Category: Mercedes Benz

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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!”
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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.

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Quick Hit – A Couple Of Coupes Below $35,000

Still surprised to see Mercedes CL models at CarMax, and this month there were two. One just sold, leaving this 2014 Mercedes CL550 the sole surviving unicorn for the moment. Reminds me of last spring when I wrote about three CL550’s available at the same time. This isn’t a spectacular car like the CL65 AMG V-12, but it is a handsome coupe nonetheless, not a lot were sold, and 2014 was the last year for the CL-class – two door S-classes, really, before being replaced by S-class coupes. This is a nine year old Mercedes and is still eligible for another five years and 85,000 miles of MaxCare!

This was also the last year for this interior. The 2015 S-class was all new. Think the “discounted” price reflects that this car was three generations ago. It’s the same interior I had in my 2010 S600. I keep mentioning that car because I keep missing it – and will until I replace it. This CL550 is fairly well equipped with heated and cooled seats, seat massagers, heated steering wheel, night vision, Harman Kardon audio, and even AWD. The front seat leg room is 42.2″ – almost out of Justin Tuckers’ field goal range.

What I originally wrote: Remember the 2017 S600 I wrote about last week and its luxurious rear seating? Not so much in the CL550 coupe. No room for humans and hard to toss guitars or groceries back there. It does have a decent trunk.

Updated by blog reader Aaron – he rented a CL550 and was able to put four six-footers in the car comfortably. Believe he’s right this shot was taken with the driver’s seat all the way back. I still hate trying to get things in the back seat of two door cars (same with my M3) but you can get peeps in here if need be. Thanks, Aaron!

The 2014 CL550 has a good enough V-8 motor, all of 4.7 liters and turbocharged and rated at 429 horsepower and 516 ft-lbs of torque. That should be plenty. Even gets 24 mpg on the highway and will cruise for well over 500 miles between road trip fill ups. This two-owner, accident free, low mileage, 2014 Mercedes CL550 is between Baltimore and Washington at the moment, here in Laurel, Maryland. (I notice the link includes “beta” – and the photo below is NOT what I’m used to and I hate it. I’ll be writing a harshly worded comment to CarMax when I’m done!) The 2014 CL550 sold for maybe $117,000 new and is nicely depreciated at $35,000.

Stock 23450827  ·  VIN WDDEJ9EB6EA031990

Promised you a pair of cars, and I’ll coupe my promise with this pretty, and quite familiar and gorgeous, 2013 Jaguar XK “Touring” model. If you’ve been with me over the years you know I just love hardtop XK’s. But you’re thinking, “wait! This is a “Touring” edition, it must be pretty special, right?”.

Nope. Jaguar fans probably knew. I had to look it up. The Touring model was actually a reduced-price entry level Jaguar XK that sold for $5,500 less than the standard XK. This one sold for maybe $80,000. What was left out to bring down the price? According to Car and Driver, “the low-grade Touring coupe forgoes the XK’s suede headliner for a regular woven cloth piece; 20-inch wheels get downsized to 19-inchers; and the upmarket Bowers & Wilkins audio system is shelved in favor of a “Jaguar premium” system“. That’s it! What’s wrong with an Alpine radio, anyway?

The Jaguar XK has a nice interior and as with the CL550, it’s a 2+2 with no back seat room. It’s a low mileage car and very clean inside. Not as well equipped as the CL550, the Jag only has seat heaters and Bluetooth and a rear view camera.

The last Jaguar I covered was a 510 horsepower XKR, and this one is more tame – 385 horsepower from a 5.0 liter V-8. That’s what six-cylinder Jaguar makes now. But that’s probably enough to move this 3,700 pound coupe. I was struck by the pretty dark blue over tan – haven’t seen that before. Car and Driver also noted the Touring has an aero kit not on other XK’s, although I can’t see it. Another crappy “beta” photo below. This 2013 Jaguar XK Touring is here in Denver. Unlike the CL550, though, it’s a four owner car and has been in one fender bender. I think it should be selling for $5,000 less. I’ll watch and see if it gets reduced.

