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

Shoichiro Toyoda Passes at 97. Turned Toyota Into a Best-Selling Brand. Love me Some Toyotas!

Shoichiro Toyoda, the son of Toyota’s founder who joined the company in 1952, became Chairman, ushered Toyota into the modern era, and remained as honorary Chairman for life, passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 97. The man’s impact on the automotive industry is beyond my writing talents but you can read more here in the Washington Post or here in Jalopnik. Toyotas have wandered in and out of my life over the last 40 years so I thought I’d post a few loosely linked to, of course, their CarMax 従兄弟さん (cousins – clever, eh?) It is a CarMax unicorn blog after all.

Before we go to the CarMax inventory I thought I’d include the Toyota “Toyopet Crown” above, the first Japanese car imported to the United States back in 1958 – before I was born! It flopped miserably and after Shoichiro Toyodan drove one around the US to get first hand impressions he went back to Japan and gently raised hell. If you want the whole story, read the Toyota UK magazine piece here.

Ironic that 65 years later the Crown is being reintroduced to the US market, albeit in a wildly different elevated-sedan-not-quite-crossover 2023 model. Those aren’t on CarMax lots just yet, so will go with three that are, and those are also three that I have owned back in the day – two as CPO’s before I ever heard of CarMax and one as a brand new car back in 1996.

Had I not been the one to locate this car on the web I would not be able to identify it as a Toyota Avalon – a 2020 model. The Avalon came to the US in 1995 and has been berated by car magazines ever since as a Japanese Buick. My two yen is that writers are plagiarists (I know I am) and will parrot critiques to be clever or consistent. Having owned and rented Avalons I’d say it’s unfair. I take that back – it does float like a Buick, as does probably a dozen other family cars this size and it’s no better or worse. But every review has to have the “Buick” comparison. Anyway, I chose this one because it’s fairly loaded and I dig the wheels. I have always dug BBS style black spoked rims with silver lips. Someday I will put those on a V-12 Mercedes.

The Avalon is loaded with adaptive cruise, Apple CarPlay, JBL audio, heated and cooling seats and on and on. About as comfortable of a ride as you’re going to find at this price point.

Unfortunately, Toyota just won’t give us a decent motor in the Avalon. The 3.5 liter V-6 ony has 301 horsepower and takes all of six seconds to hit sixty. I can’t live with that. But if you can, this car is now here in College Station, Texas. It was once $44,000 and three years later is $10,000 less. Skip MaxCare.

Stock No. 23680936 VIN: 4T1DZ1FB6LU039867

And here we have the only surviving photo of my 1996 Avalon I bought in 1998 as a CPO. Loved that car and my pre-teen boys did too as we drove up and down the East Coast on vacation. If only it had a bigger motor. Sold it to buy a brand new Acura MDX, and regretted that.

And FWIW, below is the Toyota Avalon I rented in August 2022 to play a music gig in Stafford, Virginia before driving to North Carolina to do some work. Never made it. Came out of our hotel in the morning to find the window smashed and my guitars stolen. We NEVER leave the guitars in the car! Had to ditch the car in Richmond but in my short time with it I started to wonder if I could own another?

Gotta move on. Below we have a 2022 Toyota Camry TRD (Toyota Racing Division). It looks badass and has a wing and is the TRD trim…and yet it’s really just a gussied up Camry. The suspension is tweaked for better handling and the exhaust for better sound, and yet the motor is the motor – same 3.5 liter six cylinder with the same horsepower. The Camry shares the Avalon’s platform so other than the suspension this car is the same.

Clearly Toyota has the engineering and racing pedigree to give us more. I so loved it fifteen or so years ago when Toyota went into NASCAR, thinking that’s gotta be disruptive for the good old boys on the ovals. Especially when they teamed up with Joe Gibbs Racing, Mr. Gibbs being a hero around these parts from his NFL days. I have wondered how they run a V-8 for NASCAR without offering it on the street.

