When you said $1k is the new $500, I disagree. With average cheap beaters going for anywhere from $2k to $5k in SE MN…that’s like the new $200. My first car was $300 back in 2001/2002. This is about the same as that. It lasted for 6 months before the engine seized. Bought my second car (91 Saturn SL1) for about $700 at an auction. I sold it a couple years later for what I paid. Could’ve kept it for years or sold it for more than I did but oh well. That’s about the equivalent of what I see for around $3k to $4k today.

@richfarfugnuven6308

6 ай бұрын

I think that they meant pre-Covid pricing...

@Mike.Macmyazka

6 ай бұрын

@@richfarfugnuven6308 even pre Covid, the prices were high. Ever since the gov decided to do cash for clunkers, it took a lot of cheap cars off the market and raised prices on the used market. Yes it’s been worse since Covid but it’s been bad for more than a few years. Any other info to share?

@shawnmerlan

6 ай бұрын

It’s just harder to find a deal. Look for old lady’s that can’t drive anymore. Or somebody that is about to move and has to many cars. I got 2 cars (one a Toyota) that are pretty great. Changed a couple belt and fluid. They run like a top, no codes.

@StardustADV

6 ай бұрын

​@@richfarfugnuven6308 this video went up today, no way its pre-covid pricing. They just keep getting their cars at dealer auctions where we cant get cars that cheap.

@jeffrentsch4318

5 ай бұрын

I got several from Princeton auto auction, Princeton WV. In theoretically it was a dealer auction but cash talks and no warranty.

My RWD grand marquis with snow tires and some weight in TBE trunk handles upstate NY winters great!

@HerrPoopschitz

6 ай бұрын

Agreed. Had a Crown Vic for a short while and was really surprised how well it handled snow.

Of these 4 AWDers you guys had picked out, the only one I'd consider would be the Volvo. The rest will undoubtedly need work and the cost to fix would be astounding. I know if you guys had more selection, you maybe would've went with other offerings. Plus Tommy you're right about Toyotas. Great reliability but it's super hard to find an AWD Toyota under $5,000. I think you guys should do a bracket style "Best AWD Vehicle Under $X" and test them out in the snow. Level the playing field by testing in identical conditions. I remember a few years ago you guys did a test - I think it was all season vs. snow tires - going up a hill and I was like yes, this is a great video because it was so real world relevant.

I'm going to plug my car. A 2003 Acura MDX. They can be found in this generation for well under 5k. Mine, with 200k miles can be had for more like 3k. They are super reliable, make about 300 HP, have an excellent AWD system with a center locker at low speeds. All leather, heated seats, a third row, tons of cargo room and will just go forever with proper care. They also won't break the bank when you do need to repair something.

@boodrowwilson1894

6 ай бұрын

lol 260 horsepower and saying "about 300" is a stretch there bud

@brianrosenlof388

6 ай бұрын

@@boodrowwilson1894 My bad, when I looked it up I think I forgot to add the year and saw the current year model HP rating. I stand corrected. Regardless, it's no slouch and has plenty of power for passing on the highway.

@boodrowwilson1894

6 ай бұрын

@@brianrosenlof388 yeah i was about to say ! most those with 300+ hp are going to have a turbo which equals not good for poor folks if it breaks

@adventuresforthemasses7025

6 ай бұрын

@@boodrowwilson1894 2007 -2013 has 3.7L with 300hp and no turbo.

@boodrowwilson1894

6 ай бұрын

@@adventuresforthemasses7025 that's definitely cool. Another thing to consider is that at higher altitude, with a regular gas engine, you lose a significant amount of horsepower as you go higher . So having a little extra is good in the mountains

I wonder why these are such cheap used cars? Probably because of the very low maintenance or insurance costs.

@disophisis

6 ай бұрын

Yeah these cars have more skeletons in their closet than John Wayne Gacy

@xFactoryUSA

6 ай бұрын

This would be reasons for HIGH pricing.

@sacramentofoodforest

6 ай бұрын

@@disophisisI’m dying 😂😂😂😂😂

@willblake72

6 ай бұрын

@@xFactoryUSA yeah, that's the joke bud

@isaacstretch106

6 ай бұрын

I mean within the first minute they do say repairs are expensive

You forgot the Toyota Sequoia 2001 to 2007. Great gas gasler car with 4x4 for all snow weather. Don't forget that 4.7L Toyota engine can last up to over 400k miles. It seats 6 too, you can haul kids around in winter and rainy days plus take it to a trail for camping and fishing. Great SUV in my opinion. Can be had for 5 to 10k good one. Just look out for the Rust though and never buy one neglected.

Speaking of Volvos, XC90s can be found easily for under 10k, even sporting a Yamaha-made V8. Very nice interior and very capable AWD as well as good overall reliability.

I didn't go cheap, but I did buy a '17 Golf R (manual) in April.... I threw some Michelin X-Ice Snows on last week and absolutely slayed some snow. So much fun.

@juanirving276

6 ай бұрын

Used to have a 2019, I put my summer tires at the end of winter a few years back, ended up getting snow in the spring. The car didn't hesitate and it had Michlin PS4s on lol

these are the cars u need to avoid at any price

@phild9813

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I wouldn’t touch any of them with a ten foot pole.

One correction about the X-Type: You *could* technically get the 3.0 with the manual here (I think as part of a sports package), but they're quite rare

@ExploreLandandSea

6 ай бұрын

My buddies dad had one. It was sweet. It got totaled and he couldn't find another to replace it.

Just bought an ‘07 Volvo XC70 AWD turbo 5cyl wagon for my daughter’s first car… we love it!

I used to own an XC60. I loved how comfy that car was and the power. Never had any issues overtaking on 2 lane hwys in Montana and North Dakota in the winter. The car handled very well. Only issue I had with mine and why I sold it was because it started having electrical problems that the dealer couldnt figure out. MP3 files would freeze the stereo system (only way to fix it was to restart the car and on a road trip got a little annoying) and the backup camera wouldnt turn on all the time.

I really love the E Class, Mercedes of that generation. If our looking for a car in about that price range, I would look for a 2013 to 2015 E class wagon with the form motion.

@ldmtag

6 ай бұрын

I wish they made an offroad version. Not a somewhat offroady, but like OFFROAD version. Like with at least 11 inches of ground clearance with air suspension and at least rear diff lock. And maybe low range. Too bad they no longer make the 212 body, the most beautiful E-Klasse ever created and probably like 8th most beautiful car in history

@Slow.S55

Ай бұрын

@@ldmtagcurrently driving mine till it dies, 2010 E350 with 200,xxx miles already 😂

Love this sort of stuff. Iv got a couple landrovers for my winter driving.

Great choices you guys, all of them are favorites of mine too!!! The E wagon 🤩🤩🤩

Excellent episode!!! 😁

THANKS GUYS😊

For $15k you can buy a very nice one-owner Outback, Forester, or Crosstrek with low miles and full service history. At that price you could afford one with the H6 or FA/turbo engine, so you won’t have to worry about EJ head gaskets or timing belts. You could even get a great condition 2nd generation Crosstrek with a 6-speed manual transmission and 40mpg+ FB20 engine for under $15k these days. Then spend $1500 on Falken Wildpeak AT tires and a 1.5” lift kit to build your own manual transmission Wilderness model. At $10k, I would still go Subaru over any of the maintenance time bombs in this video. At that price you could get one of the fantastic early-2010s options with the 5EAT torque converter auto, like the H6 Outback, Forester XT and Legacy GT. Find a good example of one of those models with 120k miles (so you know the timing belt and head gasket have already been taken care of), and it will last another 100k miles with just regular maintenance and consumables.

Always loved those Jags

7:15 I remember test driving the a4 new “ you have to go V6 to get wood trim”

I love these! European car special. They won’t be as good a Japanese cars but they’ll be way more fun/interesting

Great video

I'd love to know where or how your finding these prices so low, because the typically used vehicle is astronomically more costly than it used to be. You're fortunate if you find anything under $1500 that isn't a rust bucket deathtrap or needs some costly mechanical work to get it to be road legal in a lot of States. With lower new vehicle production that brought used prices up, then with so called inflation new vehicle prices increased. Affordable options are essentially gone or scarcely heard of today.

@garysarratt1

6 ай бұрын

Dealer auction=wholesale. Only licensed dealers allowed to buy there.

@NWI_Steel

6 ай бұрын

They are going by auction prices. So figure another 30% for what the dealer would then list it for😊

My brother-in-law found out the hard way not to buy a luxury car for cheap price he bought a mid to late 2000s Cadillac STS fixing it wasn't cheap. Fortunately for him, my sister eventually wrecked it

@Black-Villain

6 ай бұрын

I don't know what it is with 2000's Cadillacs, but the parts prices are eye-wateringly expensive. I've got 3 Jags, had an S600 even, but holy shit I had to help my brother with his 03 CTS and 05(?) STS AWD a few years ago and man.... Like I believe the PCV valve for the CTS was $600+, and there were so many things on the STS that had to be paired at a dealer or were just ridiculously expensive (like the $2k/pc shocks) that just didn't make sense to me

شكراً للمعلومات الرائعة

I miss my B5 30v V6. Super smooth, german vault build quality and unstoppable in the snow.

Because of tge picture in the magazine on which I saw the XC60 for first time, I associate it with some sort of beach party. Like a sunny twisty road next to the coastline in some Monaco or something. Silly, right?😂

I wish you would show the auction closing prices when filming auction vehicles. I do like your choices.

7:11 - "infamous" is negative. I don't remember any negatives about those controls. Audi/VW used that switchgear for a long time. Should have been trouble-free by the time the sampled A4 came along.

That v6 merc seems easy to work on. A lot of space in that engine bay. I wonder how’s the reliability on it

My daughter had a 2010 Volvo XC60T (used). Started out nice, but alignment problems persisted until the Volvo dealer did another alignment. New tires (not cheap) later, she still complained of it feeling "squirrelly" when on gravel. Reluctantly, it was traded for a Hyundai Santa Fe. The engine recently cratered, and the engine replaced @73k mi.

@fredharvey2720

6 ай бұрын

The Hyundai died or the Volvo?

My daily driver is a 2001 A4 Quattro 1.8T with 215,000 miles. With the APR tune, upgraded exhaust, and K4 turbo upgrade it's pretty quick and still gets 31mpg.

You guys gave great chemistey. You should do some top gear esque cheap car adventures.

That Jag was my car, same colour even, they are a nice solid car, I owned mine for nearly 20 years and loved it, the elegant styling has never dated, I traded it because of new Euro pollution rules, a sad day!

Nice love jaguars

The Mondeo was a great car/chassis, I don't see an issue with the xtype being related to it.

I just picked up a 2004 bmw 330xi for under 4k. High miles but very solid, luxurious, and fun. 6 speed manual and all wheel drive with lots of maintenance records. Beats buying a new car

Good stuff

Those volvos are great

The P3 Volvos were the best balance of old Volvo and very good reliability with beautiful design.

Love the Benz. I drive a 2012 C250CDI Wagon here in Germany. Mercedes of that Era are way better than their successors...

4:14 That rear indicator look like it was going to fall off 😆

You may not know, but the Mondeo this was based on, was actually sold in Mexico in all it's variations except Diesel, we had the 2.0 I4. the 2.5 V6 and the fantastic V6 3.0 ST220 version... but they are pretty rare nowadays

@janiksch5733

6 ай бұрын

In Europe there were also 1.8 gas engines available. My first car was a 2002 Mondeo Wagon with a 1.8 125HP engine. There even was a 1.8 engine with direct injection available...

the jags engine is mounted weird. looks to be a fwd based awd system.

Lol.. Notice how the Ford connection to the Volvo wasn't overused like it was for the Jag. : )

Volvo loved their transverse mounted I-6 engines

9:42 There are a lot of these in Maine Still going

Actually bought a 2013 e550 4 matic last year as a winter daily and I gotta say for 12k and 125k miles I'm loving the thing few reliability mods and it's solid

@jacquesc3166

6 ай бұрын

Just wait until the 7G trans starts acting up, then the 'fun' begins. You're barely a year into it. Wouldn't want any 2005+ Merc as a daily...

@mstarn00

6 ай бұрын

@@jacquesc3166 lol the transmission is stout in these cars the issues are typically with the engine

@jacquesc3166

6 ай бұрын

@@mstarn00 It's really, really not if you compare it to its 5 speed predecessor. That 7 speed will throw codes, it's not if but when.

I can see the Jag costing 5k in repairs the first year alone.

@Black-Villain

6 ай бұрын

Not really, the X-Type is pretty much a Ford, literally has a Duratec V6. Honestly most of the Ford-Era Jags are fairly reliable and cheap to fix, just rebuilt the entire front suspension on my X-Type Wagon winter beater for like $300. There's also a ton of X-Types out there, so getting used parts isn't a problem

I just got me the best winter beater, which is actually almost perfect, 2008 VW Passat 3.6 4motion wagon with 90k for 2700

Pre-facelift W212 is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. It sits in my top 10-15 close to R172 SLK and X204 GLK

@jeffrentsch4318

5 ай бұрын

I'm a fan of Prelude with pop up headlights, Jeeps, CJ YJ TJ JK XJ....

@ldmtag

5 ай бұрын

@@jeffrentsch4318 XJ is decently pretty, but I don't get those other Jeeps. Don't they all look just like uglier versions of JL Wrangler? I like how the very first civilian Jeeps looked like, those that still heavily resembled the small and agile Willys MB, and I like JL Wrangler, which really does look A LOT BETTER than the JK. But even those Jeeps aren't that close to my top 10 desogns. I generally prefer cars that look like cars in the modern sense of that word. Jeeps look a little too ubnormal for my taste. Here's my best effort to put together my constantly fluctuating opinions into a top 10 designs. The first 3 positions are more or less stable, but the rest might have changed by the time I'm finishing writing this. 🥇X164 Mercedes-Benz GL 🥈2020 Land Rover Defender 110 🥉C199 Mercedes-Benz SLR (best sound) 4.. Jeep Grand Cherokee WL 5.. X204 Mercedes-Benz GLK 6.. R172 Mercedes-Benz SLK 7.. Lexus LFA 8.. Nissan GTR 9.. W212/C207 Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse 10 W166 Mercedes ML

how about one on budget fuel efficient cars, would like to see how the older hybrids are holding up

I drive an XC70… killer car. With snow tires, I go anywhere. Love it.

My vote is for the Infiniti G37X. I have Michelin Cross Climate 2s on it and it is an absolute hoot in the snow! I've had an Audi S4 b5 and a Passat b5.5. Those aren't $5k cars. They're $10k cars, $5k to buy them and $5k to keep them on the road. The G is a $10k car that's better in every way.

1:15 - This shouldn't be contrasted with the Taurus. It should be contrasted with the Contour, which was similarly sized and powered...because they're both using versions of the same platform. Taurus was bigger and far different.

If I could find that wagon anywhere near where I live I'd buy it right now.

That Jaguar was also based on the Lincoln LS.

@user-pgchargerse71

5 ай бұрын

Lincoln LS was based on the Jaguar S Type, a larger platform than the X Type shown here.

@CuriousCars made a great point when he said, and I’m paraphrasing, “When you buy a $100k car for $10k, the maintenance and upkeep is still that of a $100k car.”

Dont forget about the 4th gen acura tl sh-awd

surprised a WRX wasn't in there somewhere for a cheap, fun AWD car

As far as I know, the 350 engine is actually 3.7 and it only makes 272 metric horsepower, so probably around 268-ish imperial ones.

Amazing content and sort of mind blowing to see what 15k could get you. The slowest honda today would cost 10k more than that and we're talking Sub 6 seconds to 100kmh cars here. yeah the maintenance is still there, but a 15k max is not gonna dent your wallet for sure.

Honorable mention I think should be the mk 1.5 Tiguan. Just a few years ago these were in the 30k range and can now be had for around 10 -16k with low miles and 4motion.

@damilolaakanni

6 ай бұрын

How is the reliability of those? If you're looking for a winter car it should be reliable.

@markmartinez766

6 ай бұрын

The 1.5 model 2015 and up are great they worked out the issues from the early generation and with regular maintenance and premium fuel it’s a reliable vehicle.

@jacquesc3166

6 ай бұрын

Lol it's a 2.0 TFSI, you can't hide it or pretend you're not going to suffer severe DI-related issues like no-start conditions down the road. Wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

Mercedes wagons are like seeing a unicorn.

@blueridge8992

6 ай бұрын

Dude down the street from me has the Euro wagon Holy Trinity: Volvo 850 turbo, BMW E46 Touring, and a new E 63 AMG S, all in mint condition. He’s always strapping kayaks on top or loading his golden retrievers in the back when I drive by, and I just think, “there’s a guy that really has life figured out.”

The only European model not mentioned that I'd seek out (at least as a reference point) is a BMW sedan or wagon with X-drive. I get it, though. You're limited to testing what's available

Buy a beater with the highest production numbers. Better parts availability.

I'd overtake that E350 on a snow course any day, and my G37xS is probably worth 4-5K less lol. 90% of the Merc' luxury, 120% of its performance and 300% of its reliability, for 2/3 of the price. 😊

Jags are hard on kitty litter

Bought my 1995 yukon for $1700 Everything works not perfect but its a truck. Ifs makes it smooth with plenty of room and clearance. Do your research people and have a budget that allows simple repairs. 2k is what I had in mind, oh and no cars theyre unsafe to me nowadays.

A set of snow tires is even cheaper and work great! For most folks that's all you need.

I would have put a Lexus IS250 on the list but Im guessin there probably wasnt one on that lot. You can get those under 10k no problem.

0:43 no lie I bought me 2001 civic from my ex gf’s dad for 500$ with 135 k miles on it. It’s been 4 years never had a issue. And I lifted it 4 inches and put off road tires on it 😂😂😂😂 it’s my off road civic. We call it the 4 civic. Or the civic runner 😂😂 keep that car in D3 and it off roads hella good 😂

Those x types are pretty reliable after 2002

My god a quattro B5 A4 with 130,000 $5000 , In 2000 I sold my 96 P reg with 110,000 for £5000 in the UK. Christ Audi's are obviously don't depriciate as much in the States and the equivalent car costs far more. Can't get over the.price when I sold my car near enough 24 years ago.

Toyota Highlander uses a transverse mounted V-6, so um, it's weird?

@RysterARCEE

6 ай бұрын

The Volvo has a transverse mounted INLINE 6. That's what makes it atypical. Transverse V6s are pretty common.

Yay, so I can be stranded in the snow.

The X type all day long

Hi, sorry for correcting you - A4 is similar to VW GOLF, not Passat. Passat is A6.

i think a gen1 or gen2 Rav4 would be an excellent car for this list. cheap AWD and WAY more reliable than all this stuff. lol

I was okay with the jag, Ford kinda, completely lost me at audi. There's a huge reason why they're all in the junkyard. Cool car when it was new tho

Need more wagons in our lives lol

Not one American car? Some of us avoid European and other foreign cars because they are nightmares to keep going once they get old enough. European cars with more than 100k on the clock is the magic number to avoid imo.

Just to keep those cars running, you're better off making payments on a newer car 😆 and with the first 2 cars, you might as well throw your money in a fire 🔥 🤣

Considering how everyone (except Tommy) blew the budget in the Toyota truck series, these feel like fair prices & good choices.

If I didn't fear the mahoosive repair bills I'd go for the Mercedes

The problem with used European cars is high cost of ownership. Used Japanese cars are the better budget conscious option.

The good old Jag/mondeo

The 2000 VW Passat V6 with 4Motion would be a good choice and maybe cheaper than the Audi.

Dont need no stinkin AWD. I have driven damn near every generation mustang since the fox body in Chicago all year round for 30 years now. Throw some blizzaks on there and keep moving.

A saab aero xwd would of been my choice

A6 was equivalent to VW passat, not the A4

Think I’d take the A4. The engine in it looks huge, like a V8 lol

@_xyzyz_

4 ай бұрын

make sure to check engine mounts

definitely want to buy a super cheap luxury vehicle know for major reliability problems so you can spend tons of money on the repairs.

This is a hot list of the least reliable cars available.

Check out the timing belt cost / procedure on that Audi a4 2.8 it’s insane. The whole front of the car has to come off. It’s EXPENSIVE. worst car I’ve ever owned.

Cheap FWD would be the way to go in winter. Brendan's '95 Cutlass Cierra with a set of decent snow tires would be nearly unstoppable in most snow conditions. Tires would probably cost more than the car.

for 5k you gotta go with suzuki sx4. manual, 4 wheel drive, and a hatchback.

@user-oe7pr5ww2m

6 ай бұрын

And reliable, cheap to repair 🤣

I would never touch an X-type. No matter what engine. So expensive to fix them and they aren't even a real jaaaag, its a mondeo. Its maybe worth 2-3k dollars. And if ANYTHING breaks it costs 2-3k to fix it. So i personally would'nt recommend it.

@Black-Villain

6 ай бұрын

.... What? They're ridiculously cheap to fix. Maybe if you're ordering new OEM parts, sure, but aftermarket or used parts? I just rebuilt the entire front suspension (everything minus new hubs) for like $300 on my X-Type Wagon winter-beater. Engine is a duratec and pretty reilable, fuel rail and injectors are on other ford models, water pump is the same as an escape (iirc), control arms are the same as some Volvos of the era.... They're stupid simple and cheap to keep going

What? No yank tanks on the list?

Out of these, i bet you only the volvo will be solid for many more years