Am i getting to hung up on mileage?
Discussion
Spent a while looking for a 330d (e90) with high spec, nav, xenons etc.
I set myself a max of 60,000 miles, with an ideal target of around 40,000. However these type of mileages really push the limit of my budget (£14k-ish).
When i expand the miles a little more, i can get a bit more for my cash. Ive found a silver 335d with pretty much every option, for £14.5 with 80k on, but it just puts me off a little.
I know these cars will do 150k easily, however with my mondeo, its on 72k (2004) and has had nothing but problems. I guess this puts me off a little.
I know you buy on condition and history, but i cant help thinking that the extra 40,000 miles on the clock heavily increases the risk of something going wrong. Like a turbo.
I set myself a max of 60,000 miles, with an ideal target of around 40,000. However these type of mileages really push the limit of my budget (£14k-ish).
When i expand the miles a little more, i can get a bit more for my cash. Ive found a silver 335d with pretty much every option, for £14.5 with 80k on, but it just puts me off a little.
I know these cars will do 150k easily, however with my mondeo, its on 72k (2004) and has had nothing but problems. I guess this puts me off a little.
I know you buy on condition and history, but i cant help thinking that the extra 40,000 miles on the clock heavily increases the risk of something going wrong. Like a turbo.
These cars will do much more than 150k if looked after. As long as the car has a full service record (not just stamps- invoices and receipts) detailing just how well the car has been looked after, then you could find yourself a gem for much less.
It all depends on what you plan to do with the car too. If you will be putting 30k on it each year and need the car to last 2-3 years, then obviously the lower mileage ones will give you peace of mind.
Aside from the price difference, other advantages in going for the higher mileage cars is that they are more likely to have had recent major service (Insp II- quite expensive at BMW), new brakes/suspension etc. So as well as being cheaper to buy, you may actually save in the long run on consumables. This is only a possible scenario though...
It all depends on what you plan to do with the car too. If you will be putting 30k on it each year and need the car to last 2-3 years, then obviously the lower mileage ones will give you peace of mind.
Aside from the price difference, other advantages in going for the higher mileage cars is that they are more likely to have had recent major service (Insp II- quite expensive at BMW), new brakes/suspension etc. So as well as being cheaper to buy, you may actually save in the long run on consumables. This is only a possible scenario though...
Ari said:
The trouble with paying good money for an 80,000 mile car isn't necessarily the wear, but the perceived value on resale.
Rightly or wrongly, once mainstream cars get past 100,000 miles the values tumble, and at 80,000 miles you're not far off that (depending on your annual mileage).
That's true enough.Rightly or wrongly, once mainstream cars get past 100,000 miles the values tumble, and at 80,000 miles you're not far off that (depending on your annual mileage).
Just to give you a balance on things...I've had Fords and Vauxhalls in the past, and they've all had high mileages when I've got shot of them. (120k plus) I'm sure they had loads of life in them after that as well. I now have an Integra with 132k on it which I've had for nine years (since 93k) and it gets given death every once in a while, and is still going strong. As is normally the advice on here, I would, and mostly always will do, go on condition rather than mileage. But that can sometimes depend on the marque..
I agree, its more of a resale problem than reliability, my Impreza has done 138k now! I've done a lot of work on it, but nothing has broken in the 20k i've done with it.
I am building a new engine, but thats for power & not due to a failure.
Its worth less resale, but if looked after something like that BMW should be fine with higher mileage.
Find one you really like & get it bought
James
I am building a new engine, but thats for power & not due to a failure.
Its worth less resale, but if looked after something like that BMW should be fine with higher mileage.
Find one you really like & get it bought
James
To be honest, I would prefer a diesel with higher than average milage than one with low milage as chances are one has lived on the motorway getting nicely up to temps and generally having an unstressed existence.
Low milage versions may have lived in cities all of its life or used for lots of short journeys which a diesel does not like.
Saying that, check history carefully as Turbos, injectors,etc seem to have a limited life nowadays!
Low milage versions may have lived in cities all of its life or used for lots of short journeys which a diesel does not like.
Saying that, check history carefully as Turbos, injectors,etc seem to have a limited life nowadays!
STW2010 said:
It all depends on what you plan to do with the car too. If you will be putting 30k on it each year and need the car to last 2-3 years, then obviously the lower mileage ones will give you peace of mind.
The other way of looking at it is, if you're doing 90k miles in 3yrs then get a high mileage one to start with.E.g. if you buy a 40k mile car for £15k it will have 130k when you sell it and be worth about £5k say, a loss of £10k.
But if you but an 80k mile car for £9k then it will have 170k when you sell it and be worth about £3k, a loss of only £6k
How many of these cars will have been clocked?
So-called mileage correction devices have been on the market for years and someone must be using them.
Getting the car professionally inspected and making an effort to speak to previous owners will put your mind at rest but buying a secondhand car from a stranger is always a bit of a leap of faith.
So-called mileage correction devices have been on the market for years and someone must be using them.
Getting the car professionally inspected and making an effort to speak to previous owners will put your mind at rest but buying a secondhand car from a stranger is always a bit of a leap of faith.
valiant said:
To be honest, I would prefer a diesel with higher than average milage than one with low milage as chances are one has lived on the motorway getting nicely up to temps and generally having an unstressed existence.
Low milage versions may have lived in cities all of its life or used for lots of short journeys which a diesel does not like.
Saying that, check history carefully as Turbos, injectors,etc seem to have a limited life nowadays!
Engines are fine, normal servicing/appropriate mechanical sympathy provided of course. The problem bits are the wear 'n' tear, non-service items that make up other important bits of the car: dampers, bushes, mounts, brakes etc. 'tis amusing how many "100,000 mile but barely run-in" cars are riding around with jelly for suspension. HOWEVER, set aside some £££ (indeed, as you normally would), be prepared to replace them sooner rather than later, and yer' laughing.Low milage versions may have lived in cities all of its life or used for lots of short journeys which a diesel does not like.
Saying that, check history carefully as Turbos, injectors,etc seem to have a limited life nowadays!
The mileage itself wouldn't put me off (likely to be buying a 100k ish car soon) as long as the service history was right. But OP - don't do it! I was in a very similar scenario to you 2.5 years ago and the depreciation has made me wince, perhaps you're not bothered but you will lose £7-8k or so in 2-2.5 years, I lost £250/month. Wish I'd bought an older example for £4-5k and lost a couple of grand only.
I appreciate this is small fry compared to some!
I appreciate this is small fry compared to some!
Just bought a Mercedes E320 CDi, 167k on the clock. It was owned by a well known race horse trainer, no expense was spared on maintaining it, washed and waxed every weekend, fully stamped up Mercedes service history, it's in fabulous condition inside and out. Drives like it's done 50k. Buy on condition and how well it's been maintained rather than mileage.
rohrl said:
How many of these cars will have been clocked?
So-called mileage correction devices have been on the market for years and someone must be using them.
Getting the car professionally inspected and making an effort to speak to previous owners will put your mind at rest but buying a secondhand car from a stranger is always a bit of a leap of faith.
+1So-called mileage correction devices have been on the market for years and someone must be using them.
Getting the car professionally inspected and making an effort to speak to previous owners will put your mind at rest but buying a secondhand car from a stranger is always a bit of a leap of faith.
It's way to easy to clock a car nowadays, even if a car check says the mileage is correct, you can never be sure. Some dodgy people who might do, say, 25k per annum, then when its time for an MOT, they'll clock it to say 10k, so the data check will say the cars done 10k.
So always buy on condition. The higher mileage cars are the more honest cars IMO, and the lower mileage ones are the ones to be wary of.
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