I’ve lost count of how many 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis LS unicorns that have passed through this blog but I do know the first remains the car with the highest single day views ever. Not what I intended when I started the blog. It’s what the people want? There were only 248 of these Mercuries produced in 2011, its final year, but I don’t think it’s the limited numbers that interests drivers. It’s the land yacht comfort and old school highway cruising in a reliable Ford Panther platform.
I’m writing from a hotel room in White Marsh, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore where I’m awaiting the arrival of my oldest son to take in the Baltimore Orioles home opener. This car is at the White Marsh CarMax no more than two miles from my room. I could walk there and drive back in this before the first pitch.
With bench seats, a column shifter, adjustable pedals, a CD player AND a cassette deck with Dolby Noise Reduction, this car rates a “9” out of 10 for features by CarMax, and maybe that was true in 2011. It’s pretty basic. But it is a pretty blue over tan and I’m sure it’s quite a smooth ride down I-95 to Miami.
Back seat is jut right for your kids to make out in.
The trunk gigantic enough for snitches.
Popularity can’t be because of the 4.6 liter V-8, making 224 horsepower and yet 275 ft-lbs of torque. I’m told it’s adequate to not get squeezed out on interstate merges but not much more. It will get 24 mpg on the highway.
This is a one-owner, accident free car that’s spent all of the last dozen years right here in Essex, Maryland. It’s still eligible for MaxCare for five more years and up to 150,000 miles. Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the cheapest MaxCare package out there.
Stock No. 24128280 VIN 2MEBM7FV1BX605625
If you really want one of these with lower miles, and aren’t afraid to tempt fate, the five-owner white over tan 2011 Grand Marquis below has only 38,000 miles on it. But they were not an easy 38,000 miles. The car hit the dealer lot in August 2010, and by the fall of 2010, brand new, and within a period of two months, the car was hit three times! Then hit again in 2012 and again in 2016! It’s currently reserved in Huntsville, Alabama here, and is selling for $19,998. What are the odds it has any more accidents in it?
Stock No. 23377703 VIN 2MEBM7FV5BX601884
Below are a pair of 2011 Grand Marquis that were in my “saved” file and just sold. They’re flying off the shelves!!
Not above plagiarizing Matthew for a headline. My other choice was a miserable one from Victor Hugo; “Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time.“* The “thousand things” could mean the 12,953 Holden unicorns made in Australia and imported by General Motors as Chevrolet SS sleepers from 2014 to 2017.
This one is a 2017 Chevrolet SS, the final year, with only 29,000 miles on it. The 2017 SS listed at about $48,000, but Chevrolet never moved these off the lots as quickly as they moved from stoplights, and offered deep discounts – up to 20% in many cases – to reduce inventory. Snatching one of these in 2017 for $38,000 would have been a helluva deal, especially since as a modern, collector car it’s now selling at MSRP! Unfortunately, it’s not the more coveted manual transmission like this rare pair offered by CarMax two years ago.
The 2017 Chevrolet SS is listed as a “10” for features by CarMax, and yet for a six year old car it’s lacking more than a few. Heated and air conditioned seats, automated parking, heads up display, cross traffic alert, and a decent Bose sound system yes. But no adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay, or heated steering wheel. What it has is a massive 6.2 liter LS3 naturally aspirated V-8 motor that makes 415 horsepower driving the rear wheels. That’s not a ton, but it moves this car to 60 mph in the mid-four second range. And it sounds awesome doing so. I drove one a few years ago and it had the same visceral oomph and roar of old time muscle cars. The SS also has (from 2015 on) GM’s Magnetic Ride Control suspension and handles quite well – .94 lateral g on the skid pad.
This 2017 Chevrolet SS has spent its whole life in Florida with one owner and is available here in Tampa. It’s actually gray over black, making all the pix look like they’re in black and white. It’s an accident free car and eligible for MaxCare up to 150,000 miles and five years. I don’t think I’d bother at all.
Stock No. 24071876 VIN 6G3F15RW9HL303934
What follows also looks like the same car in black and white pictures but it is not. This is a green over black Chevrolet SS – a first year model from 2014. It’s outfitted almost identically to the 2017 above, although as noted does not have the magnetic suspension. It’s also $4,000 less than the 2017 and has only 18,000 miles.
IMHO the 2014 green exterior, although subtle, has a nicer tone than the drab gray of the 2017.