Hell, let’s pull on that Toyota racing thread a little more and watch the Rod Millen Celica set the record for his class at Pike’s Peak back in the day. Why is this relevant?

Because I got to ride around a track in a race car with Rod at the wheel scaring the living hell out of me in a prototype some time back. It was a short oval and I was stunned at the grip, the lateral G-forces, and how we didn’t end up in the wall. I love to drive fast and think I’m above average at it. This was at a whole ‘nuther level. Got me a Rod Millen autographed Hot Wheels Celica out of the deal. In fact, got two and tried to sell the second one on eBay to declutter my office, with no luck.

Back to the Toyota Camry. I got sidetracked. The Camry is equipped almost identical to the Avalon above and the interior is modified a bit. The Avalon has enormous rear seat room while the Camry is simply adequate to very good.

No point in showing the obligatory motor photo – it really is identical to the Avalon. Motor Trend tells me the 2022 Toyota Camry TRD sold new for perhaps $34,000, and this one is slightly used at $38k – wondering if MT showed MSRP and cars were marked up tremendously during the pandemic/supply chain mess? CarMax prices are coming down so don’t think they’re gouging. Either way the car is here in Sanford, Florida.

StockNo. 23362535 VIN: 4T1KZ1AK2NU061169

What’s this doing here? Well, its the lone photo I have of my 1990 Toyota Camry I bought in 1994 when my Merkur XR4ti melted down. This Camry was my first CPO and my introduction to extended warranty work. Toyota rebuilt the 2.0 liter four banger when the car had 80,000 miles and was inexplicably burning oil. Romantic sidebar. I met and asked my wife-to-be out on a date when I was the owner of a cool Merkur. It collapsed before we went out, and I had to car shop in time for our first date. I actually asked her “if I get something dull like a Camry will you still go out with me?”, not knowing how not into cars she was. She said of course, I bought the four cylinder five-speed Camry and we are still together 29 years later. And she still thinks her Buick Encore was a good car. The Camry was my introduction also into the stress free life of knowing my car was going to start every day and make it to work with no drama. Regrettably I had to sell that Camry not long after the rebuild when I was assigned overseas again.

Last on our nostalgic Toyota tribute in honor of Mr. Toyoda is this 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road model. Wouldn’t think of a RAV4 as an off road model, and yet Motor Trend gave it reasonably good reviews here for actually going off road comfortably. Loved their description “Comfortably is the key word there, because as we all know nothing off-roads better than a rental car.” No locking differentials or two speed transfer and yet they thought it didn’t need that – pretty good AWD system anyway. The Off Road trim elevates the car a good 1.5″ and doubles the towing capacity if you need that.

The RAV4 is just as loaded inside as the Avalon and the Camry; heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, CarPlay, JBL sound, cross traffic alert – why is it the European cars I look at cost twice as much and so often don’t have this equipment?

The 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off Road packs a 203 horsepower 2.5 liter four cylinder that’s just good enough for this little SUV. The car sold for maybe $42,000 three years ago and carries a little more discount than the Camry. It’s “Coming Soon” here in Roswell, New Mexico.

Alright, who off roads in a cute-ute? Well, I did. Owned a first gen first year RAV4 in 1996 in Israel. Drove pretty much the entire country on paved roads and even ventured into the wilderness from time to time. Car was $15,000 new.

The photo below was my RAV4 successfully getting air out of a ravine four-wheeling with friends from the Embassy. Was a hoot. What you will not see is the time I tried to drive the “Burma Road” from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the rain and buried the RAV4 in the mud a mere 100 yards or so off the paved highway. Tried everything I could to dig it out with no luck. Hailed a tow truck that extracted the vehicle – then wanted to charge me $600 for doing so. I said no way – it’s an Embassy vehicle and he would need to deal with my local national motor pool guy to collect. There was no local national motor pool guy but the Embassy expediter helped me out the next day haggling the fee down to $200. Probably cost me another $50 to clean the mud out of the interior after the hours I spent getting in and out of the car trying to rock it free. Sigh.

