Musing - is high mileage really a turn-off...
Discussion
Not a full blown rant, more a considered reflection...
The time has come to trade both my car and the mrs' against replacements.
Mine - 2005 Laguna Initiale 2.0dCi, 212k with FSH, Full Spec including Keyless entry, Nav, Electric Heated Leather etc.
Hers - 2005 Focus Titanium 2.0TDCI, 110k with FSH, same spec as above.
It seems that we'll be lucky to get £2500 for the pair against £15k+ purchases.
I know they're both 7yrs old and are outdated in appearance, but they have been well maintained, proven to be trouble free and have argubly desirable specifications even by today's standards. The mileage on the renault astounds all (by both appearance and acheivement!) and has resulted in WBAC valuations of sub £600. The Satnav DVD and wheels must be worth that?!
So, from our collective masses of opinions, is high mileage really that unattractive for the trade, and subsequently, the general used car-buying public.
Or, do we all know better...
The time has come to trade both my car and the mrs' against replacements.
Mine - 2005 Laguna Initiale 2.0dCi, 212k with FSH, Full Spec including Keyless entry, Nav, Electric Heated Leather etc.
Hers - 2005 Focus Titanium 2.0TDCI, 110k with FSH, same spec as above.
It seems that we'll be lucky to get £2500 for the pair against £15k+ purchases.
I know they're both 7yrs old and are outdated in appearance, but they have been well maintained, proven to be trouble free and have argubly desirable specifications even by today's standards. The mileage on the renault astounds all (by both appearance and acheivement!) and has resulted in WBAC valuations of sub £600. The Satnav DVD and wheels must be worth that?!
So, from our collective masses of opinions, is high mileage really that unattractive for the trade, and subsequently, the general used car-buying public.
Or, do we all know better...
Yes it is for many people.
Colleagues asked me about my latest purchase, when i mentioned about the mileage 88k comments about reliability were forthcoming.
It suits me perfectly.
It reduces prices and i can buy far more interesting/faster cars for the same money as a boring low mileage econoboxes.
Colleagues asked me about my latest purchase, when i mentioned about the mileage 88k comments about reliability were forthcoming.
It suits me perfectly.
It reduces prices and i can buy far more interesting/faster cars for the same money as a boring low mileage econoboxes.
If it's someone else we all know better and know a used car can be a good one. If it's our own money we will quietly run as fast as we can!
Bottom line is noone wants it when it's time to sell.
If you plan to keep it til it dies then fine and it may well be a great car just don't try and sell it for what you think it's worth as you won't do it.
Bottom line is noone wants it when it's time to sell.
If you plan to keep it til it dies then fine and it may well be a great car just don't try and sell it for what you think it's worth as you won't do it.
well firstly... well done for the renault!
as an auto electrician, I am almost astounded by that!
People have got stuck into mileage as a measure of a cars worth because it's a quick way of correlating condition against price.
I personally will buy purely on condition, I didn't know the mileage of my last purchase until I filled it with fuel and reset the trip...
as an auto electrician, I am almost astounded by that!
People have got stuck into mileage as a measure of a cars worth because it's a quick way of correlating condition against price.
I personally will buy purely on condition, I didn't know the mileage of my last purchase until I filled it with fuel and reset the trip...
SystemParanoia said:
keep them until they die.. then trade in with the scrap man.. you get a better deal lol
I think this is the really most likely economic solution/You know the cars: you know the actual state of the vehicles. Serviced properly there could be years of service and reliability.
High mileage is a no no in the trade. You will not get a fair (IMO) price from the trade on high mileage cars. My OH just traded an 04 minicooper with 36,999 on the clock all supported and warranted FMDSH on the clock against a newer minicooper and got £4000 P/X on the sale. The garage sold her car in 24 hours. Off the premises onto new owner. They can sell low mileage FSHMD cars all day long.
That garage (BMW) will not touch high mileage minis, They will not sell them on the forecourt. Straight out to trade. High mileage cars are nails in the trade. Unfair it may be. It just is.
hungry horace said:
So, from our collective masses of opinions, is high mileage really that unattractive for the trade, and subsequently, the general used car-buying public.