Stock 22576258  ·  VIN SAJWA4DB0DLB50533

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Another V12 Tempts Me And Again I Fold – 2017 Mercedes S600

No secret here, I’m a big fan of big Mercedes with big motors. Every time Jared tells me how much fun he’s having with the 2010 Mercedes S600 he bought from me in September it feels like he’s dating my ex-girlfriend. I miss that car. And once again I’ve gotten close to the altar with another Mercedes V12 unicorn and again I’m getting cold feet. It’s not you, Mercedes, it’s me. It really is. More on that later.

This 2017 Mercedes S600 showed up in Brandywine, Maryland and I immediately requested transfer to my Dulles, Virginia CarMax, where it still sits. Today I took it a short 20 minute date….well it went long, so long the salesman called to ask when I was coming back. I just couldn’t stop playing with the seats.

This S600 is really about the quite special rear passenger compartment, starting with the rear single seats above (Code 224) and the chauffeur package (Code P07 and Code 452) below. Yes, it took a full minute holding the switch down to move the front seat forward, fold its headrest so it could move forward even more, then unfold the ottoman and foot rest for me. Crude. Unlike the 2015 S65 I drove a few weeks ago, with my legs slightly splayed I was actually comfortable.

But wait, there’s more! Not only do the rear passengers get their own DVD screens and Bluetooth headphones (Codes 864 and P46), they also get tray tables for laptops or boxes of KFC chicken (Code 449)! I don’t want to drive this car, I want to live in the back seat.

I also saw on the data card I downloaded something called “Seat With Bunk Function” (Code 453). Couldn’t find anything about it on the web and even asked some Mercedes experts on a forum. There were hunches but they all turned out to be the chauffeur settings. I sat in the parking lot after my drive and searched the onboard manual (that’s when the sales guy called to harass me) and actually found the feature below…..nothing more than fully reclining the front passenger seat. I was SO disappointed. I expected something more magical from Mercedes. Sigh.

Enough about the back seats. How did it drive? Even more silky smooth than my 2010 S600, and far more refined than the 2015 S65 I drove. It was morgue-quiet cruising and also with the pedal mashed. The most racket I could produce was Queen on the Burmester audio system. The car has pretty much every feature available in 2017 – adaptive cruise control (Distronic Plus Cross Assist), and lots of activist stuff – active blind spot assist, active park assist, active lane keeping assist, and even “active belt buckle in rear” (Code 305) – the seat belt buckle actually rises from the seat crease for you! I so wish I had gotten a video of that.

In addition to the luxurious interior, the other reason to buy the car is the 6.0 liter M277 turbocharged V12 motor, good for 523 horsepower and 612 lb-ft or torque. With all this power and all this technology, MaxCare is absolutely mandatory. Surprisingly, it’s only $4,500 for five years and up to 125,000 miles. This car has 29,600 miles on it at the moment. Hardly broken in. Imagine the road trips you could take!

There were a few subtle disappointments, though. The Driving Assistance Package Plus and the Active Lane Keeping Assist were I’m sure state of the art for 2017, and yet the “hands free” driving experience was not as good as the 2018 Cadillac CT6 I briefly owned, or the 2019 Mercedes E53 or 2019 BMW X5 I test drove. No active lane change assist, some unexpected drifting, and too many urgent reminders to grip the wheel with both hands. If I’m going to break the bank and go tens of thousands over my old unicorn budget I want it all. Also, and this may sound petty as hell, the seat massagers only work the back – no butt. The reason I returned the Cadillac was because it gave me blood clots on my very first road trip with it, and I want (need!) seat massagers. It’s possible there are additional settings buried in the manual, but again the sales rep was pestering me to return.

This is an absolutely gorgeous car, and someone spent over $200,000 on it just five years ago. And the main reason I’m going to sadly, and reluctantly walk away is because so much of the outrageous luxury is there for back seat passengers I’ll rarely have. Yeah, it would be a hoot at Cars and Coffee to show off those tray tables, but even I’m not that vain to spend this much money for the occasional show. The front seat area is not all that different from a 2017 S550 for $15,000 less, although that V12 engine is so, so much sweeter! Unless I lose my mind, this two-owner car should be back on the market here at the Dulles, Virginia dealership for $73,998. Enjoy.

Stock # 23628298 VIN # WDDUG7GBXHA294158

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Barriers to Blogging – Three Possible S600 Successors and an F1 Race?