I’m not a total buffoon when it comes to off roading, though. There was a time in the 80’s when I successfully drove Pakistan’s Swat Valley in a Toyota Landcruiser – a RHD FJ60, I believe, with a diesel six and a four speed manual transmission. Indestructible. It would be embarrassed by it’s RAV4 grandson.

There was also a time there when I may or may not have bought a couple of hundred Toyota HiLux pickup trucks for some local boys who may or may not have been fighting what we affectionately called “The Soviets”. (This is NOT the West Virginia National Guard.) Challenging logistics – Pakistan is RHD and Afghanistan is (was?) LHD.

One of the innovations Mr. Shoichiro Toyoda gave us in the 1980’s was NUMMI Motors (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.), the joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. Toyota got a manufacturing beach head in the US and GM learned how to make cheap, small cars of decent quality. NUMMI produced Toyota Corollas and its rebadged twin, the 1985 Chevrolet Nova. NUMMI reopened the Fremont, California GM plant for this effort in 1984.

The Chevrolet Nova didn’t last, although it was not a bad car by any means. My best friend bought one new. By 1988 the Nova was no more. At the time I lamented that GM learned how to build cheap economy cars, and Toyota came away positioned to sell us….the Lexus below. Lexus was the second Japanese manufacturer to spin off a luxury brand (Honda/Acura being the first) and the V-8 powered LS400 debuted in 1989. I’m thinking Toyota got the better end of the deal from NUMMI.

I’m almost done. It was my pleasure to assist a young lady in my office way back in 1985 pick out her first car – a used Toyota Tercel. Bronze and adorable. The Tercel was cute too. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.

And finally, my best friend jettisoned his 1985 Chevrolet Nova for a really spiffy second generation 1991 Toyota MR2 that he loaned me once or twice. It was an honest to God grown up’s sports car and so much fun. Mid-engined and manual transmission. I once wanted a Fiero and feel a bit sheepish admitting that now.

This could go on and on. By the time I’m done Mr. Toyoda’s son, who recently stepped down as Chairman, will pass on! Impressive legacy left by Shoichiro Toyoda with the Toyota dynasty, and I’ll leave you with two unlikely Toyota products below that we could not have imagined when those first economy cars came off the ships way back when – a gigantic pickup truck and a luxury semi-exotic. Then again, maybe the HiLux and the first gen Supra were paving the way all along?

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.

Minimalist’s Car

2011 KIA RIO, $11,998. 19,000 MILES. (THIS POST IS HANS’ FAULT.)

“A minimalist person is someone who seeks simplicity, usefulness and clarity. They pursue a lifestyle that focuses less on material possessions and more on what they value in life – what makes them happy. ThePlainSimpleLife.com

(I HAVE NEVER SEEN A “1” ON CARMAX. EVER.)
NO AIR CONDITIONING. ONE OF 11 “NO A/C” CARS OFFERED BY CARMAX. MOSTLY JEEPS.
MANUAL MIRROR CONTROLS.
ROLL UP WINDOWS
FIVE-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THREE OWNERS, MOSTLY WASHINGTON STATE. NINE YEARS FOR THE ORIGINAL OWNER.
SPARTAN BUT MORE FRONT LEG ROOM THAN A MERCEDES S-CLASS.
KINDA CUTE? LESS THAN 2,400 POUNDS. GOOD FOR 34 MPG HIGHWAY.
1.6 LITER FOUR. 110 HP. O-60 MPH IN 9.2 SECONDS. FASTER THAN A CHEVY SPARK!
$1000 LESS THAN WHEN NEW IN 2011. HERE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

Stock 23505527 · VIN KNADH4A32B6955289

Quick Hit – Rare 198 MPH Alpina B6 On A Unicorn Budget

Happy New Year! Quite surprised to see this 2015 BMW Alpina B6 unicorn for only $42,998 this week, and I owe it to Hans for the heads up. We’ve seen far more B7’s show up on CarMax lots than B6’s, and both have been limited to a few hundred imported to the USA every year. The only B6 I covered here was this 2016 model back in 2019, and it was selling for $65,998 with only 12,000 miles.

