. Nicely appointed, handsome trim. The Supercharged has a heated steering wheel and Meridian audio system. Both have heated and air conditioned seats.

The obligatory motor shots. Portfolio above, Supercharged below. I was hoping for something drastic on the Supercharged model, like giant intakes or orange heat panels like on a rocket ship, but no. To me indistinguishable. To Jaguar folks, I suspect they could spot the differences immediately.

The 2012 Jaguar XF Portfolio is milder than the Supercharged but is probably the better bargain. Eleven years old, decent mileage, burgundy over cream colors (just right for the Washington Commanders’ region), and a bargain price at $18k – sold new for maybe $60,000. It’s a four owner, accident free car. MaxCare to 125,000 miles. It can be tracked here as it’s on the way to Lafayette, Louisiana. And Lafayette is about 2 1/2 hours from where Popeyes got its start, just outside of New Orleans!

Stock No: 24462335 VIN: SAJWA0HB7CLS45542

The spicy 2015 Jaguar XF Supercharged below sold for maybe $70,000 and is now $28,998. It’s got quite the sleeper profile, with very muted exterior badging to indicate the super-stuffed motor. With only 40,000 miles MaxCare is available for another 85,000 – plenty of cruising cap. It’s currently on reserve in Clearwater, Florida so here’s the link to keep tabs on this quick tabby.

Stockno: 24502433 VIN: SAJWA0HP4FMU65358

(Secret Bonus Car below – a beautiful 2012 XF below with only 23,000 miles, a V-8 engine, beautiful blue over gray, and a $23,998 price tag! It’s here in Jacksonville, Florida.)

Stockno: 24337773 VIN: SAJWA0FB5CLS37782

Continue reading “Mild or Spicy? Fair Question for Chicken and Cars, and Six Menu Choices.”

Finally – A New (Pseudo) Unicorn for Me!

It’s been nine months since I sold the Mercedes S600, and much longer that I’ve been bemoaning the challenges of finding my next unicorn. I finally took the plunge and picked up a 2021 Mercedes GLE63s AMG. It’s a (mostly) wonderful SUV that scratches (almost) all of my automotive itches. Unfortunately, I strayed from the fold and did NOT buy it from CarMax. I gave them every opportunity to wow me with a bust-the-budget dream car and just couldn’t get what I wanted – a loaded and exclusive SUV. Even flew to Florida last spring to see a CarMax GLE580 that was listed as fully loaded, only to find it lacked some features CarMax said it had. So I’ve gone out on a limb to buy a Mercedes CPO, paid for a Mercedes’ extended warranty, purchased it long distance from a Mercedes dealer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and had it shipped to me in Virginia. It’s been a challenging journey.

Once I entertained buying a Mercedes CPO I settled on GLE63’s and GLE580’s, 2020 and up (2021 for GLE63’s – there weren’t any in 2020). Found limited quantities of both, and the 580’s were roughly $20,000 less than their AMG brothers. The GLE580 makes 483 hp and the GLE63 603. Both have a 48v mild hybrid power augmentation. The GLE580 does 0-60 in 4,3 seconds and the GLE63 in the low-threes. Justifying the additional $20,000 came down to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go for the higher horsepower and exclusivity of the AMG version. I’ve owned the car for almost two months now and haven’t see another on the road. If you want a professional review of this car read this Car and Driver piece. If you want to know about buying from Mercedes and my experiences, read on!

While I found limited inventory of GLE580’s and GLE63’s from 2020-2022 (my price range), even more frustrating was just how bad the Mercedes Benz CPO web site functions. It’s horrible. Far worse than CarMax. Even worse than General Motors. It’s simply not possible to choose wanted features and sort through the nationwide inventory. There are a very limited number of options to choose, and the results are unreliable. The corporate MB app forces the buyer to go to each dealer’s website to dive deeper on details. MB doesn’t even provide a link – have to cut and paste each dealer’s name and google them to find the dealership. THEN you find the car (again) and hope there’s an “iPacket” of vehicle records that will include the data card of options by description and code. There are three Mercedes dealerships near me, and only one offers iPackets online to find data cards. Otherwise, the buyer needs to reach out dealer by dealer by email or phone to ask for a data card, and tolerate obnoxious sales reps only motivated to get you to walk in the door. More than one sales rep flat out lied, or was bizarrely unaware of what features were actually available on their vehicles.

