What's the "sweet spot" age/mileage for a used car purchase?
Discussion
I have an E36 328i which is now on 232k. I have had it since January and to be honest it's not required anything!
It's got full history so I do believe this is the original engine. I'd be interested to see what power it put out on a rolling road.
Custard:
I'd say the sweet spot personally is either early on (3 years) before the likes of cambelt come up, or after 75k or whenever it's required. Maybe you'd get less depreciation on the latter.
Honestly though you lose money on any new-ish car.
It's got full history so I do believe this is the original engine. I'd be interested to see what power it put out on a rolling road.
Custard:
I'd say the sweet spot personally is either early on (3 years) before the likes of cambelt come up, or after 75k or whenever it's required. Maybe you'd get less depreciation on the latter.
Honestly though you lose money on any new-ish car.
kambites said:
Tonsko said:
Why is it that 100K is still a sticking point in people's minds?
I wonder what the number is in countries that work in km?Countries using the metric week and year all scrap their cars when they get to 3.6525 metric years old. Joyless b
ds though, probably because they start drinking at age 6.5745 but still can't have sex until they are 16.Captain Muppet said:
kambites said:
Tonsko said:
Why is it that 100K is still a sticking point in people's minds?
I wonder what the number is in countries that work in km?Countries using the metric week and year all scrap their cars when they get to 3.6525 metric years old. Joyless b
ds though, probably because they start drinking at age 6.5745 but still can't have sex until they are 16.
craigb84 said:
My sweet spot is just to buy anything that's out of range for the scallies / chavs to afford. It's a shame how many great cars have their reputations ruined by those muppets.
That applies all the way up the scale. I'm sure there are PH'ers who have bitten off more than they can chew with a "an itch that had to be scratched" before reality bit them in the ass. 
Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 27th April 11:46
I would say the sweet spot varies by model significantly. I have bought a car at 100k and run it with no significant problems for another 60k at which point trivial but annoying things started to go wrong. a/c leaked, rust spots started to show.
For a modern diesel there are probably different sweet spots, one a few years old and low mileage. i.e. miss the big hit of depreciation but have some warranty left and nothing should have gone wrong yet or the other end of the spectrum and get a high miler that has done mainly m/way work. I'd personally avoid the middle ground where the dpf and clutch are potential big bills.
For a petrol it is likely quite different. I also think this sweet spot may be varying as cars got much more reliable but with the drive for more and more power to compensate for the ever heavier cars coupled with new technologies that cost alot if they fail then maybe we will have a period where the lifespan of cars will drop.
For a modern diesel there are probably different sweet spots, one a few years old and low mileage. i.e. miss the big hit of depreciation but have some warranty left and nothing should have gone wrong yet or the other end of the spectrum and get a high miler that has done mainly m/way work. I'd personally avoid the middle ground where the dpf and clutch are potential big bills.
For a petrol it is likely quite different. I also think this sweet spot may be varying as cars got much more reliable but with the drive for more and more power to compensate for the ever heavier cars coupled with new technologies that cost alot if they fail then maybe we will have a period where the lifespan of cars will drop.
As many have said already I think the sweet spot will vary depending on your priorities and they will change over time. e.g. free insurance will be very attractive for a young driver but not much of a bonus for someone older with plenty of NCB.
These days having the latest model doesn't matter too much to me so my sweet spot is roughly a 4 year old motor that was face-lifted or revised 2-3 years ago. The facelift will by then be available in reasonable numbers on the used market so the pre-facelift prices will tank. It's still only 4 years old so will still have plenty of years left in it and will usually have had all the manufacturing faults sorted or at least have some well known fixes, the new model of the same age often has teething troubles and independent mechanics will be less familiar with it.
There are cases where the above doesn't apply e.g. when the new model is a massive generational improvement on the old, but they're not that common.
These days having the latest model doesn't matter too much to me so my sweet spot is roughly a 4 year old motor that was face-lifted or revised 2-3 years ago. The facelift will by then be available in reasonable numbers on the used market so the pre-facelift prices will tank. It's still only 4 years old so will still have plenty of years left in it and will usually have had all the manufacturing faults sorted or at least have some well known fixes, the new model of the same age often has teething troubles and independent mechanics will be less familiar with it.
There are cases where the above doesn't apply e.g. when the new model is a massive generational improvement on the old, but they're not that common.
Thing is I've owned 2 Clio 182's... first one was 3 years old and on 45k miles (cost me £6000) it was a stter! So many problems, I hated it and got rid within six months.
Gave it another go last year, bought my second on 109k miles and it was 7 years old (cost me £1850) it's been so much better! Absolutely love this one.