What kept me from buying one way back when? If you’re a regular reader you would know it’s my vanity. I was okay having a Mercedes S-class that concealed its V-12 motor and yet having to explain over and over my Chevrolet came from Australia and really wasn’t a Malibu is beyond me. It looks pretty plain. The 2014 had a big pair of exhaust outlets and by 2017 the car got four, smaller pipes. Beyond that I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference.
All of the SS’s had plenty of room in the back seat and in the trunk to be a legitimate family hauler or road tripper. And on road trips the car gets up to 22 mpg highway. I’ve had worse.
This 2014 Chevrolet SS was a two-owner from Kansas and Lubbock, and is currently being transferred to San Antonio, Texas but you can track it here. Same MaxCare warranty options as the 2017, although always remarkable that it would still be covered when it’s 14 years old!
Stock No. 23712976 VIN 6G3F15RW1EL938447
*The full quote makes me want to end it all.
“Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time. To journey is to be born and die each minute…All the elements of life are in constant flight from us, with darkness and clarity intermingled, the vision and the eclipse; we look and hasten, reaching out our hands to clutch; every happening is a bend in the road…and suddenly we have grown old. We have a sense of shock and gathering darkness; ahead is a black doorway; the life that bore us is a flagging horse, and a veiled stranger is waiting in the shadows to unharness us. ”
Enough econohatch faux unicorns. Getting back to something legitimately rare, high performance, highly depreciated, and a MaxCare must. A 2012 Alpina B7 sleeper. (Pardon any clunky formatting – doing this by phone at the airport to get it posted before it disappears!)
Not the first B7 we’ve spotted at CarMax (thanks Mustafa!) and yet always pleasantly surprised when these unusual cars are offered. Only 1,740 F01 models from 2011-2015 were imported.
Alpina modifications are subtle inside and out and the big BMW could easily pass for a 750. But Alpina makes the motors and ships them to BMW for installation, then the whole kit and caboodle returns to Alpina for final installation and suspension work.
The Alpina B7 is nicely equipped (for 2012) with heated, air conditioned, and massaging seats, heads up display, heated steering wheel, and even night vision assist. It does not list adaptive cruise control and when I get back will try to run the VIN. Would be surprised if it’s not there. Even has what looks like a vintage rear seat video system!
The 4.4 liter twin-turbo V-8 motor is good for 500 horsepower and with just a six-speed automatic and AWD pulls the car to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Plenty fast. This accident free, two-owner Ohio car sold new for maybe $125,000 eleven years ago and is only $33,998 now. MaxCare is probably not cheap and is definitely necessary. Can’t imagine repairs are cheap. Find it here in Rochester, New York.
A dozen years ago the stars aligned for a somewhat rare four solar and two lunar eclipses. There will only be six years like it this century. The first of those was 2011. It was also the final year for the Mitsubishi Eclipse sports coupe that had been in production for a dozen years. Coincidence? I think not. Fortunately for us CarMax has unearthed and preserved a nearly new pair of these extinct unicorns. May not be the greatest sports coupe on the road, but you won’t see a lot of them in orbit. And like most cars of questionable enthusiast interest, there are several forums and Facebook groups with thousands of owners who are passionate about their Eclipses. I swear if you think about the worst car you ever owned, there is a car club with a Facebook page of fans for that car. That said, these are the first Eclipses I’ve ever written about. That’s rare.
This 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS model is a single-owner, 16,000 mile car with a coveted manual transmission. The five-speed for sure makes the car more fun to drive, despite the limited 162 horsepower from the 2.4 liter four cylinder. On one hand, this is the company that brought us the Sapporo, Starion, and 3000GT – all cars I kinda liked. On the other they have largely gotten out of the car business and now sell the Eclipse as a small cute-ute crossover. If you really REALLY want to read some good automotive writing on the downside of a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT, try this hilarious piece by Jack Baruth in The Truth About Cars, He hates the convertible GS he drove and his review included such prose as “let me tell you what else is a bad idea: driving a convertible top-down through LA with a passenger who is both drunk and fluent in Spanish.”
The car is pristine inside. It’s certainly clean and unencumbered by options. It gets a “3” on CarMax’s Features and Specs scale – with a upbeat note the rating describes a car with “The Basics – More potential savings with more basic features.” (FWIW – here’s a link to a 2011 Hyundai Accent GL that gets a “1”) The Eclipse GS has cruise control, an aux jack and CD player, and air conditioning. Did I mention it’s clean? On the plus side, front seat leg room is an expansive 42″ – more than a Mercedes S-class.