For example, I absolutely had to have a heated steering wheel. They are extremely hard to find on 2020-2021 GLE580’s. One sales rep told me the heated steering wheel was controlled by the MBUX infotainment system and that’s why I wouldn’t see the switch on the side of the steering wheel. Total bullshit. I finally found a really good guy at the Alexandria, Virginia Mercedes dealer who explained to me that the chip shortage of 2020-2022 resulted in features, such as heated steering wheels, being dropped from some models and reserved for higher end cars. He said some new vehicles even showed up during that time with only half the ambience lighting installed, and a $500 credit on the Monroney sticker! Bottom line, I trusted nothing and no one on features until I got the data card. And then I still overlooked stuff!

After months of searching I found this beautiful blue over cream 2021 Mercedes GLE63s AMG in Santa Fe with only 12,000 miles. It had all of the features I wanted, or so I thought. But it was over budget. Found another white one in a less preferred color scheme in Boerne, Texas, but it was even more expensive. And after I had mentally committed to going all in on the GLE63 over the 580….a nice 580 showed up in Tennessee for $20,000 less. But it sold. The blue GLE63 dropped a thousand, then another two thousand, during my indecision mode. During that time I asked the sales manager about pricing and he flatly refused to negotiate. “I put my best price on the internet.” Another week went by and I engaged a pretty helpful sales rep and flat out made an offer. Said I had to get the price under $100k or my wife would leave me. He checked with the manager (of course) who gave me an ultimatum – they’d accept my offer if I completed the financial part that day and wired them payment. It was as if they’d challenged my manhood or integrity and so I said done, threw caution to the wind, and wired them the whole kit and caboodle. And then waited on paperwork and wondered if I had been swindled.

Although the manager and sales rep assured me they did long distance transactions all the time, they just weren’t very good at it and certainly not timely. Paperwork FedEx’d to me had my name spelled wrong. The email from the finance guy spelled “Benz” wrong. The sales rep and the finance rep were friendly and helpful when we talked, and yet they took forever to return calls. Lots of apologies that they had live customers in front of them, implying that buyers a thousand miles away were less important. When the finance guy initially called me, after trying to sell me windshield crack insurance (I thought Ziebart protection was next) he quoted me the extended CPO warranty for $2,000 more than the sales manager had. I corrected him and he accepted my number – wish I had said it was free!

A week later the sale was complete and we turned to shipping. The dealership claimed they outsourced shipping, but it turned out to be nothing more than “we know a guy”. Jacob, from Global Auto Transportation in Los Angeles. A broker. and the dealership doesn’t arrange transport, I do. Jacob promised me he could get the vehicle booked within a few days, and it would be here in a week, for $1,200. And the normal arrangements were to pay Global $300 and then, get this, Venmo the driver the remaining $900 upon delivery. I saw nothing but extra charges and getting squeezed by the trucker on arrival if Global didn’t pay him and said no – I’d pay Global, up front even, but I wanted a cleaner contract. Jacob agreed, When the SUV was picked up in Santa Fe I texted the truckers (two Russians) and promised a decent tip if they took care of my car. They did, and after delivery I Venmo’d them a couple of hundred bucks, and got a really sweet “May God bless you” text back. They were the highlight of this purchase.

The Mercedes had New Mexico temporary plates good for 30 days, and I needed them. It took the Santa Fe dealer all that time to get me a title and the originals of the purchase documents. And the purchase order was incorrect and rejected when I went to the Virginia DMV. Fortunately, the finance guy at the dealership took my call immediately and within minutes faxed corrected documents to the DMV and just last week, I became legal. I held off writing this piece all this time wondering if it would work out, or if I’d have to drive the car back to Santa Fe and dump it back on them. But it worked out. Just took almost two months to get here.

The SUV is pretty spectacular. I try to overlook design shortcomings like the cupholders above. The cupholders will EITHER heat OR cool your drinks, but what if you have coffee and water – can’t do one of each? Unacceptable 🙂 I misunderstood the Smart Phone Integration package – it has wireless phone charging, and full Apple CarPlay and other integrated features…..but the phone has to be tethered with a USB cord. Was joking about the cupholders, but I really wanted wireless CarPlay. I missed that. I’ve since bought a puck, wired into the port and hidden in the glovebox, but running two Bluetooth connections (MBUX and the aftermarket) is clunky and drops calls. Will probably just run with a wired phone. Disappointing.

