High Mileage Cars
Discussion
With improved oils can anyone see any good reason not to drive cars with some big mileages, I have a Lexus with 178,000 and still drives like new, a diesel mondeo with 200,000 and a Passat with 160,000, all on original engines and gearboxes, all rust free. The Ford and VW are worth next to nothing if I was to sell them but still cover the miles with no problems.
Graham Lunn said:Graham.
With improved oils can anyone see any good reason not to drive cars with some big mileages, I have a Lexus with 178,000 and still drives like new, a diesel mondeo with 200,000 and a Passat with 160,000, all on original engines and gearboxes, all rust free. The Ford and VW are worth next to nothing if I was to sell them but still cover the miles with no problems.
Until recently, I had a VW Polo that had done 130k miles, but was forced to scrap it due to split fuel tank. Now own a Golf that has done 128k miles. Years ago these mileages were a rarity on smaller cars but commonplace nowadays. I once knew someone who had done almost a MILLION miles on a VW Beetle!! ( engime recon though but still amazing )
Is this not General Gassing, or is driving a mileagy car illegal?
Paddy: I cant sell my car, its done 160,000 miles and nobody wants it.
Paddys freind: Why dont you clock it Paddy?
A few weeks later...
Paddys freind: Did you sell your car Paddy?
Paddy: Why would I want to do that, its only got 40,000 miles on the clock.
Sorry about using the name 'Paddy', I was too lazy to type [insert typical name for someone from an ethnic minority grouping with a reputation for being a can short of a six pack, or something along those lines] and the joke would lose something if the guys name was Tim from Surbiton.
Paddy: I cant sell my car, its done 160,000 miles and nobody wants it.
Paddys freind: Why dont you clock it Paddy?
A few weeks later...
Paddys freind: Did you sell your car Paddy?
Paddy: Why would I want to do that, its only got 40,000 miles on the clock.
Sorry about using the name 'Paddy', I was too lazy to type [insert typical name for someone from an ethnic minority grouping with a reputation for being a can short of a six pack, or something along those lines] and the joke would lose something if the guys name was Tim from Surbiton.
I feel a wimp with my A6 on 107,000 miles. Planning to keep it for the forseeable though - it does what I need it to do. Feels as good as new and doesn't use any oil.
The original company owner wore the clutch a bit, but it's not got any worse since 67k when I bought the car.
I think high mileage cars will always be a bit unfashionable, but more and more people are realising spending money on a new car every 2 years is foolish.
Doesn't stop the locals to Trefor Towers in Beaconsfield/Gerrard Cross from changing their Mercs and BMWs every year though. Got to keep up with the neighbours on the school run you know - the X5 4.4i is so last year
The original company owner wore the clutch a bit, but it's not got any worse since 67k when I bought the car.
I think high mileage cars will always be a bit unfashionable, but more and more people are realising spending money on a new car every 2 years is foolish.
Doesn't stop the locals to Trefor Towers in Beaconsfield/Gerrard Cross from changing their Mercs and BMWs every year though. Got to keep up with the neighbours on the school run you know - the X5 4.4i is so last year
Then you get people like me that thinks anything with over 100k on the clock is nearing the end of it’s life. I just see the 100k mark as a barrier. Probably something to do with my first ever car with 86k on the clock (cost me £400 – about 14 yrs ago) was soooo crap, everything falling to bits and going wrong, etc.
I know I shouldn’t discount cars with higher miles. But I just can’t. I recently brought a 2yr old with 22k on the clock over an 18 month old 30k’er because I just see high mileage as more wear and ultimately more problematic.
jj
I know I shouldn’t discount cars with higher miles. But I just can’t. I recently brought a 2yr old with 22k on the clock over an 18 month old 30k’er because I just see high mileage as more wear and ultimately more problematic.
jj
wiggy001 said:
It's not just the engine though is it? At 100k + the body and interior will often feel like they've been to the moon and back, even if the engine is tighter than a nun's crutch!
Not so much if it is motorway miles. Mine is very taut, the interior is spotless, even the drivers seat isn't worn out.
Which I must admit, is pretty good.
james_j said:
In a way, this shows how daft is the mileage obsession with some people. A car worth virtually nothing but with tens of thousands of miles of life left in it must be a bargain. (I hate to think of the cars I have sold perhaps too early.)
And it's one of the reasons why 2 million cars are scrapped every single year in the UK alone.
Was it Charles Ware of the Morris Minor Centre Bath who wrote and published a book on DURABLE car ownership
?
The trick is : Buy a car that's not TOO complex, that your average mechanic can fix, and look after it.
If you are BUYING a car with High Miles, make sure that it's got a service history to back it up.
Would You chose :
66K mile car with no history, which looks like it's done more?
or
166K car that has a full history and looks like it's done less ?
The bloke next to be has just part exed a 165K one woner from new 12 year old volvo with FSH to a Skoda Dealer on a new car. He kept going on about how the fault on the fuel injection system would cost £700 to fix. I bet that car passes though the trade, is reapired with second hand parts and ends up being sold as a low mileage car.
I'm sure that I could have fixed it for less than 100 quid, and if it had been mine I would have. Unfortunately my low offer for the car was turned down.
silverback mike said:
It's not just the engine though is it? At 100k + the body and interior will often feel like they've been to the moon and back, even if the engine is tighter than a nun's crutch!
Not so much if it is motorway miles. Mine is very taut, the interior is spotless, even the drivers seat isn't worn out.
Which I must admit, is pretty good.
but it is a BMW ,, i know they get a lot of Flack on here but they are very well made , on the other hand a Ford would probably get very shabby at this sort of mileage
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