What mileage would make you rule out a used car?
Discussion
Seems people have vastly contrasting opinions on this. Some would argue high mileage isn't an issue if 'it was all motorway miles', but on the used market you'll never know for sure what type of driving those miles came from. The sellers word? Useless.
If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
My rule of thumb is 'forget the mileage, look at the condition'. Having said that, I'd probably be concerned by mileage depending on the type of car, its price, and manufacturer.
The most reliable cars I've owned have been high (100k+) mileage, the least reliable have been low mileage.
The most reliable cars I've owned have been high (100k+) mileage, the least reliable have been low mileage.
Acuity30 said:
Seems people have vastly contrasting opinions on this. Some would argue high mileage isn't an issue if 'it was all motorway miles', but on the used market you'll never know for sure what type of driving those miles came from. The sellers word? Useless.
If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
Shame really, my cars on 140k and going strong. Apart from routine maintenance....I intend to see if I can get to 200k.If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
Condition over mileage anytime.
Acuity30 said:
Seems people have vastly contrasting opinions on this. Some would argue high mileage isn't an issue if 'it was all motorway miles', but on the used market you'll never know for sure what type of driving those miles came from. The sellers word? Useless.
If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
Really? 90k?If I was looking at, say a 10 year old car, i'd be hesitant to buy anything over 90k miles, even if it had FSH.Thoughts?
Very interesting viewpoint. I know a guy with a 140k Golf Mk7 tdi. He loves it.
Stuff wears out and fails over time and usage. Quite what wears out when depends. My father used to work in fleet hire many years ago. They had customers wanting to rent cars for a year longer than usual thinking it would cut their costs, but it was actually more expensive because that’s when stuff started going wrong - better to offload them at that point.
If a particular car tends to need a load of work doing at 120k/10yrs - maybe suspension components, corroded brake pipes, turbo actuator, whatever - then a 130k car with all that done might be a better deal than a 110k one that’s about to need it. But maybe a 60k car driven unsympathetically round the city has already had it done…
Seems to be increasingly the case that dealers shred any history coming with the car, so it’s probably a lottery.
If a particular car tends to need a load of work doing at 120k/10yrs - maybe suspension components, corroded brake pipes, turbo actuator, whatever - then a 130k car with all that done might be a better deal than a 110k one that’s about to need it. But maybe a 60k car driven unsympathetically round the city has already had it done…
Seems to be increasingly the case that dealers shred any history coming with the car, so it’s probably a lottery.
I drive a 645ci daily with 152,000 in it and I'm adding about 15,000 per annum.
It runs very clean, no smoke, no rattles, had full suspension refresh, new brakes all round, regularly serviced etc etc.
New battery and alternator recently. Only let me down once (altrnator) but I was forewarned of low charge.
Why worry about mileage, check and look after whatever the mileage
It runs very clean, no smoke, no rattles, had full suspension refresh, new brakes all round, regularly serviced etc etc.
New battery and alternator recently. Only let me down once (altrnator) but I was forewarned of low charge.
Why worry about mileage, check and look after whatever the mileage
For me it totally depends on several factors: the car and the equipment fitted to it, the service history, the intended use and the price.
If say, I was buying a 10 year old Mondeo, I'd sooner go for one that's on 130k and had the clutch and DMF done than one on 80k on the original clutch.
Highest mileage car I've ever bought was a VR6 Vento on 185k, but that was to be a track car and I wasn't that bothered if it went kaboom. For daily duties I would probably have bottled it!
If say, I was buying a 10 year old Mondeo, I'd sooner go for one that's on 130k and had the clutch and DMF done than one on 80k on the original clutch.
Highest mileage car I've ever bought was a VR6 Vento on 185k, but that was to be a track car and I wasn't that bothered if it went kaboom. For daily duties I would probably have bottled it!