Age and miles mean nothing imo, it's almost down to condition, but sometimes just pot luck. Just to add, both cars were totally standard and had/have full service history.
tter! So many problems, I hated it and got rid within six months.Gave it another go last year, bought my second on 109k miles and it was 7 years old (cost me £1850) it's been so much better! Absolutely love this one.
Age and miles mean nothing imo, it's almost down to condition, but sometimes just pot luck. Just to add, both cars were totally standard and had/have full service history.
otherman said:
The 100k thing was true of Austin Allegros, but things have moved on a long way. My last three cars have gone to 200k and the last one sold for £1000 with those miles on because everything still worked.
The reason you don't see so many cars over 10 years old is the most people simply don't want them and they get scrapped - even perfectly servicable ones. Back in the 80s this never happened, any running car with an mot was saleable.
Cars are more reliable these days obviously, but I'd say they cost a lot more to repair when they go wrong. If your car needed £1500 spending on it with over 100k on the clock would you get it repaired? The reason you don't see so many cars over 10 years old is the most people simply don't want them and they get scrapped - even perfectly servicable ones. Back in the 80s this never happened, any running car with an mot was saleable.
B Huey said:
Cars are more reliable these days obviously, but I'd say they cost a lot more to repair when they go wrong. If your car needed £1500 spending on it with over 100k on the clock would you get it repaired?
Depends on what it is worth now and what it will be worth after it's been fixed, and whether you take the view that another example might not have further issues. If you've had the car a while and have been replacing everything as it wears out, it may be worth more to you than another car of equal face value but uncertain history.B Huey said:
otherman said:
The 100k thing was true of Austin Allegros, but things have moved on a long way. My last three cars have gone to 200k and the last one sold for £1000 with those miles on because everything still worked.
The reason you don't see so many cars over 10 years old is the most people simply don't want them and they get scrapped - even perfectly servicable ones. Back in the 80s this never happened, any running car with an mot was saleable.
Cars are more reliable these days obviously, but I'd say they cost a lot more to repair when they go wrong. If your car needed £1500 spending on it with over 100k on the clock would you get it repaired? The reason you don't see so many cars over 10 years old is the most people simply don't want them and they get scrapped - even perfectly servicable ones. Back in the 80s this never happened, any running car with an mot was saleable.
otolith said:
Depends on what it is worth now and what it will be worth after it's been fixed, and whether you take the view that another example might not have further issues. If you've had the car a while and have been replacing everything as it wears out, it may be worth more to you than another car of equal face value but uncertain history.
My 2006 company Mondeo has 250k on the clock. It recently sailed through it's MOT and still drives fine.Fox- said:
A 10 year old Mondeo that gets chucked in the bin for want of a £500 clutch isn't dead because it was life expired or didn't last. It was simply a victim of our chronically low used car values.
Nobody throws planes, trains or buses in the bin at 10 years old - because they are worth enough to keep properly maintained and to simply replace anything that goes wrong.
I was just looking at used cars in New Zealand (contemplating a move) and the amount of cars around $10k - $15k (half for £'s roughly) with almost 200,000km on the clock is insane. The culture there seems to be really running them into the ground, rather than scrapping something that needs a few hundred pounds worth of work.Nobody throws planes, trains or buses in the bin at 10 years old - because they are worth enough to keep properly maintained and to simply replace anything that goes wrong.
B Huey said:
Cars are more reliable these days obviously, but I'd say they cost a lot more to repair when they go wrong. If your car needed £1500 spending on it with over 100k on the clock would you get it repaired?
Well, its a strange example. I've been motoring for 25 years and I've never had a repair bill of £1500.Vantagefan said:
Fox- said:
A 10 year old Mondeo that gets chucked in the bin for want of a £500 clutch isn't dead because it was life expired or didn't last. It was simply a victim of our chronically low used car values.
Nobody throws planes, trains or buses in the bin at 10 years old - because they are worth enough to keep properly maintained and to simply replace anything that goes wrong.
I was just looking at used cars in New Zealand (contemplating a move) and the amount of cars around $10k - $15k (half for £'s roughly) with almost 200,000km on the clock is insane. The culture there seems to be really running them into the ground, rather than scrapping something that needs a few hundred pounds worth of work.Nobody throws planes, trains or buses in the bin at 10 years old - because they are worth enough to keep properly maintained and to simply replace anything that goes wrong.
bqf said:
I think buy new, keep for 10 years is better.
I'd quite like to do this, though 6 months old rather than new. I really get a lot out of long term car ownership and really enjoying keeping a car mint. I've had mine 6 years now, probably 7-8 when it gets replaced and I see no reason why I wont want the same from the next car.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff