Cars and 'high mileage' - are you one of the sheep?
Discussion
Cars are designed to a lifetime, which will be somewhere between 150-200k miles (in a 95th percentile customer profile) max. The issue for owners will be when multiple things start to wear out at once - big bills can come, and regular standard maintenance can do nothing about it.
Luckily for the motorist, the last 5-10 years cars have gotten far better for corrosion so they will last that bit longer before something major goes.
Luckily for the motorist, the last 5-10 years cars have gotten far better for corrosion so they will last that bit longer before something major goes.
Maybe I drive cars quite hard, but I tend to wear out suspension pretty quickly.
Although I have run cars to fairly high milages myself (and they have been Trigger's Broom type affairs - not engines, but everything else) I wouldn't buy someone elses' high miler purely because of how s
t and sloshy high milage cars that haven't had foolish amounts of money spent on them feel.
100k is a decent indicator in my experience. It's about the time when most of the things I tend to replace on my cars are well past their best (clutches, bushes, bearings, A/C compressors, dampers, paint under the sills grit-blasted from 100k of driving etc) but few people have been forced to replace them - because even on Pistonheads few people replace anything unless an MOT failure forces their hand. If an advisory pops up one year for wear but isn't picked up the next the owner thinks they've scored a victory and the car has repaired itself purely because the next tester wasn't as exacting as the last. There's nothing to prevent that 100k car giving many more years' service, except for cost of parts and labour in the UK. I can do it all myself - I have a well equipped garage, but I have children and too many hobbies competing for time as it is to commit even more time to a knackered car when I can afford one that's much fresher, leaving my free time to spend on many other things I'd rather do than tackle rusty bolts.
Although I have run cars to fairly high milages myself (and they have been Trigger's Broom type affairs - not engines, but everything else) I wouldn't buy someone elses' high miler purely because of how s
t and sloshy high milage cars that haven't had foolish amounts of money spent on them feel.100k is a decent indicator in my experience. It's about the time when most of the things I tend to replace on my cars are well past their best (clutches, bushes, bearings, A/C compressors, dampers, paint under the sills grit-blasted from 100k of driving etc) but few people have been forced to replace them - because even on Pistonheads few people replace anything unless an MOT failure forces their hand. If an advisory pops up one year for wear but isn't picked up the next the owner thinks they've scored a victory and the car has repaired itself purely because the next tester wasn't as exacting as the last. There's nothing to prevent that 100k car giving many more years' service, except for cost of parts and labour in the UK. I can do it all myself - I have a well equipped garage, but I have children and too many hobbies competing for time as it is to commit even more time to a knackered car when I can afford one that's much fresher, leaving my free time to spend on many other things I'd rather do than tackle rusty bolts.
I went through a spell of 50k + per year - took 3 cars in succession to over 150k and had no major failures - 1 alternator and a back exhaust. Current Mondeo is 3 miles shy of 110k and has ( touch wood) needed nothing other than routine servicing every 12,500 miles, tyres and a set of brake pads at 100k. The trick I believe is regular oil changes - avoid the 20k extended services and how gently the car is driven - flog it and it will fail but drive it in a reasonable manner and high mileages are economically possible.
Why buy a high milage car when used cars are so cheap?
My current car is well over 100k now so i'm don't subscribe to the "ticking time bomb" mentality but given that you can pick up a 5 year old car with 50k on these days for a few thousand why bother getting one with 200k+ on the clock? Things do wear out with milage no matter what some people may think.
My current car is well over 100k now so i'm don't subscribe to the "ticking time bomb" mentality but given that you can pick up a 5 year old car with 50k on these days for a few thousand why bother getting one with 200k+ on the clock? Things do wear out with milage no matter what some people may think.
Willy Nilly said:
no machine I have ever used has got better with age.
Cars don't wear out in the UK very often, but they do become un-economical to repair.
This is the case with my current Jaguar. Currently sailing on towards 175,000 miles. Still drives alright, but it's clonking and making all sorts of expensive noises. I know if I cared enough I could fix it and probably see another 100,000 miles without much issue, but it'd be easier just to sell it for spares or repairs come the next MOT. Cars don't wear out in the UK very often, but they do become un-economical to repair.
