Mercedes Benz – Page 6 – The Carmax Unicorn Blog

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020

2011 Mercedes CLS550 – Didn’t Think I’d See Anymore of These at CarMax!

I’ve covered a number of these W219 “Shooting Brake” Mercedes CLS550’s in the three-plus years of blogging with the last one almost a year ago – a 2009 model that looked and was priced almost identical to this one – less than $20,000! Thought time had run out for these CarMax unicorns so I was quite surprised to see this beauty tonight. It’s an accident free 2011 model with only 43,000 miles. For a 382 hp 5.5 liter Mercedes V8 it’s just getting broken in!

Yes the CLS is built on the E-class platform but has less front seat, rear set, and trunk room than the E-class, it’s just damned more attractive. Cutting edge when new as a first generation CLS, they started to look dated after an eight year run, and now nine years out of production are starting to look a little vintage to me? The CLS550 cost over $74,000 in 2011 and this one is now $19,998.

Check out the CarMax cameraman in the mirror!

With 2011 being the sunset year before the all new for 2012 model there aren’t any real good car reviews from back then. But this 2007 Car and Driver review of a nearly identical model (when the CLS got the 32 valve, 5.5 liter engine) claimed a 0-60mph run in 4.7 seconds with a seven-speed automatic. Not bad for a two ton sedan.

I don’t think I’ve ever had three passengers in the back of my sedans and while the four seat coupe seems sexy, it’s also a roll of the dice that you’ll NEVER want to haul more folks.

This 2011 Mercedes CLS550 is a three owner car that spent most of its life in Florida, and is now here in Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s a bargain, sophisticated German car, and of course, MaxCare is highly recommended for when that air suspension or high-end engine breaks!

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020

Quick Update – 2010 Mercedes S400 Hybrid Returns (and a Pair of Discounted S63 AMG Sedans)

Wrote about this low mileage climate friendly (?) S-Class unicorn back in September when it was in Massachusetts. Two months later it’s again on the market here in Albany for the same low price. Same low mileage. Again, this was the cheapest S-Class back in 2010 at $94k. Still seems to be a bargain commuter car. But if a hybrid isn’t your style, CarMax had a whopping six S63 AMG cars on the net last night, two of which were close to my $35,000 unicorn cap. Both are two owner cars; the 2011 is listed here in Palm Desert, California, and the 2012 is here in Schaumberg, Illinois (Mick?!). The 2012 is a few thousand cheaper, but it is a one accident car. Goes without saying all of these are MaxCare mandatory! Enjoy.

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

Quick Hit – Bargain Benz. 2011 E550 Like a Smaller S-Class? $22,899.

This is one handsome, mid-sized Mercedes Benz unicorn, luxuriously equipped (hence the model “E550 Luxury”), at a ridiculously low price. Adaptive cruise control? Check. All wheel drive? Yup. Adjustable suspension? Absolutely. Blind-spot, lane departure, rear view camera, Bluetooth, Harman Kardon sound, panoramic sunroof, air-conditioned and heated seats….it goes on and on. Check out this little graphic included in the CarMax ad!

The 2011 Mercedes E550 packs a 5.5 liter V-8 rated at 382 horsepower. Mated to a seven-speed automatic the sedan is good for a 0-60 mph run in a hair over five seconds. Here’s a lengthy NewCarTestDrive.com review of all the 2011 E-class lineup, including details on the E550. Looks like from their notes this car sold for over $60,000 new nine years ago, and driven only 4,000 miles annually seems to be a damned good deal. Of course there are cheaper, comparable E550’s out there but none that are eligible for MaxCare protection against out of pocket repairs. You want MaxCare. There will be repairs.

The features on this car remind me a great deal of the S-class cars I’ve owned. I’ve been corresponding privately with some readers pondering the German unicorn market and enjoying depreciated, luxury rides protected by MaxCare. I would very much recommend this car as a safe entry into the market. Find this well-appointed, single-owner 2011 Mercedes E550 here in Frederick, Maryland.

October 3, 2020October 3, 2020

What To Do? Sell My S600 And Buy It’s S65 Twin? HELP!