The massaging seats are wonderful, and well supporting on my 600 mile road trip. The aromatherapy (below), like the heated/cooling cupholders, is a bit of a novelty. The atomizer was missing when the car arrived so I dropped $100 on Amazon for a genuine “Mercedes Benz Genuine Flacon Perfume Atomizer”. It goes in a special mount in the glove box. Passed on Sport fragrance (was thinking locker room?) and went for “Freeside Mood”. Amazon said it’s “citrus and tea with floral top notes. Base notes include cedar- patchouli and ambergris.” I don’t know what that it, but I do know the first time my wife rode in the car she said something like “Good God, what’s that smell?”. Fortunately, it’s easy to turn off.

While we’re at it, the Mercedes also has the heated armrests – the center console and the door rest. I’m sure they will be critical come winter. It does have the heads up display I dig, although no night vision assist. The Driver Assistance Plus package (hands free driving, including auto lane change and stop and go assist in traffic jams), has been worth it. The 603 hp 4.0 liter V-8 is an absolute brawler……if you want it to be. Peculiarly, I’ve been driving it mostly in reduced power mode because I don’t need that horsepower all the time (or at all?!) and I might as well save on gas. And after 2,000 miles of driving, with only one 600 mile road trip, I’m averaging 19 mpg. That’s what I get in my 2013 BMW M3. And that’s why I sometimes wonder if I would have been just as happy with the “cheaper” GLE580? I’m usually driving the GLE63 the same way. Sort of how my BMW M3 is fine around town in normal mode, and yet hit the “M” button and it’s a race car.

Finally, let’s look at the warranty. The reason for this blog is because I’m a MaxCare addict. I like the financial protection of near bumper-to-bumper coverage on high-end cars and wouldn’t own one without it. Every time I looked at CPO’s, though, I found the coverage was only one year or so beyond the manufacturer warranty. CarMax sells five years from the purchase date from CarMax – not linked to the original sale date. That’s the differentiator. But I found the Mercedes CPO warranty is one year beyond the manufacturer warranty for free, and an additional two years could be purchased with an extended CPO warranty. My SUV is a 2021, and the manufacturer warranty is four years, through 2025. The CPO warranty adds a year, to 2026, and the additional two years I bought, for $5,960, will take me to 2028. That’s five years and unlimited mileage! I plan to drive the wheels off, and not worry about managing mileage. I am waiting for an opportunity to take the car in to Mercedes and see if this is as easy as it has been with my trusted rep Ryan at CarMax.

That’s my story. The car sold new for maybe $130,000 with all these options and carbon fiber trim and I got it for under $100,000 – not the unicorn deal I’ve grown accustomed to, and yet just this once it’s the right thing to do for me. I know it will be worth a third that when I’m done. When I replace the M3, I will no doubt be looking for a bargain at CarMax!

I’ll get back to blogging about CarMax cars now. And enjoying the best, or nothing.

Quick Hit – 2013 Mercedes SL65 AMG! (And Other Excuses On Lack of Blogging Last Month)

We’ll get to this spectacular 2013 Mercedes SL65 AMG unicorn in just a moment. First I owe you an explanation on the total silence on this page for the past month. There is no truth to the rumor the CarMax Unicorn Blog management furloughed me for being a slacker, although I am. The truth is a combination of factors interfered with blogging, and I do intend to write a few pieces on these challenges. First, the new CarMax app on my phone and tablet are very difficult to sift through for unicorns, so much that I complained and CarMax reached out to me to discuss. I owe you a piece on that. Second, I did a fantastic long distance road trip in late May, and I owe you a piece on that. Third, I’m very close to closing a deal on my SUV unicorn, and I owe you a piece on that. I also had drinks with blog reader and car guy Scott about his most recent MaxCare repair on his Jaguar XJ, and I owe you a piece on that. So we got lots in the hopper and will try to pump out the above, and track unicorns more better and more faster. Speaking of which, check out the SL65!

