I'm ON A MISSION to Buy a Cheap, Daily Drivable 4x4: Will I Find a Gem?

[@scrappyjackalope9558]

The XJ being a 2 door and 5 speed is the reason it went for top dollar. No brainer..

[@matthewprather7386]

Buying a 4x4 right before a snow storm might not be the best timing to get a good deal. .

[@codyschmid6807]

2nd Gen Xterra Off Road edition was the right choice. Cheap, reliable, powerful, rear locker, Dana 44 rear end, good 4lo, good ABLS traction control, spacious, came with a manual...

[@winstondeocampo699]

Really enjoying this car auction feature TFL. I hope you guys keep this going.

[@freeadventurers3112]

We have a 2011 wrangler with the 3.8 and daily drive it. Been super reliable, has close to 200,000 miles on it and we drive it across the country at least a couple times a year. It has been a great Jeep.

[@MoparRocker74]

I’m not a bit suprised that XJ brought good money, its the holy grail: 4.0L, 4x4 and a 2-door. No better combination.

[@greathornedowl3644]

Thank you, Brendon and Alex. Alex is so "in the zone" and so serious. Get this man a classic: Isuzu Trooper/Bighorn, Older Landrover Defender, Mitsubishi Montero, Japanese Jeep, Toyota FJ, 4Runner, or Landcruiser

[@garretlewis4103]

Auctions can be a ton of fun. You just cannot get sucked into the competition to "win the bid". That is where people mess up and pay too much.

[@That_Handle]

Yep, FOMO driving irrational fear is bad for buyers all around - in the moment and stoking of the future

[@nevco8774]

And that happens to most unexperienced folks to overpay.

[@9MrBulat]

You should really grab a Jeep WK 05'-10' with the 5.7 and QDII and test it off road. It's one of those impressive rigs on the trail like the touareg!

[@-Jethro-]

It’s funny how decades ago car manufacturers considered both automatic transmissions and tachometers as upgrades, so if you got a manual transmission you would probably not get a tach. I guess that’s why we all learned to shift by the sounds the engine made.

[@Agent.K.]

Toyota until today sells LC 70 without tachometer 😂

[@calebsiemens5067]

The '08 Yaris I have has a manual with no tac lol

[@jonascampelo871]

I love these auction videos! Tflclassics its going big because of auction time!

[@jronald262]

Do some updates on your RDX, good little rigs. Brendan, how many vehicles have you had? Do a video on that! You're living the dream!

[@brendanao]

Thanks! I have just eclipsed over 100 vehicles. I currently own 12

[@eyesurgeon69]

These auction episodes are excellent.

[@atmartens]

I own a 2011 Acura RDX with SH-AWD, and it’s been one of the best cars I’ve owned. The SHAWD is extremely powerful and great at handling. It doesn’t have a lot of ground clearance but it’ll get you through the snow. The tech in it is great. The first generation is more of a sport hatchback than a crossover, due to the lower ground clearance, turbo, and SHAWD.

[@NickTarterOKC]

The 3.8 is not a bad engine, it's just a little underpowered. They are pretty reliable though, especially when well cared for. My buddy has an 08 Rubicon that he has had since it was a year or two old. It has been dead reliable for him and has rarely been in the shop. They do tend to develop oil leaks over time, but all are repairable and that's pretty much a thing for any engine. Parts are affordable and easy to get which is another plus.

[@leehall5447]

I had a wrangler with the 3.8 and it was the most unreliable vehicle I’ve ever owned, injectors, multiple plugs, plugs, wires, alternator died twice in 3 years. Was an absolute dog lol

[@NickTarterOKC]

@@leehall5447 You probably got one that wasn't maintained well before. When you take care of them, they take care of you. I have seen it first hand. My buddy has literally never had a single breakdown in the 125,000 miles that he has driven his.

[@hakankohkoinen8192]

@@NickTarterOKCi agree, if people would just take care of and maintain their vehicles, i have a jk manufactured 2011, with an early pentastar, supposedly a complete 💩 according to internet experts, i daily drive it and it runs like new 😂

[@SE7ENinc1]

That two-door XJ was worth $4200 all day long..