The Alpina B6 is almost indistinguishable from the M6 Gran Coupe inside and out. There is a front splitter, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser that are all functional and generate zero lift to the 198 mph top end reported by Motor Trend. The M6 is governor limited to 155 mph. There’s a cool logo on the steering wheel, the door sills and floor mats, and blue gauges in the dash.

This could be the interior of any 5, 6, or 7 series BMW at first blush. The last time CarMax offered a B6 I was tempted, but it was far from me and before having it transferred I took home an equivalent local M6 (back when CarMax allowed all models to go for 24 hour test drives!). I was surprised with the seat pushed back to accommodate my 6’4″ frame my noggin was way behind the B pillar, and getting in and out of the car required some contortions. I couldn’t imagine doing that as a daily driver and declined. Rear seat looks like a four-seater but I think I see seat belts for three in the back.

CarMax gives the car a 9 out of 10 for features and says it’s fully loaded. It has auto cruise control (adaptive cruise), heated and cooling seats, heated steering wheel, Bang & Olufsen audio, and heads up display, although it does not have the night vision assist that I so wanted on my 2010 Mercedes S600…and only used to show off to friends.

The motor (below) sets the B6 apart from the M6. Both have a 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8, but the B6 gets larger Garrett turbos and an air-to-water-to intercooler system specially made by Alpina. The B6 also has a special exhaust system and an eight-speed transmission with “Alpina Switch-Tronic tuning and steering-wheel buttons like the ones Alpina pioneered in 1993” per Motor Trend. The B6 also gets big brakes from the M760.

Continue reading “Quick Hit – Rare 198 MPH Alpina B6 On A Unicorn Budget”

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

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

Quick Hit – Another Jaguar XKR – $38,998

The Jaguar XKR may be the one car I’ve blogged about the most, and for sure is the car I’ve had transferred in to my Dulles dealership the most only to weasel out at the last moment. Last February I came very close to buying a 2012 model at a reasonable price but the 24 hour test drive discouraged me. Here’s another one, a 2014 Jaguar XKR for a decent price and low miles.

The Jaguar XKR remains one of the most svelte, beautiful designs to me. A poor man’s Aston Martin. Or a unicorn hunter’s prize. The XK was imported from 1997-2014, so this is a last of the model run car. The cockpit below is identical to the XF and should be quite familiar. Heated and air conditioned seats, heated steering wheel, rear view camera, Bluetooth, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system. Nothing fancy but not inadequate for the look and the price.

The reason to buy the car though, lies under the hood….er, the bonnet? It’s an aluminum 5.0 liter supercharged V-8 making 510 horsepower. The car I drove this past February was as exhilarating as the first I drove in 2016 when I was looking for Guether II, and I suspect this XKR is also. The snap shifts and the V-8 rumble and roar made me smile every time. The main reason I passed on the 2012 XKR in February was I felt cramped inside, only to learn when I returned the car the sales rep had jammed the key box behind the driver’s seat – costing me four inches of leg room. On paper this car has 43 inches of front leg room – more than a Mercedes S-class! (CarMax also had several chances to repair some damaged trim and didn’t, and that became agitating.

For not this 2014 Jaguar XKR is available here in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s a four-owner, accident free car that spent much of it’s time in Florida not being driven – really only 4,500 miles a year. It’s still eligible for another 91,000 miles and 60 month of MaxCare – take it. Then rev the hell out of this Jaguar without worry.

Stock # 23003548  VIN # SAJWA4DC4EMB53455