This 2013 Mercedes SL65 AMG was spotted by Hans, who may or may not be in the hunt for it. I can tell you it’s in the process of being shipped from Raleigh to another dealership in North Carolina. The two attributes that jump out at me right away are, of course, the V-12 power plant, and it once sold for over $214,000. All of the Mercedes owner pages suggest they were sent to the USA in limited numbers – maybe only a few hundred a year, but I cannot find how many with any authority. If you find a source let me know.

The interior is roomy and plush like an SL, and has the air scarf neck heater, the Magic Sky Control moonroof – pretty neat in a hard top convertible, Bang & Olufsen audio, seat massagers, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and blind spot warnings, and even a rear view camera! Lots of carbon fiber trim as well. But it’s the hand built, 6.0 liter V-12 below that sets the SL65 apart from the SL550 or even the SL63. The SL65 pumps 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque at only 2300 RPM. The convertible hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and maxes out at a governor limited 186 mph. Brutal performance for a luxury convertible. That said, this Car and Driver review points out it ain’t any faster than the $60,000 cheaper SL63. But it’s a V-12!

You can track this 2013 Mercedes SL65 with this link, or by the stock number or VIN on the CarMax website. It does show one accident (left rear) with the one owner in Raleigh, and it does have relatively low mileage. As with any high end AMG it seems a no brainer that MaxCare will pay for itself and is highly recommended. Honestly, if it comes back on the market I may need to trade up from my M3!

Stock: 24377158 VIN: WDDJK7KA8DF016954

Quick Hit – Ultra Low Mileage 2013 Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG.

Relieved that this 2013 Mercedes SLK55 AMG unicorn just became available. Allows me to make amends to blog reader Ken who reminded me there is another naturally aspirated AMG powerplant (in addition to the M156 I gushed about here) – the M152 variant of the M157, found in the SLK55. Ken was lucky enough to score a 2014 SLK55 from the original owner with only 22,000 kms (13,000 miles) on it. That’s right up there with this 2013 model with only 8,182 miles. Amazing only 800+ miles a year for the last 10!

The SLK55 is moderately equipped with seat heaters and the wonderful Air Scarf neck heaters, but not much else. Bluetooth, a Harman Kardon audio system and even a CD player. It is a gorgeous red color and a quick-dropping hard top convertible. I’ve had a soft top convertible (1971 Fiat 124 and a 2002 BMW 330CIC) and a hard top convertible (2013 BMW M3) and don’t think I could daily a soft top anymore.

The M152 motor is a 5.5 liter V-8 – the same block as I understand it as the twin-turbo, intercooled M157 found in the 63’s once Mercedes (as everyone did) stopped deriving their car models from the engine displacement – sans the turbos and intercoolers. Just a deep breathing V-8 that makes 415 horsepower and moves this little convertible to 60 mph in the low four second range. And hit 28 mpg on the highway.

This is a two-owner California car that sold new a decade ago for perhaps $75,000. Seems like an almost new bargain at $41,998 and MaxCare is available for another 117,000 miles and five years. Find it here in Fremont, California.

Stock No. 23584985 VIN WDDPK7FA6DF051321

Quick Hit – Naturally Aspirated Mercedes C63 AMG’s

Blog reader and CarMax sniper Hans sent me this beautiful red 2013 Mercedes C63 AMG unicorn weeks ago, and prompted me to start a massive piece on the four naturally aspirated C63’s that were available at a wide range of prices on CarMax. Hans got me interested in these C63’s because they are powered by the 6.2 liter M156 V-8 motors – the first motor completely designed by Mercedes-AMG and put into use across the AMG line of cars in 2006, and went extinct in the 2015 C63. I had one in the 2010 Mercedes E63 I bought from CarMax and owned for….almost 48 hours. Sigh. It’s a legendary powerplant that pumped 451 horsepower in the C63 and 507 in the other AMG applications (also 507 hp in the 2015 C63 AMG 507. Covered one here!). It’s not without issues, and that’s why there’s MaxCare! Here’s a video that reviews the motor at great length.

The red one above was listed at a Bargain $33,998 and unfortunately sold in St. Louis before I could put this piece to bed. I’ve added the tracking info on it below anyway since it’s still viewable on the CarMax website if you search on the Stock Number 23596085, the VIN WDDGJ7HB3DF988796 or the link here. Good to have in case it gets returned. One sold, three to go.

Next was the 2014 C63 AMG above with only 40,000 miles selling for a whopping $48,998 (Stock Number 22863815 VIN WDDGJ7HB1EG305862). Sadly, it sold also this week. The link to it is here, again if you want to look at it more closely or track it should it be returned. For what it’s worth, by keeping stock numbers and VIN’s I’ve been able to verify vehicles returned or traded in months or years later. Somehow that fascinates me.

Let’s get to the two that are still available as of this writing, the better of the two being the bargain 2013 Mercedes C63 AMG below. I take it back – it’s mostly available in that as of today it is being shipped to Kearny Mesa, California. It’s been on hold several times in California over the past few weeks so it may become available again.

This 2013 model has only 25,000 miles on it – a silly 2,500 miles per year. It’s a two owner car and accumulated 14,000 miles in the first two years, 10,000 more in the next four, and almost none in the last four years. Accident free car.

Not much in the way of creature comforts or high-end features in the C63. Rear view camera, heated seats, blind spot monitor and lane departure warning, panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, and Harman Kardon audio. Hell, just today I noticed my wife’s 2022 Kia Sportage has a Harman Kardon audio system so not sure that’s a selling point (or Kia has gone upscale?).

Had to add a picture of the monster motor below. Coupled with the seven-speed automatic transmission the circa 4,000 lb rear wheel drive coupe runs to 60 mph in only 4.5 seconds. It was governor limited to 155 mph I believe. It’s actually 6.2 liters but Mercedes stuck with the 63 naming back then – a 63 now is generally a 5.5 liter twin turbo V-8.

This 2013 Mercedes C63 AMG sold for well over $60,000 new and is being offered by CarMax for $39,998. Almost in my original unicorn price range! Here’s the link to it for tracking, and the stock number and VIN are below. But wait! There’s one more C63 with an M156 out there and it’s not sold, reserved, or shipping (just yet)!

Stock No. 23556866 VIN WDDGJ7HB8DG116446

The C63 below looks a whole lot like the ones above but differs in that…..it’s a 2014 model AND it is unencumbered by transport or sale – totally available if you can’t wait for the $39,998 2013 bargain. This 2014 is selling for $44,998 and has more miles – 42,000 – than the 2013 selling for less.

The only advantage I see, other than the year newer, is that this 2014 has adaptive cruise control. I really, really like adaptive cruise for road trips. Otherwise it’s similarly equipped to all the others.

This 2014 Mercedes C63 AMG is a four-owner, accident free car that’s spent its whole life in Texas, where it is now. Find it here in Houston.

Stock No. 23813322 VIN WDDGJ7HB6EG316209

Quick Hits – Six Unusual Unicorn Sedans. Cheap Too!

Going to limit my comments to pithy short paragraphs or these interesting unicorns. I’m behind the curve on my annual drive to Florida for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this weekend. If any of you are attending please give me a shout – would love to have a coffee or beer and talk cars. I was stuck in Savannah (I just can’t help myself with my alliteration addiction!) because my BMW M3 went on the fritz and had to drop into Critz BMW in Savannah for diagnostics and a fix. After a couple of odd startups and alerts that my battery was either disconnected or discharging while off the car wouldn’t start yesterday, and once started wouldn’t go into gear. Had coffee and pondered options while visiting friends in Santee, South Carolina, and a couple of hours later – fired right up, went into gear, and I barreled onto I-95 south. Critz was able to fit me in and sent me a cool video this morning of them walking around my car and diagnosing….a loose negative cable on the battery post. Ugh. $237. I gave Critz my MaxCare info but I think it doesn’t apply. Glad they fit me in and glad it’s solved. Will continue south tomorrow. Let’s get to the cars.

This 2013 BMW 550i caught my eye because it’s cheap at $24,998 and it’s a V-8. Always like sleeper sedans.

But eagle eyed readers Nate and Hans both shared it with me because although it’s listed as an automatic, it’s really a six-speed three pedal manual transmission car! I don’t know how rare these are, but I do know that’s cool as hell.

Handsome interior above and surprisingly well equipped, with adaptive cruise control, seat massagers, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel and more! CarMax says it has the cold weather package, the driver assistance package, and the M sport package. The car sold new for maybe $65,000 ten years ago. Below we see the 4.4 liter twin turbo V-8 that makes 400 hp.