[@rickreese5794]

Strong as Death🤪💯🥵🤷🏿‍♂️🤙🏻

[@MrChilongaso]

Not a chance. Way too expensive.

[@justinwingfield2271]

@@MrChilongasoHave you seen todays prices though? It really was a pretty good deal.

[@rexracer7192]

​@@MrChilongasothe comment of someone that knows not what they speak about 🤦‍♂️

[@MrChilongaso]

@@rexracer7192 Do you even know how to write? 😅🤦

[@petervandoren2984]

Really enjoy seeing these auctions. Thanks for showing us how it works.

[@damilolaakanni]

Third generation Mitsubishi Montero. They're very reliable if you take good care of them, and they're pretty capable offroad. The offroad crowd usually go for Cherokees, Wranglers and 4runners, so you'll be able to find a good example for pretty cheap. Just try to get one with the 3.8 V6. Not that the 3.5 is a bad engine, but you'll need the extra power you can get from the bigger engine.

[@RichardVac]

That ML was a great deal for 5k. these are great off-road vehicles, I have one for 7 years and have done level 5 trails, no problem with it's 4matic and low range, I think it was a mistake not going for it

[@LafemmebearMusic]

Can I ask how much money you’ve put in it?

[@RichardVac]

@LafemmebearMusic The only $ I spent was on 32" AT Cooper tires, a new battery and a power steering reservoir O ring for $6. My vehicle has been nothing but reliable it had 60k miles, currently 131k running strong,.have taken from south Florida to the mountains every year, always looking for off-road trails and never let me down. It always got me back home with no issues, I did many off road parks, Hard Rock Off Road park FL, Patriots Off Road NC, Brown Mountain in NC, Hurricane Creek Trail NC, always made it back with no issues, it's has been incredible

[@damilolaakanni]

4:09 i wouldn't want to own a German car, either. I had a MK4 Volkswagen Golf that had issues since the first week I owned it. Worse, the interior rattled a lot. At least the engine (2.0 4 cylinder) and gearbox (4 speed automatic) were surprisingly reliable, no issues with those.

[@LacDole]

Good luck with your RDX... Let us know how that 2.3L turbo does. I have a lot of dealers who tells me how many issues they had with it. Also, it takes 5W30 full synthetic oil.

[@Cloud30000]

Their is a public vehicle auction within an hour of my place, but everyone and their brother goes there hoping to flip cars so you never really find a deal; it’s easier to just find those same cars sold privately at a discount afterwards when those flippers realize they screwed up and now need to make some fast cash to pay rent.

[@kclefthanded427]

Very good perspective on how a car auction works

[@thisguyfromyoutubesaid1537]

My rav 4 v6 is 4x4 its awd with a 4 wheel button if you get stuck in mud or snow and it does work there only 3500 pounds with 270 horsepower. And they might be the most realible car ever made and i came from a lincoln town car, ive seen them with 300,000 miles ona stock everything but the water pump. Stock fuel pump stock alternator stock starter. Mines at 260,000 everything stock except the waterpump. My old town car would go through alternstors and starters every 100,000 miles like alot of car companys, these atleast 300,000 miles

[@thisguyfromyoutubesaid1537]

Also these have the lotus evora engine that means theres a supercharger out there for it and the front wheel drieve rav 4 v6s came with a limited slip differential that means we could bolt it on are all wheel drives possibly??

[@thisguyfromyoutubesaid1537]

And there only 5000 dollars with low mileage now!

[@willdiet1079]

Look for a GX.

[@damilolaakanni]

Those will definitely be way above his budget, especially if it's a low mileage, good condition example with no rust.

[@ajaydavy80]

Help me make sense of this. He has a jeep at home. He's looking at a jeep just like the one at home. So, take the money you would spend on buying a new vehicle there, and fix the jeep you already have!!!

[@anthonyc1883]

I definitely got the impression Alex is done/done/done with his current Jeep. As its owner, he clearly has insight to the situation we don't have and I think we have to take his word it is just not worth pursuing anything further with that particular vehicle.

[@vwsandvettes3253]

Alex seems like a cool guy. He reminds me of a buddy of mine I went to high school with.