I love my 2010 Mercedes S600 unicorn, purchased in February 2019 and chronicled here. Last week I returned from a 6,700 mile road trip in the S600, driving over 100 hours from Virginia to Oregon and back. Had some 10-12 hour days behind the wheel and out west some high-speed cruising (admitting NOTHING here!) and could not have been more comfortable. But a nearly identical 2010 Mercedes S65 AMG surfaced at CarMax this week and I have it on hold. I am paralyzed by this choice and welcome comments.

My 2010 S600 has a 5.5l twin-turbo V-12 offering 510hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. The 2010 S65 AMG pumps out 604hp and 738 lb-ft of torque from a hand-built 6.0l twin turbo V-12. Always wanted a 600hp car. I can vouch for the silky smooth acceleration and ride of the S600, and I’ve read the S65 is more aggressive and snarly. Performance-wise the reviews suggest they are almost the same despite the horsepower difference. The S65, like me, carries some extra weight. Price-wise, the S65 cost about $50,000 more than the S600, meaning someone shelled out a good $200,000+ ten years ago for this S65. I do get a little giddy driving cars I can’t afford new.

The 2010 S65 is selling for $35,998, a little more than what I paid for my S600 about 20 months ago. It’s a one-owner, one-accident Florida car. My S600 is (counting me) a two-owner Pennsylvania-Virginia car and is (knock on wood) accident free. The kicker is the S65 has only 35,000 miles on it and I just turned over 70,000 in the S600. Buying the S65 would be resetting the clock for me, giving me another five years of MaxCare and perhaps 90,000 warranty miles. My S600 has another 40 months/55,000 miles of transferable warranty. And I just did the $2,500 Service B before going on the coast to coast trip. What to so?! Of course, would offer the S600 for sale here first, with the same terms I sold my S55 AMG – car guys don’t screw car guys. Will tell you everything I know about the S600. As of this writing I’m working on transferring the S65 from Florida to Virginia. Will decide when it gets here. Until then feel free to chime in with wisdom.

September 12, 2020September 12, 2020

Quick Hit – Luxury Commuter Unicorn. 2010 Mercedes S400 Hybrid – $19,998

I used to commute to work on Rt 267 in Virginia, a toll road between Dulles Airport and I-495, the Capital Beltway around Washington DC. The toll road often backs up, but the high-speed, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes include exemptions for clean energy/hybrids. Always got a kick out of 20 mpg SUV hybrids in those lanes, saving the planet. Now you can too with this flagship Mercedes S400 Hybrid unicorn. Looks the same inside and out as my V-12 S600 (with the exception of no night vision).

The hybrid S400 has a 3.5l V-6 good for 295hp – not a lot and the car isn’t fast, and yet it’s as comfortable and smooth as any other S-Class. This Car and Driver review back in 2010 noted the car was only good for a seven second 0-60mph run. This was the “cheapest” S-Class back in the day at $94,500, and is a real bargain at $19,998. Find it here in Norwood, Massachusetts.

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020

Quick Hit – Legitimate Unicorn. 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG for $100,000 Less Than New

Unlike my last couple of posts, about the Kiplingers promo and Labor Day work truck, this one is about a no kidding unicorn. A 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG selling for only $31,998, and with only 47,000 miles. And of course, an 11 year old European sports car you can protect with MaxCare until it’s a sixteen year old luxury hot rod. The car sold new for over $140,000. That gets you a hand-built 6.3L naturally aspirated V-8 good for 518 hp and a 4.4 second 0-60 mph run. Gets you the facelifted 2009 model that’s pretty darned gorgeous. Gets you a hard top convertible AND a sunroof, and the Mercedes Air Scarf neck warmers for top down driving as fall approaches. Bluetooth, seat heaters, power lift gate, and a Harman Kardon audio system.

The Car and Driver review from 2009 was pretty favorable despite the car’s 4,400 lb bulk. What’s even more fascinating to me is while I’m pleased to see CarMax inventories increasing – up to 54,000 cars today from a springtime pandemic low in the 20,000 range, giving us more unicorns overall, I’m saddened that CarMax is enforcing their model year limits and the older unicorns are truly going extinct. Generally CarMax offers European cars up to 10 years old, and all others up to 12 years old. With 2021’s coming off the line already, there are ZERO 2008 cars for sale by CarMax – even the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS I covered two weeks ago here is gone.