On one hand, a 400 hp 6MT BMW sedan with decent miles selling for less than $25,000 seems too good to be true. And maybe it is. But Jared shared with me the N63 motor has issues that even MaxCare might not make up for. Sure they would cover the cost of repairs, but the car would be in the shop more than out. That became a hassle and disappointment with my original unicorn, the 2004 Mercedes S55 that I loved – when I got to drive it. Googled the N63 and found “There are several widespread issues with the BMW N63 V8 engine. These include oil consumption, fuel injector failure, timing chain failure, leaking valve stem seals, and fast battery drainage.” (thebmwstore.com) If this loaded 2013 BMW 550i 6MTis for you it’s currently being shipped to Ontario, California but you can track it here.

Stock 23542210 · VIN WBAFR9C52DC271574

Break – the BMW below is NOT the same car above!

Got this one from Mustafa and Hans. The most affordable V-12 we’ve seen in some time – a 2014 BMW 760Li for only $32,998. That’s a steal. This was a $140,000 car nine years ago and really captures my enthusiasm for unicorns – highly depreciated and foolish to own without MaxCare. I cannot imagine walking into Critz BMW here in Savannah when I go to pick up my M3 and ask if they’d give me a five year warranty for another 75,000 miles on a nine year old V-12 BMW.

This 760 is loaded as you can see below. Has adaptive cruise control (even though CarMax doesn’t note that), heads up display, lane departure alert, and even night vision assist, which I still dig for no good reason. The car has heated, cooling, and massaging seats. Oddly, CarMax indicates the 760 has both the Harman Kardon sound system and the Bang & Olufsen audio. It has the Bang & Olufsen, or “B&O” as Mustafa taught me. I believe the B&O is a higher level of sound?

The BMW 760Li does have the 6.0 liter V-12 motor making 535 hp. Not as much as I’d like – the modern M760 hits 600hp, but as I learned with my 2010 S600 that Jared stole from me anything above 500hp in a V-12 is just smooth, quiet power. With the eight-speed automatic the 2 1/2 ton sedan will still scoot to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Sweet.

I believe you could be out the door with this 2014 BMW 760Li with MaxCare and taxes for $40,000. That’s unusual. It’s currently here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Not far from you Jared!

Stock 23541481  ·  VIN WBAYG0C56EDZ04826

Wait there’s more! Enough with these Euro-sedans, let’s look east.

Continue reading “Quick Hits – Six Unusual Unicorn Sedans. Cheap Too!”

Quick Hit – Mislabeled 2012 Mercedes CL63 AMG

I’ve been trying so hard to get to a 14-car comparison blog piece, and I was way over my head when Hans sent me the 2011 Kia Rio yesterday. Today he sends me this 2012 Mercedes CL63 AMG unicorn that is incorrectly listed as a C63 at CarMax. Thinking we’d all be better off if he just signed on as a ghost writer?

This is a third (and final) generation CL63, an S-class coupe really, powered by a hand-built 5.5 liter twin -turbo V-8 pumping out 536 horsepower and torque of 590 lb-ft. With the seven-speed automatic it’ll do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Comfortably.

Here’s the comfortable place. Heated and cooling dynamic seats, adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist (back in 2012!), night vision assist. Adaptive high beams. Designo alcantara anthracite roof trim. Heated windshield washers. Harman Kardon audio. Air suspension. Fairly loaded for a CL63.

Previous CL63’s I’ve seen on CarMax include a 2012 with 59,000 miles at $36,998 two years ago, four years ago a 2012 with 35,000 miles for $44,998, a 2008 for $35,998 with only 28,000 miles, and another 2008 with 47,000 miles for only $30,998. I guess 2018 was a good year for used CL63’s.

This 2012 Mercedes CL63 AMG sold for at least $155,000 back in 2012 and is a decent buy at $34,998. I found a few other 2012 CL63’s with about the same mileage selling for $8,000 more, so wondering if Hans is on to something and perhaps this car is priced as a C63 also? With MaxCare and taxes you could be out the door for $40,000. The history report shows it as a CL63 and the VIN does too, so not like they got the wrong pictures. It’s a three-owner, accident free southern car (Florida and Georgia) and is available here at the Southlake CarMax in Stockbridge, Georgia, just southeast of Atlanta. Let’s see if CarMax catches their mistake before Mustafa snatches this car.