Or, do we all know better...
Well the general public is stupid, isn't the Sun the most popular daily? And the Escort was a best seller for years! ;-)Or, do we all know better...
I have tended to buy higher mileage cars, as mentioned it enables you to get into something you may not have been able to otherwise. (but then I tend to do lowish miles on them, so it averages out come resale)
It's a shame there isn't an "hours in service" meter on cars, didn't Bristol Cars have those at one time? Or maybe I'm mistaken!
kiteless said:
On reflection
I would be more confident buying a 1985 Mercedes with 212k on the clock than a 2005 Laguna with the same miles, no matter how much kit the Renault has.
This. It depends on the car for me, I would buy an old quality Mercedes with 250k on the clock without a second thought (mine is just nicely run in at 120k), but a 2005 Renault not so much. I have nothing against Renaults before the flaming commenceth, I have one myself and it's brilliant. I just feel that some cars will last better over huge mileages than others and also for boring shopping cars they are so ten a penny that there is no need to buy a high mileage example when there are plenty of low mileage ones available.
The vast majority of buyers still think that anything over 100k is f
ked and not worth any more than a grand.
The vast majority of sellers still think that as soon as they hit 100k their ultra-reliable motor for past x years will suddenly turn into some unreliable heap that will cost £40,000 per month in repairs, hence why you see so many cars for sale around the 90-99k mark.
And I don't think this "stigma" about 100k cars will ever change.

The vast majority of sellers still think that as soon as they hit 100k their ultra-reliable motor for past x years will suddenly turn into some unreliable heap that will cost £40,000 per month in repairs, hence why you see so many cars for sale around the 90-99k mark.
And I don't think this "stigma" about 100k cars will ever change.
I find the hardest thing to retail is high mileage small hatchbacks. Small engines with big mileages REALLY put people off, unless it's for nothing, the phone will never ring. Low mileage cars are a buying habit we've had and encouraged in this country for decades.
In all honesty your trusty Laguna, as reliable as it may be, has reached the end of its useful life, or rather it has reached the end of its shelf life. Lagunas do not have a good name at the best of times for their various gremlins so the moon-and-back mileage really does diminish any appeal it might have had.
If it was an Audi A4TDi, VW Passat, BMW 320d or Mercedes C220 cdi however with big miles you wouldn't have a problem, and residual value would still be strong.
On the positive side I'd stick the Focus on autotrader at sensible money and it should go
In all honesty your trusty Laguna, as reliable as it may be, has reached the end of its useful life, or rather it has reached the end of its shelf life. Lagunas do not have a good name at the best of times for their various gremlins so the moon-and-back mileage really does diminish any appeal it might have had.
If it was an Audi A4TDi, VW Passat, BMW 320d or Mercedes C220 cdi however with big miles you wouldn't have a problem, and residual value would still be strong.
On the positive side I'd stick the Focus on autotrader at sensible money and it should go

When I had my Volvo S70, as it approached 190,000miles, all the suspension components one by one decided they'd had enough. Couple that with the impending necessity for a cambelt, injector pump belt, and a couple of tensioners.
What with the rear delta link bushes being a part of that, it promised to give me a £2k bill.
This is what people are afraid of with high mileage cars, that there is something coming to the end of it's servicable life and it will chuck them a big bill.
Turbo diesels, turbo is going to let go, dual mass flywheel, important/expensive suspension components, all likely to throw a big bill.
Buying a low mileage car isn't going to be foolproof, but it helps reduce the risk.
With everyone so skint these days, can you really blame people that don't have a lot of money for wanting to do what they can to buy the most reliable car they can?
What with the rear delta link bushes being a part of that, it promised to give me a £2k bill.
This is what people are afraid of with high mileage cars, that there is something coming to the end of it's servicable life and it will chuck them a big bill.
Turbo diesels, turbo is going to let go, dual mass flywheel, important/expensive suspension components, all likely to throw a big bill.
Buying a low mileage car isn't going to be foolproof, but it helps reduce the risk.
With everyone so skint these days, can you really blame people that don't have a lot of money for wanting to do what they can to buy the most reliable car they can?
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