My MR2 is sitting on 125k miles at the moment, it's my daily and I do about 25k a year in it. As long as I can keep the corrosion in check, I'll keep fixing it. Better the devil you know and all that.
Plus, I enjoy fixing it, and I'm learning new things with it. Cambelt / water pump is the next one. Never done one of those before!
Plus, I enjoy fixing it, and I'm learning new things with it. Cambelt / water pump is the next one. Never done one of those before!
GroundEffect said:
Cars are designed to a lifetime, which will be somewhere between 150-200k miles (in a 95th percentile customer profile) max. The issue for owners will be when multiple things start to wear out at once - big bills can come, and regular standard maintenance can do nothing about it.
Luckily for the motorist, the last 5-10 years cars have gotten far better for corrosion so they will last that bit longer before something major goes.
Say that to tmy focus. not even 10 years old and rusting like a bLuckily for the motorist, the last 5-10 years cars have gotten far better for corrosion so they will last that bit longer before something major goes.
h. 
I have just been offered a facelift MY07 E350 estate with 103k miles on it for £3800.
If I went to a 2003 E320 estate with 190k miles on it I would be paying about £800 less.
Why buy something which is nearly 13 years old instead of 9 years old with nearly twice the mileage to try and save £800?
I would be happy to spend £1000 on new suspension all round on the MY07 car, but would be a bit gutted to have to spend £300 on the 190k 03 plate car.
The milage makes such a huge impact on value in the UK that it becomes a spiral that is hard to get out of.
If I went to a 2003 E320 estate with 190k miles on it I would be paying about £800 less.
Why buy something which is nearly 13 years old instead of 9 years old with nearly twice the mileage to try and save £800?
I would be happy to spend £1000 on new suspension all round on the MY07 car, but would be a bit gutted to have to spend £300 on the 190k 03 plate car.
The milage makes such a huge impact on value in the UK that it becomes a spiral that is hard to get out of.
Ten days ago I was in a Cadillac Escalade on my way to the airport and this car a 2012 had well over 225,000 on the clock. Bodywork and trim in good order, all the electrics worked and the a/c was amazing. A Florida car and John the driver changes oil every 5,000 miles, i.e. every six or so weeks. He plans to see it way past 300,000.
I have a winter shed...1997 Lexus LS 400, with 125,000 on the clock, one owner, me and this too is in great shape. Yes it has had money thrown at it...but the odd bill of £600 excluding tyres, fuel and repairing the soft alloys, is cheap when there isn't anything I like as a replacement without woking up £30,000.
Why be a sheep when being a tiger is way better !
Cars these days so long as they are cleaned and survived should easily see 200,000 miles before any major worries. Main deals just want to sell a new car every there years or less, but with so many good specialists around keeping a good car alive is simple and cost effective.
I have a winter shed...1997 Lexus LS 400, with 125,000 on the clock, one owner, me and this too is in great shape. Yes it has had money thrown at it...but the odd bill of £600 excluding tyres, fuel and repairing the soft alloys, is cheap when there isn't anything I like as a replacement without woking up £30,000.
Why be a sheep when being a tiger is way better !
Cars these days so long as they are cleaned and survived should easily see 200,000 miles before any major worries. Main deals just want to sell a new car every there years or less, but with so many good specialists around keeping a good car alive is simple and cost effective.
BigBen said:
The taxi company my employer uses run a fleet of E-class Mercs, typically they are run from new until between 300 - 400k miles before disposal. They feel and look like new cars, even the 300k mile one I was picked up in last Thursday evening. They are washed approx every 3 days and maintained fastidiously which helps but still pretty impressive.
In Germany you still see W124 taxis in most major cities, they have to be on half a million miles or more by now.
Ben
Most of the E-Class taxis I see here in German metro areas W212, maybe the odd W211. That said, they really are built well (as are all the models from the C on up) and they do massive mileage. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a diesel with 100k on it, so long as everything checked out.In Germany you still see W124 taxis in most major cities, they have to be on half a million miles or more by now.
Ben
Pah... we're all lightweights compared to this:
http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/the-record-breaking-r...
http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/the-record-breaking-r...
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