[@epicurusgod]

Owned many 4x4 rigs. Highly recommend Jeep WK or XK with quadra drive 2.

[@shazparaz2684]

XJS can be expensive based on the trim level and options too. I have an 86 Wagoneer Limited which IS an xj with the 4.0 and 4 speed AUTO. I payed 14 grand for it and it has 180,000 miles

[@Austinandjules]

People love to hate on the 3.8 Chrysler engines but at the end of the end there’s still mid 2000s caravan kicking around with a 3.8 or 4.0 v6 with 200,000 miles. Versus a 3.6 which will eat its rockers and lifters by 100,000 miles. Then you need a head job. 😂😂😂

[@runningawayvagabond5876]

I'm a guy that worked for VW when these Touareg's came out. Surprisingly they're off road beasts for sure for their size and weight. You absolutely positively DO NOT want to own one of these if you value your bank account balance. Doubly so for one with the air suspension. You will never keep a wheel alignment on that thing. Everything is expensive and everything has big labour costs to get to and replace. It's a doubly whammy $$$ hit. Don't see too many of these anymore in my area but whenever I do the thought that goes through my mind is I wonder if they're just keeping it because they've thrown so much money at it to keep it on the road they can't afford to get rid of it?

[@scoobygms210]

The acura was by far the best car here i wanna know how many miles cus those car will do 300k pretty easy

[@johnbriggs6203]

2008. 232,750 mi.

[@limixz28]

might wanna try those jeeps at highway speeds. deathwobble is real.

[@stevenrogers2457]

Love the auction content. Thanks guys!

[@henrikhkarpynskyi8712]

I daily drove JK for 10+ years, it end up being very convinient daily driver for both work commute and kids sports.

[@micmacpole]

The Mercedes ML320 is a great SUV. I had one for 5 years and with regular maintenance I had no major issues.

[@jackempson3044]

It used to be that if a car was approaching 100,000 miles it was high mileage. These days, cars are so much better now that 100,000 miles isn't bad at all if that car has been taken care of. I bought a Toyota rav 4 new and ran it 400,000 miles and then traded it. It still had no rust and ran well. Change that motor oil and transmission oil at proper times. Keep the salt off it.

[@MariuszChr]

Is it because of the season? People might be paying more for an offroader than a sports car at right before winter.

[@motorhead_jt21]

I had that Acura in college before totaling it. It had 140k miles on it when I got and drove fantastically. Mine was in really good condition though. Great in snow and the little turbo engine is a lot of fun.

[@CJ-rk5eg]

Glad you let that XJ go….replacing a door and trying to paint match it to the body is a hassle.

[@johnbriggs6203]

Unless you got a black door from the same age wrangler. Lol. 🤔

[@CJ-rk5eg]

@@johnbriggs6203 EXACTLY headache 🤕

[@flatheadV8]

Did the VW start and rive through the auction and if so do you know what it sold for?

[@brendanao]

They did get it to start and it sold for just under $4k.

[@flatheadV8]

Thanks for the reply. IF, all that was wrong was a dead battery then 4k looks like a bargain. @@brendanao

[@CoolTies]

Love these reality auction videos. Especially the variety of co-hosts and topics. Keep them coming!

[@TowhomdoIoweexcess]

General rule of thumb as well, try to use the majority of your gears equally

[@steverolfeca]

Couldn't see the Commander as a daily or an off-roader. Hemi fuel economy, appallingly bad departure angle off-road...

[@plus790]

JK door should be FAR easier to replace than the dented corner on the other Jeep.

[@ckm-mkc]

I paid 11k retail for a fully loaded great condition 2012 Grand Cherokee Summit w/134k in June..... There are deals out there, even retail.

[@scoobygms210]

That's jeep for you they don't hold value like the Toyota and stuff . It's the only reason I bought a jeep cus there cheap !

[@fritty9927]

You couldn’t pick a worse daily driver than a wrangler.😂😂😂

[@mattjohnson6227]

During the winter in Colorado? There’s worse things.

[@fritty9927]

@@mattjohnson6227 true

[@bsenka]

For winter? They're one of the better choices you can get.