Tonight there are still 190 vehicles available from 2009, and this Mercedes SL63 is the ONLY European car for sale. Because the car showed up tonight already saved in my profile, it means I’ve seen it before. I suspect it has been on the move being held or transferred and could very well be the last 2009 Eurocar we’ll see? (Just for fun, check out this 2009 Mercedes SL65 AMG CarMax offered just last summer! It was once a $188,000 V-12 beast. But I digress.) Find this 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG, an accident-free unicorn here, in Gaithersburg, Maryland….only 15 miles from my home. I hope it sells quick.

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020

Quick! Stupid Good Deal on a C63 AMG!

Had to pool over and post after seeing this while at a stoplight. This beautiful blue 2009 Mercedes C63 AMG unicorn just surfaced up north much to my surprise. Only $21,998 and 31,000 miles. Sweet 6.3l V-8, detuned from the E63 to 451 hp. Navigation and heated seats. It’s a one owner car, and yes that one owner did have an accident in Kirkland, Washington some time back. But it is a very low mileage car and a very low price. It’s also a pretty hot car.But it is a very low mileage car and a very low price. It’s also a pretty hot car. CarMax generally sells European cars not more than 10 years old, and this 11 year old sedan is a bargain. It’s also a perfect candidate for Max care. Think about it, you get a warranty until this car is 16 years old. And with this mileage you can probably buy another 100,000 miles coverage. Find it here in Hartford Connecticut.

January 30, 2020

Misnomered Mustang and Mercedes.

These two cars are misnomered in the CarMax menus. Doesn’t appear to have affected their pricing as both are priced appropriately for CarMax cars, but it does mean they won’t show up in anybody’s search if they are specifically looking for these. There aren’t many of these older unicorns still offered, so if you want one jump on it! CarMax only carries US and Japanese/Korean cars for 11 years and European cars for 10, so there won’t be many more of these. I’d of course recommend MaxCare protection for the Mercedes…..maybe not for the more reliable and less expensive to fix Mustang? Bullitt side This Mustang Bullitt is listed simply as a Mustang GT. Only a few thousand 2008-2009 Mustang Bullitts were made, and the black one (while not authentic green as in the movie) is more rare with only 1,400 made. They cost about $3,300 more new than a Mustang GT. The Bullitt had a tuned exhaust that sounded like the ’68 model in the movie, has 15 more horsepower than a GT, and is a good 1/4 second faster to sixty in a respectable 4.9 seconds – not bad for a 315hp car!

This price is decent, but check out this one I covered last year that was WAY under priced. There was also one this fall in Frederick, Maryland near me that was priced at $16,000 and had only 40,000 miles. See this one-owner Mustang Bullitt here in Fort Worth, Texas. 2008 Musstang GT Bullitt $14599 66k Ft Worth 1-29-20 Continue reading “Misnomered Mustang and Mercedes.”

January 18, 2020

Quick Hit – Low Mileage 2009 Mercedes CLK550 Cabriolet. Like a Convertible But Way Cooler! $16,998

CLK Side Thought CarMax was done with Mercedes CLK’s, and for sure this is the last year they will carry the last year CLK unicorn. CarMax only carries European models 10 years old and younger, and 2009 was the last year Mercedes made CLK’s (W209’s). This well appointed convertible (yeah, yeah….”cabriolet”) is a low mileage beauty, driven less than 4,000 miles annually in the Nevada desert.

It’s got the 382hp 5.5 liter V-8, good for 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds per this (very good, but very lengthy) New Car Test review. The review suggests the car sold new in 2009 for a good $65,000 – and 10 years later it’s looking nearly new for $16,998. Of course I’d use some of that depreciation for MaxCare. Great to have that protection for a 10 year old car for another five years. Find this two owner convertible here in Henderson, Nevada. 2009 Mercedes CLK550 $16,998 39k Las Vegas 1-18-2020

January 8, 2020

Real Quick Hit – 2010 Mercedes E550 $17,998

Thinking I need to post this quickly. Seems like a bargain – luxury, low miles, low price. The 2010’s “only” had 380hp – same as BMW 550 and Jaguar XF V-8’s of the same era. Also thinking with tax and MaxCare you could be out the door for $23,000. Yes it’s a 10 year old car but easy way to drive semi-rich! Find this two owner car here in Duarte, California.