Cars and 'high mileage' - are you one of the sheep?
Discussion
Currently on holiday in Gran Canaria.
Sat in 5 taxis so far. Toyota, Skoda and a W211 E Class.....
Each had over 500KM on the odometer.
Having mentioned I thought this was high mileage to the taxi drivere they scoffed and told me once they reach a million KM they will be sold.
Makes you think how so many in the UK class above 80k as high mileage.
Barmy!
Sat in 5 taxis so far. Toyota, Skoda and a W211 E Class.....
Each had over 500KM on the odometer.
Having mentioned I thought this was high mileage to the taxi drivere they scoffed and told me once they reach a million KM they will be sold.
Makes you think how so many in the UK class above 80k as high mileage.
Barmy!
I only tend to look at lower mileage cars personally, it has nothing to do with the engine, it is everything else in my eyes that wears out first. I hate getting in a high mileage car where the seats are worn out etc.
I did drive an 06 M Class the other day which had 350,000 miles. It drive exceptionally well to be fair.
I did drive an 06 M Class the other day which had 350,000 miles. It drive exceptionally well to be fair.
The difficulty is the low cost of cars vs. high cost of labour in the UK compared to Gran Canaria, where things get reversed.
I'm up to 120k+ on my petrol 307 estate car, but a cambelt and service is likely to be circa £500-£600 (for me at a time that suits me) and while I might do this on my 12 year old car, the next big bill might mean I don't risk it. I service it at least once per year to try to maintain reliability, but I chopped my previous 307 2.0 HDi diesel at 150kish as the labour costs made the fixes for ABS wheel sensors, cambelt, alternator pulley wheel (2 in 130k+ miles and due to go again), wheel bearing & a crying wolf engine mgt light, uneconomic for me to pay someone to fix.
Still occasionally see the 307 hdi about, as a neighbour's dad spent a shed load of time sorting it out. His time was effectively free, he did everything himself & had access and time to source spares. He knew I was painting a worse case scenario to him on my selling it, but he knew that I'd never scrimped on servicing, tyres, brakes or repairs in all the years I'd had it and he got a damn good car for the money, that parted company. I'd have been throwing good money after bad with no guarantee of reliability, so baulked at taking the risk.
P.S. Having had 200k+ miles in a 307 over 10 years (through economic necessity) I prefer the diesel 2.0 HDi with 90 bhp than the 1.6 16v petrol 110 bhp, the diesel has a higher more relaxed natural cruising speed, doesn't have to have its neck wrung to get any where and the range between fill ups is far superior.
I'm up to 120k+ on my petrol 307 estate car, but a cambelt and service is likely to be circa £500-£600 (for me at a time that suits me) and while I might do this on my 12 year old car, the next big bill might mean I don't risk it. I service it at least once per year to try to maintain reliability, but I chopped my previous 307 2.0 HDi diesel at 150kish as the labour costs made the fixes for ABS wheel sensors, cambelt, alternator pulley wheel (2 in 130k+ miles and due to go again), wheel bearing & a crying wolf engine mgt light, uneconomic for me to pay someone to fix.
Still occasionally see the 307 hdi about, as a neighbour's dad spent a shed load of time sorting it out. His time was effectively free, he did everything himself & had access and time to source spares. He knew I was painting a worse case scenario to him on my selling it, but he knew that I'd never scrimped on servicing, tyres, brakes or repairs in all the years I'd had it and he got a damn good car for the money, that parted company. I'd have been throwing good money after bad with no guarantee of reliability, so baulked at taking the risk.
P.S. Having had 200k+ miles in a 307 over 10 years (through economic necessity) I prefer the diesel 2.0 HDi with 90 bhp than the 1.6 16v petrol 110 bhp, the diesel has a higher more relaxed natural cruising speed, doesn't have to have its neck wrung to get any where and the range between fill ups is far superior.
Was in Tenrife 2 weeks ago, and went to the airport in a W211 E Class, diesel, quite possibly the worst thing I have had the misfortune to be in, with only 78K on it, it sounded and drove like a tipper truck. Don't care if they can do mega miles....it would be launched off the nearest cliff. Getting to the hotel was in a VW Carravelle, felt like a Maybach in comparison.
limit is 200k for me.