[@fritty9927]

@@bsenka my luck was different. I had Cherokee (not wrangler) and it was actually one of the worse vehicles I ever owned on snow. I loved it; just not on snow.

[@peterj5751]

Worst is a big call. There is always something worse no matter how bad the car. 😂

[@TH-ox5ig]

Great episode. The auctions are really interesting

[@Eddie-yc5yd]

Sharp looking RDX.

[@thecraigrainey]

2 door manual xj less than 200k miles not lifted is a unicorn!!!

[@rickertaxes]

Had a Wrangler back in the 90's was funt to drive but as a daily driver was not a good idea

[@boganpainter1638]

You really need to change the name of this channel from "Classics" to "Used Cars"

[@TypeIIAdventures]

Nissan Xterra (avoid 05-08) would make great budget off roader.

[@averageguylifestyle7092]

Go see HRG Off-road. They sell a 1.5” lift kit for the Gen1 RDX. it’ll become a pretty capable off-road machine.

[@caifan444]

I like these videos alot awesome tfl

[@sixpest]

jks are okay but not amazing Mines has been kicking my ass. First my transmission Death wobble = to me buying a trackbar shocks and it needed a new radiator fuel tank = evap leaks and lastly I needed oil pan seals. If you're buying used have a warranty.

[@Thecarexchangepodcast]

I wrote an article on the XJ for Hotcars and tbh they’re definitely overpriced. But what does make them special is that comfort meets off road capability.

[@scoobygms210]

The commander was amazing I would of pulled codes on it cus the hemi is super reliable and capable

[@brewguy102]

When y’all put that jump box on that Freon connector 😱

[@GATORADDAM]

Just before I switched to KZbin and watched this video I was watching an old rerun of The Big Bang Theory. I firmly believe that Alex is Howard Walowitz brother. Hahaha Hahaha.

[@Minione16]

The MK2 JK Wrangler has the 3.6L?

[@golfgti47]

Did I miss the miles on the rdx? I heard it has a ton of miles 10 times but didn’t hear the Actual number

[@stevewilcoxson7173]

That looks like The Lost World Jurassic Park Mercedes 🚙

[@M.G.jun.]

Oh man, why didn't you buy the Touareg? A German V8, air suspension, off-road package, KO2's, low range, real rear diff. Lock, super luxurious and obviously in great condition.

[@fscottgray9784]

XJ 2 door carry a premium on the market. Probably why it went so high.

[@AllanPorter]

Alex and Brenden. The dynamic duo. Great content, guys.

[@AllanPorter]

He's a well dressed man.@@Romans_Toupee

[@anthonyc1883]

@@AllanPorter Dusty Hill was a "sharp"-dressed man. Brendan is...casually comfortable. ;-)

[@COChevyTrainMan1990]

I saw three first gen Chevy Trailblazers in the video, including that one next to that ugly red Miata. I owned a 2005 LS for 8 years and loved it, kept up with the maintenance and drove reliably. Hands down a fantastic budget off-roader. Cheap to own and drive with comfortable seats and ride, parts of the millions are easy to find, and have a true low range transfer case, 2HI 4HI 4LOW and AUTO. Such a underrated SUV. Need more of this car and no more crappy jeeps, toyotas, and land rovers on the channel.

[@fritty9927]

You do know there is nothing wrong with being a Chevy fanboy or any other fan; but when you degrade every other manufacturer on the planet your opinion loses a lot of validity.

[@jeeaaenlourens1434]

The Mercedes would have given you many more years to enjoy with such low mileage and well maintained. The 3.2 liter engines are bulletproof and pretty easy to work on. Brendan stealing the show in the end with a great buy, really like the Acura, make a follow up video on that one!

[@andrewb325]

The Benz would have been my choice as well. It is in great shape and is very capable.

[@aaronbritt2025]

Brenden, when you tried to go $2850 on the Acura, did they refuse the 1/2 bid?

[@brendanao]

Yup!

[@gqami]

So that's great, a dealer auction, how can a regular jo-schmo gain access to these? I love these episodes, but help a non-dealer option. What is needed to get this done? Thanks, great video!

[@cesmigs8502]

I hope you make more videos on auctions like this. This is really interesting and fun to watch.

[@TheTopGun920]

That NOCO will jump the damn space shuttle. That VW was just messed up.

[@thebigguy8306]

Great person to review, your mechanic (?) about time he stepped in front of the camera BRAVO excellent timing as snow just swept across the midwest followed by the cold. . . Jeep, Mercedes, or VW, you would need to be a mechanic or have a good pair of shoes and money for the bus. Young man, get a Suzuki Sameri or early Sidekick) you will LOVE it.

[@keenanwingo2250]

2 door XJs are rare. Least in tx

[@RandomGuyDan]

That Wrangler door looks like someone pulled it out to break in.

[@joeyramirez3829]

purchased a chevy Colorado from Phil Long many moons ago!!

[@caliboyrob]

Well Alex, the good thing about auctions there’s one every week. First you don’t succeed try again! Brendan i will say the Acura’s of that era have suspension troubles and the rack & pinion will need to be replaced soon if not already done by previous owner

[@duncanatr]

It's kind of funny that the hosts of this channel seem to buy and sell the same vehicles every few years. Disco II, Wrangler, LR3...

[@plus790]

If I didn't already have my first year Raptor, I would go for an early Porsche Cayenne, but it *MUST* be the Turbo. The 6 cylinder (from the VW Tuareg) is too gutless for a heavy vehicle, and the NA V8 is a timebomb, but the Turbo is actually pretty reliable. Mileage will suck. But if you can find a bargain for as little as $6k and you can avoid the "Porsche Tax" if you can do most of your own maintenance (like replace the problematic coolant pipes). Budget for a 2" lift plus wheels and tires, and you're in a capable luxury off-roader with 450hp (without a tune) for about $10k!

[@aaronbritt2025]

The '96 XJ doesn't have a tach? Odd. My mom's '01 did. Sad she sold it. She rolled it once and drove it for another year. Only damage wad a 4" diameter dent on the roof, a busted mirror and cracked windshield. I fixed it up and she sold it for $5k with over 250k miles back in '17. The Wrangler for $9k has the older interior and is a soft top. The hard top adds about $2k to the value.

[@Robert-j6w5v]

No public auctions near me all dealer only even using a broker makes it cost prohibitive

[@user-cg7cc7zj3e]

That XJ is a real Jeep

[@DJWhitetailfluff]

I'd take that old Jeep Cherokee all day long.

[@MegaRetr]

Alex seems like a cool guy.)))))

[@bsenka]

$5000 for that XJ is still very low compared to what I see them going for around here!

[@Onepiece-471]

That's actually cheap

[@bartwaggoner2000]

What exactly is a boat load of miles?

[@waggitnshaggit6592]

More than a canoe full

[@markspence3750]

Touareg Advice: The jumper cables in the hood are absolutely worthless. There was a recall. you actually have to jump the battery from underneath the seat. Which doesn't work when you can't move the seat to access the damn battery.

[@rickreese5794]

GR8 job 💯🤙🏻🤷🏿‍♂️

[@jbandt]

Love the auction videos!

[@markderoller7645]

I love these videos.

[@shiftmotorsports9803]

KBB Excellent trade in with 78k on the ML is $799. Retail is $2799

[@brendanao]

Just goes to show that KBB has no clue how to value older vehicles.

[@vwsandvettes3253]

I want to see that 496 big block gmc of Brendan's get featured on one of these videos.

[@Offshore1977]

I have the 3.8 in my Wrangler and it’s been a great engine. Very reliable.

[@CodeResp]

Very honest business lol. Aren’t there people there to drive up the price

[@theepanvr]

Is it me or does anyone else wish to see how these auctions went in the 60's-80's. Car's were beautiful back then and probably well kept too.

[@dannykrauskopf7404]

Excellent Episode as always!!! 😁

[@v12mercedes-benz72]

How about touareg? They used have one.

[@waggitnshaggit6592]

Be the envy of all ! Get an Eagle Wagon

[@mattr2773]

XJ 2DR 4x4 Manual are Unicorns!

[@larrys9879]

Just confirms all vehicles are depreciating assets. Their value drops like a rock. And the older they get the more maintenance problems they have.

[@pwatom22]

One of the greats.. and affordable.