Here we go again. Me whining why I haven’t blogged as much as I’d like. And for the most part, it’s because I’ve been obsessed and paralyzed by my own search for the successor to my beloved 2010 Mercedes S600 I sold in September. If you’ve been on this journey with me before, you’ll know that it’s not just about the next car, but also how it complements my daily driver (2013 BMW M3 and my wife’s car (2022 Kia Sportage). If she hates my cars, we always have to take her car on road trips. Her car’s not bad, but it’s not a unicorn. My pursuit is also complicated by my best friends recently buying a BMW X3 M40i, a BMW X5 45e, and a BMW X5 M50i – great SUV’s and now they are all off the table as options for me. And in addition to the search for a unicorn, I split for Austin in October to take in the US Grand Prix. Throwing that in at the bottom here just because. Let’s get started.

Surprise! I am absolutely intrigued with this 2017 Mercedes GLA45 AMG. I love these little buzz bombs and this one is cheap and well appointed with both adaptive cruise control and Apple CarPlay. I could easily see myself leaving home everyday in this to run errands, stop by the office, and throw music gear in the back for my gigs. Unpretentious sleeper.

While traveling I-95 between Baltimore and Washington I stopped by the Laurel, Maryland CarMax to test drive the GLA45. While waiting for the sales rep I sat in the car. Squeezed in and hit the seat adjustment button. Seat went back…and back…and back. The GLA45 has more front leg room than an S-class. Fact. I looked it up and for sure – 1/2 inch more leg room! Unfortunately, the sales rep never showed up and after a half hour of wandering the lot trying on cars I had to leave.

Before this stop I couldn’t explain why I like these cars. It’s not because it is allegedly a crossover “ute” of some sort – it’s not. The car has a really, really low ride height. Like lower than most sedans, not just crossovers. One critic complained that Mercedes took a CLA and raised it to create the GLA platform, then lowered it again to make the GLA AMG. Nonsensical. On the drive home I saw a Volkswagen GTI on the interstate and it finally hit me why I like the GLA45 so much.

The Mercedes GLA45 AMG is nothing more than a hot hatchback, and ever since I owned a pair of 70’s era Ford Fiestas (West German cars with the 1.6 liter Kent engines used in Formula 3) I’ve loved screaming around the back roads in unusual econoboxes. How much more fun in a modern one with 4WD and Apple CarPlay?!

The 2017 Mercedes GLA45 AMG is powered by a 375 hp 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder. It’s the most horsepower you can get in a gas-only four banger in the USA. The car sprints to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It would be quicker than my old S55, S600, 911, and the M3 I’m driving now, although not as refined at high speeds I suspect. It would damned sure get better mileage. Why am I not buying it? If I could have the M3 as my convertible/sports car combo and a big luxury vehicle for long drives, this GLA45 would be perfect as a daily driver. That said, I (foolishly) agreed with the wife to be a two car guy again vice three cars, and I’m at a point in my life where I have a shot at splurging on that second car that I may not have next time around. This isn’t it. This GLA45 sold for over $50,000 five years ago and it’s not cheap at $36,998, but it sure is fun. Find it here in Laurel, Maryland.

Stock # 23516917  VIN # WDDTG5CB7HJ333732

Continue reading “Barriers to Blogging – Three Possible S600 Successors and an F1 Race?”
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Reader Bags an Extraordinary 2013 Mercedes SL63 Unicorn

Makes my day when a reader finds and buys a unicorn that makes them happy. Even better when they let me know – never sure if I’m hitting the mark with this blog. (As of today have 177 people signed up for email updates and yet getting almost a thousand visitors a month here.)

Got this email and well-one video from Isaiah that really surprised me. He found a really low mileage, low price 2013 Mercedes SL63 AMG and with his permission have uploaded his video here. Isaiah is a far better story teller than I am and I highly recommend watching – he is a savvy buyer, navigated some CarMx hiccups, and did a great job buying this car with surprisingly affordable MaxCare. Thank you, Isaiah for sharing (especially the Mexico vignette!). You did two things for me; reminded me why I write this blog, and inspired me to resume my search for a unicorn to replace my 2010 Mercedes S600. I want to “drive rich” like you!

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