old car low mileage or new car high mileage?

[smiffy180]

As the title says, im stuck for choice. 06/56 plates with 26/27k on clock or 08 playes with near on 40k plus mileage?
Oh by the way the car is a Audi A4 cabriolet 3.2fsi quattro

[Contigo]

I wouldn't call 40K+ high miles but personally I'd go for the newer one that has actually been driven.

[cuprabob]

Buy on history and condition. Even the newer car doesn't have a high mileage on it. it's barely run in. Peopel are far too obseesed by mileage IMO

[iva cosworth]

If the 56 plate was VERY low miles i would say take the 08.

But 27K is not stupidly low

[Fox-]

08 every time, 40k isnt high mileage.

[Caruso]

High mileage every time for me.

[smiffy180]

Well i say high mileage but it is just me being fussy. I presume the 60k warranty is there cuz the engines play up after that? Didnt want to be spending a lot on repairs to be fair. Cheers for input guys

[Fox-]

smiffy180 said:

Well i say high mileage but it is just me being fussy. I presume the 60k warranty is there cuz the engines play up after that? Didnt want to be spending a lot on repairs to be fair. Cheers for input guys

If you dont want to be spending a lot on repairs then dont buy an out of warranty prestige car - its that simple. Accept that if you do, from time to time it might go wrong and when it does it probably wont be cheap. Once you've accepted this, you can get on with enjoying the car.

[smiffy180]

Fox- said:

smiffy180 said:

Well i say high mileage but it is just me being fussy. I presume the 60k warranty is there cuz the engines play up after that? Didnt want to be spending a lot on repairs to be fair. Cheers for input guys

If you dont want to be spending a lot on repairs then dont buy an out of warranty prestige car - its that simple. Accept that if you do, from time to time it might go wrong and when it does it probably wont be cheap. Once you've accepted this, you can get on with enjoying the car.

Its fair enough saying that but i dont have 20k plus spare. Ive asked about extended warranty and audi will only provide it 2 months before it expires. However one of the 06 (i think) plates has a lifetime warranty through the dealer which comes back to my question. Older low mileage lifetime warranty (if the car hasnt sold) or newer with more mileage likely to have extended warranty on it......

[cuprabob]

You'll find it's only the 3rd year dealer that's limited to 60k miles. The first 2 years, the warranty is unlimited mileage so your 60k cliff edge is totally unfounded.

[Emeye]

Lower mileage car may have spent all its life stuck in traffic driving into a city. The higher mileage one might have led an unstressed life on the motorway. Our low mileage Zafira with 26k in 6 years needed a new clutch within a couple of months of getting it. Luckily the garage I bought it from sorted it.

Edited by Emeye on Wednesday 11th April 22:45

[Engineer1]

27k is potentially worryingly low mileage why wasn't or used? Has all the servicing been done on time?

Also are the specs the same across the two vehicles, the same emissions etc as a lot of manufacturers improved their engines for 08s, ford & bmw.

[smiffy180]

Engineer1 said:

27k is potentially worryingly low mileage why wasn't or used? Has all the servicing been done on time?

Also are the specs the same across the two vehicles, the same emissions etc as a lot of manufacturers improved their engines for 08s, ford & bmw.

Well it is a 3.2...... But yes they all have a fsh even the low mileage ones have 3 or 4 services in that time. The engines according to the specs from the ad are the same?
But to be fair if you look theres only a few (4 maybe?) With 50k + mileage. I guess people had these as weekends cars

[VolvoT5]

Yeah, I'm really suspicious of really low mileage cars. Why haven't they been anywhere, how many people really buy a new car and then leave it parked on the drive 95% of the time?... seems odd to me.

Plus there are too many of these 'mileage correction' services about to ever feel comfortable. I mean a quick 'correction' from 70k to 30k combined with a duplicate stamped service book and hey presto, you have a low mileage 'fsh' car worth considerably more than average for the age.

I would rather have the 40k car on a newer plate, 10k a year is about average and assuming you don't drive huge miles the car will still be worth more when you come to sell.

[SLCZ3]

I bought a 55 plate focus for work last June with 26k on the clock, it has now reached 44k, no problems whatsoever, oil and filter every 10k and jobs a good un!!!

[WeirdNeville]

Condition and history. Go over the cars with a fine toothed comb, and their history, and verify it.
One will be 'better' especially when you consider spec and trim and colour etc.

I can show you cars that are RUINED after 25k, and cars that look new at 50k.

[Dracoro]

smiffy180 said:

However one of the 06 (i think) plates has a lifetime warranty through the dealer .....

Really? How many caveats/get-out-clauses does it have? It won't be quite like the new 2/3 year warranty (they never are!)

It'll probably just be a 3rd party warranty type thing (even a dealer one).

Just get the 08, service it regularly (to preserve warranty) and renew warranty every year if worried. There are plenty of warranties that go into treble figures.

Regardless, if you're really worried about costs and if you're spending £20k on a car, why not just spend £15k instead (plenty of very good cars can be had for this) and have a £5k repair fund... If you don't end up spending any of it, then you're quids in

Edited by Dracoro on Thursday 12th April 09:10

[smiffy180]

Dracoro said:

Really? How many caveats/get-out-clauses does it have? It won't be quite like the new 2/3 year warranty (they never are!)

It'll probably just be a 3rd party warranty type thing (even a dealer one).

Just get the 08, service it regularly (to preserve warranty) and renew warranty every year if worried. There are plenty of warranties that go into treble figures.

Regardless, if you're really worried about costs and if you're spending £20k on a car, why not just spend £15k instead (plenty of very good cars can be had for this) and have a £5k repair fund... If you don't end up spending any of it, then you're quids in

Edited by Dracoro on Thursday 12th April 09:10

Only spending 15k tops ( i said earlier i dont have 20k spare )
It is a 3rd party warranty from that dealer which i presume wil cover everything except wear and tear?

[LuS1fer]

If registered prior to ...is it 31/3/06, isn't the VEL cheaper?

[Dracoro]

smiffy180 said:

Only spending 15k tops ( i said earlier i dont have 20k spare )
It is a 3rd party warranty from that dealer which i presume wil cover everything except wear and tear?

Read the warranty docs very carefully.

You'll be surprised what won't be covered under the "wear and tear" clause. Also, some things need to fail rather than play up to get a claim through. Stuff like interior/exterior stuff breaking probably won't be covered. Then there's stuff like suspension seizing that won't be covered if it's "within tolerances" etc. etc.

All this sort of stuff the first 2/3 years manufacturer warranty would be covered but not by 3rd party/dealer extended warranties. Some are better than others though.