I am not a sheep I don't think theta tem suits here, the thing is cars that are very high milage not much price difference in the lower milage cars so you go for them. The only difference is a new car ewith high miles, you get a lot for your money but again doesn't appeal to me.
I am not a sheep I don't think theta tem suits here, the thing is cars that are very high milage not much price difference in the lower milage cars so you go for them. The only difference is a new car ewith high miles, you get a lot for your money but again doesn't appeal to me.
I've been in a Mercury Grand Marquis (badge-engineered Crown Vic) in Florida that had over half a million miles on the clock and it still seemed to ride and handle like a softly-sprung Yank Tank should. - I sincerely doubt that many of our highly strung, over complicated diesels would last that long having just paid out for a full set of injectors for my D2 at 83k miles.
The Spruce goose said:
limit is 200k for me.
I am not a sheep I don't think theta tem suits here, the thing is cars that are very high milage not much price difference in the lower milage cars so you go for them. The only difference is a new car ewith high miles, you get a lot for your money but again doesn't appeal to me.
Why have any limit?I am not a sheep I don't think theta tem suits here, the thing is cars that are very high milage not much price difference in the lower milage cars so you go for them. The only difference is a new car ewith high miles, you get a lot for your money but again doesn't appeal to me.
You think you're not a sheep, but 200k is the new 100k, and you're a sheep for limiting to it.
I take umbrage with the word 'sheep'. it is like you are a sheep because you don't buy higher mileage cars, whereas the people that do live in this parallel world where mileage mean nothing to the condition of the car, when it does.
It affects the whole car and therefore a car that is lower in mileage in most cases will be better chance of not ending up knackered.
I understand some high mileage cars are bargains, but these are few and far between, the majority will be tired.
There is no medal for buying a 200k+ mileage car, but I am sure some posters on here wish there was.
It affects the whole car and therefore a car that is lower in mileage in most cases will be better chance of not ending up knackered.
I understand some high mileage cars are bargains, but these are few and far between, the majority will be tired.
There is no medal for buying a 200k+ mileage car, but I am sure some posters on here wish there was.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Tuesday 29th September 03:04
You've got to remember a lot of wear on a vehicle happens at the very start of a journey. Seat bolsters, scratches on door handles, engine wear.
I've been in the high mileage club for a while now you could say. My 328i Sport was the best one for sale in the country at the time, even if it did have 160k on the odometer. It didn't put me off!
I think the fear of high miles is more to do with value with most people. As you say that gives "us" the opportunity for bargains. My current car, a 2003 A4 TDi, would have been in excess of £4k had it "low miles". The niggles I have had with it aren't mileage related, and the interior barely shows any wear. Why pay more?
It's quite cool to be in the 200k club too, it always shocks non-car people. Girls panties literally drop when they read the odometer...
I've been in the high mileage club for a while now you could say. My 328i Sport was the best one for sale in the country at the time, even if it did have 160k on the odometer. It didn't put me off!
I think the fear of high miles is more to do with value with most people. As you say that gives "us" the opportunity for bargains. My current car, a 2003 A4 TDi, would have been in excess of £4k had it "low miles". The niggles I have had with it aren't mileage related, and the interior barely shows any wear. Why pay more?
It's quite cool to be in the 200k club too, it always shocks non-car people. Girls panties literally drop when they read the odometer...
I can remember looking for second hand cars before mileage was recorded by M.O.T testing stations and typically 3 year olds would be around 30k maybe a little more for "high mileage examples" which may be 45k to 50k. Now the same sort of car dealers advertise 70k as low mileage at the same age.
Plenty of starships now, but I think years ago lots of us bought 100k+ cars without knowing and lived to tell the tale. People now are obsessed with cambelts, dpfs and multi-tronic gearbox death, possibly rightly.
On the other hand being daft enough in recent years to buy new cars I have to say the car I trade in at 3 years old doesn't feel anything like as good as when it was new.
Plenty of starships now, but I think years ago lots of us bought 100k+ cars without knowing and lived to tell the tale. People now are obsessed with cambelts, dpfs and multi-tronic gearbox death, possibly rightly.
On the other hand being daft enough in recent years to buy new cars I have to say the car I trade in at 3 years old doesn't feel anything like as good as when it was new.
thepeoplespal said:
The difficulty is the low cost of cars vs. high cost of labour in the UK compared to Gran Canaria, where things get reversed.
I'm up to 120k+ on my petrol 307 estate car, but a cambelt and service is likely to be circa £500-£600 (for me at a time that suits me) and while I might do this on my 12 year old car, the next big bill might mean I don't risk it. I service it at least once per year to try to maintain reliability, but I chopped my previous 307 2.0 HDi diesel at 150kish as the labour costs made the fixes for ABS wheel sensors, cambelt, alternator pulley wheel (2 in 130k+ miles and due to go again), wheel bearing & a crying wolf engine mgt light, uneconomic for me to pay someone to fix.
Still occasionally see the 307 hdi about, as a neighbour's dad spent a shed load of time sorting it out. His time was effectively free, he did everything himself & had access and time to source spares. He knew I was painting a worse case scenario to him on my selling it, but he knew that I'd never scrimped on servicing, tyres, brakes or repairs in all the years I'd had it and he got a damn good car for the money, that parted company. I'd have been throwing good money after bad with no guarantee of reliability, so baulked at taking the risk.
P.S. Having had 200k+ miles in a 307 over 10 years (through economic necessity) I prefer the diesel 2.0 HDi with 90 bhp than the 1.6 16v petrol 110 bhp, the diesel has a higher more relaxed natural cruising speed, doesn't have to have its neck wrung to get any where and the range between fill ups is far superior.
That sounds horrific! 200k in a 307 I'm up to 120k+ on my petrol 307 estate car, but a cambelt and service is likely to be circa £500-£600 (for me at a time that suits me) and while I might do this on my 12 year old car, the next big bill might mean I don't risk it. I service it at least once per year to try to maintain reliability, but I chopped my previous 307 2.0 HDi diesel at 150kish as the labour costs made the fixes for ABS wheel sensors, cambelt, alternator pulley wheel (2 in 130k+ miles and due to go again), wheel bearing & a crying wolf engine mgt light, uneconomic for me to pay someone to fix.
Still occasionally see the 307 hdi about, as a neighbour's dad spent a shed load of time sorting it out. His time was effectively free, he did everything himself & had access and time to source spares. He knew I was painting a worse case scenario to him on my selling it, but he knew that I'd never scrimped on servicing, tyres, brakes or repairs in all the years I'd had it and he got a damn good car for the money, that parted company. I'd have been throwing good money after bad with no guarantee of reliability, so baulked at taking the risk.
P.S. Having had 200k+ miles in a 307 over 10 years (through economic necessity) I prefer the diesel 2.0 HDi with 90 bhp than the 1.6 16v petrol 110 bhp, the diesel has a higher more relaxed natural cruising speed, doesn't have to have its neck wrung to get any where and the range between fill ups is far superior.
I think a lot of people have a strange view on running costs. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard someone say they need a new car because they have just had a £600 bill on their 80k mile one.
Somehow the risk of a few more large bills makes people think a car is un-economical to repair because "it is more than the car is worth".
Completely forgetting that a new car could easily cost them £200 a month in depreciation alone. That would pay for a lot of bills!
That said, rust will still kill a car and I can understand frustration with poor diagnosis of electrical problems driving people to change their car....
Somehow the risk of a few more large bills makes people think a car is un-economical to repair because "it is more than the car is worth".
Completely forgetting that a new car could easily cost them £200 a month in depreciation alone. That would pay for a lot of bills!
That said, rust will still kill a car and I can understand frustration with poor diagnosis of electrical problems driving people to change their car....
My old vicaro was 4 years old when we got rid. 10 months of that was sat in the lease vans yard before we became the first owner so we already lost some warranty.
30k miles and the clutch went £1500
Then as we left the repair shop the turbo went. Not sure of the cost on that one but we couldn't wait to get rid.
Those 2 repairs were almost going to cost a this'd to half its value in a week.
30k miles and the clutch went £1500
Then as we left the repair shop the turbo went. Not sure of the cost on that one but we couldn't wait to get rid.
Those 2 repairs were almost going to cost a this'd to half its value in a week.
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