I buy on condition over mileage when it comes to a daily i.e. would you rather an 80k car that had been looked after by an average owner or a 150k version owned by an enthusiast with the paper history to support?
When it comes to older cars there comes a point where age on components and rubber parts means they need replacing rather than what the odometer reads.
Two examples I have at the moment, on the drive
- I have 3 old VWs. 26-31 years old. Two of them have 150-160k on them and one of them has 78k. The two higher mile cars have received a full chassis renovation however the 78k also needed the exact same work and was a right bar stweward where everything was rusted on. My irwin tool was used on every bolt. In this instance the mileage means nothing.
- my wife inhertiated a 20 year old Vauxhall Corsa. It has 10,000 miles on it. All 4 top mounts are squeeking, the outer track rods have gone and I'm pretty sure the lower wishbone will need attention.
When it comes to older cars there comes a point where age on components and rubber parts means they need replacing rather than what the odometer reads.
Two examples I have at the moment, on the drive
- I have 3 old VWs. 26-31 years old. Two of them have 150-160k on them and one of them has 78k. The two higher mile cars have received a full chassis renovation however the 78k also needed the exact same work and was a right bar stweward where everything was rusted on. My irwin tool was used on every bolt. In this instance the mileage means nothing.
- my wife inhertiated a 20 year old Vauxhall Corsa. It has 10,000 miles on it. All 4 top mounts are squeeking, the outer track rods have gone and I'm pretty sure the lower wishbone will need attention.
I've always been a bit weird/silly with this, and unless it is a shed at around £1k I won't buy a used performance car that has done more than 50k miles.
I've always worked to this theory(you have to remember that I was born in the early 70's though). 0 to 50k miles you will get the best out of the engine, 50k to 100k miles it is heading towards its end of life, and at anything over 100k it could go bang at any minute!
I've always worked to this theory(you have to remember that I was born in the early 70's though). 0 to 50k miles you will get the best out of the engine, 50k to 100k miles it is heading towards its end of life, and at anything over 100k it could go bang at any minute!
cerb4.5lee said:
I've always been a bit weird/silly with this, and unless it is a shed at around £1k I won't buy a used performance car that has done more than 50k miles.
I've always worked to this theory(you have to remember that I was born in the early 70's though). 0 to 50k miles you will get the best out of the engine, 50k to 100k miles it is heading towards its end of life, and at anything over 100k it could go bang at any minute!
Hmm, I'd say 0k to 5k you are finding the major faults, 5-30k you are running it in, 30k to 100k you are getting the best of it, 100-150k some bills will creep in, 150k+ you need a slush fund!I've always worked to this theory(you have to remember that I was born in the early 70's though). 0 to 50k miles you will get the best out of the engine, 50k to 100k miles it is heading towards its end of life, and at anything over 100k it could go bang at any minute!
All of the above is just tosh, of course!
Unless you've one eye on the resale values then really, mileage, owners, history sort of pales into insignificance a lot of the time but as has been said, it'd really come to what you're buying, at what price point and for what usage. I've a friend who seems to think anything over 50k is ruined and will be a liability, enter as many cliches as you like there for him. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever bought a car where I've actually cared... but then again I'm not a powerfully built PH type and have no idea what the inside of a supercar dealer looks like. As with a few that have posted already, buy on condition more than anything.
757 said:
Never look at mileage, if the price is right, and I can work out mileage dependent maintenance, if carried out or needed (i.e cambelts etc) - don't really bat an eyelid, always bought on vehicle condition, a good test drive weeds out the s
t, couldn't give a toss about mileage.
Ex fleet cars can be a good buy... mainly motorway mileage & well maintained.t, couldn't give a toss about mileage.My ex’s Cousin thought that she had got a good deal on a old 15K mile Golf, which had been mainly used for the urban shop runs.
Turned out that it wasn’t such a bargain after all.
( Clutch, suspension & gearbox needed some TLC)
Edited by Milkyway on Wednesday 9th November 15:31
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