Honestly, the car would make a fun little daily for someone’s first manual transmission car. Yeah it would be more fun if it were the 265 horsepower six cylinder GT….but at least you get 28 mpg on the highway! The car sold new for about what it’s selling for now, and it’s available now here in Baltimore, Maryland. And if for some reason you thought it necessary to protect this car from unlikely repairs, MaxCare is good for up to 150,000 miles or until 2028 – right before the next six-eclipse year!
Stock No. 23191938 VIN 4A31K5DF9BE004545
Sticking with my lunar (lunacy?) thinking, today is the beginning of the spring equinox and according to the poet Alfred Tennyson the time when young men think of love…and convertibles. Personally, I think everyone should own a convertible at some point in their life. Been fortunate enough to own three over the years. Nothing like the wind through the hair on a spring drive. Get a drop top before it represents a sunburn through a receding hairline. Trust me.
Anyway, if you want a convertible Mitsubishi Eclipse much like the one Baruth skewered, here’s another 2011 model with only 18,000 miles. It’s an automatic, though, so lower your enthusiasm a bit. But it’s a nice triple black unmolested little runabout with a convertible top for young lovers motoring to….wherever young lovers motor to nowadays. It’s $3,000 more to trade the manual for the convertible, but wait! There’s more!
You were wondering what the GS Sport offers over the plain old GS model, and unlike the basic hardtop configuration the droptop is rated an “8” – loaded with features! For 2011 in this class, that means it has leather heated seats, adjustable lumbar support, and a rear view camera. AND a Rockford Fosgate sound system. Baruth said his wasn’t bad, targeting the “critical retired-minitruckers-who-remember-the-Punch-45-amplifier demographic“. No idea what that means but I liked it. I suspect the Rockford Fosgate amp would offset any buzz from the same 2.4 liter four cylinder with the top down.
The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS Sport sold for almost $30,000 – much more than the “basic” GS. This convertible is available here for a third less in sunny Doral, Florida, where the one owner has v=been driving it very little up and down the A1A. Oddly, Doral is where I am headed this week to drive a tempting Mercedes SUV. Maybe I can work a twofer deal?
The GT convertible (above left) comes with a subwoofer smack dab in the center of the rear seat. Baruth noted “the subwoofer mounted between the negligible rear seats seemed inadequately protected and quite prone to being poked with pencils, pens, broken bongs, shivs, and the other accoutrements of the modern Mitsubishi buyer, who is primarily identifiable by his sub-600 credit rating and fondness for the music of “Sublime”.“
And finally, note the mostly useless trunk on the GS Sport convertible (above left) compared to the not-too-bad hatchback with a deck lid trunk in the hardtop. Then again. we really don’t buy convertibles for long distance luggage.
Seems like every two years there’s one of these quirky Volvo C30 T5 R-Design unicorns with the somewhat rare (and fun) manual transmission at CarMax, and here’s another one. Wrote about this one in 2019 priced at $13,599 with 88,000 miles, and this one in 2021 with 50,000 miles at $18,998. Hard to tell anymore what’s a fair price for used cars. These little guys were sold in the USA from 2007 to 2013.
The C30 T5 R-Design got uneven reviews when new but over the years gained a loyal following and in 2020 hotcars.com considered it a “hot hatch” with some nostalgia, although the six second 0-60 mph time hardly makes it hot. I asked my colleague and more knowledgeable auto enthusiast Chad Jeepty what was so special about the manual C30 T5 R, and he noted, “The 2012 Volvo C30 T5 R-Design with a manual transmission was a special edition model only available in limited numbers. The R-Design version of the C30 was already a sportier and more performance-oriented variant of the car, but the addition of the manual transmission made it even more appealing to driving enthusiasts.”
The manual transmission version of the C30 T5 R-Design was powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five engine that produced 227 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain was mated to a six-speed manual transmission, which provided a more engaging driving experience compared to the standard automatic transmission. This car has seat heaters, BlueTooth and navigation and gets a “9” (out of 10) rating for features by CarMax, noting it is “loaded” and that baffled me. Dug deeper and CarMax’s definition of loaded is “8-10 Loaded – More premium features than other cars like it.” Pretty scientific if you ask me.
This 2012 Volvo C30 T5R is here in Puyallup, Washington, although I just got an update that it’s out for a test drive. MaxCare is available up to 125,000 miles but only 48 months. Not sure I’d bother – pretty reliable car.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
