Concerns around high miles on a fairly new car
Discussion
Hi all, I just wanted your thoughts in general on the below.
Of course, a high mileage car can mean a large discount, and we know that steady motorway miles tends to cause a lot less wear than town driving or barrelling down harsher country roads.
If a car has been looked after, with all the services done properly, is there any reason not go for for a high mileage example and save perhaps 50% of the price? The car in question would be a 2016 model, so approx 5 years old. By high mileage, I mean north of 150,000. So around 30k a year. Model wise, something like a BMW 330/335d F30.
I know it'll make it harder to sell, but the plan would be to keep hold of it for many years.
Anyone have any experiences?
Of course, a high mileage car can mean a large discount, and we know that steady motorway miles tends to cause a lot less wear than town driving or barrelling down harsher country roads.
If a car has been looked after, with all the services done properly, is there any reason not go for for a high mileage example and save perhaps 50% of the price? The car in question would be a 2016 model, so approx 5 years old. By high mileage, I mean north of 150,000. So around 30k a year. Model wise, something like a BMW 330/335d F30.
I know it'll make it harder to sell, but the plan would be to keep hold of it for many years.
Anyone have any experiences?
That sort of mileage on that sort of car probably implies it's spent five years sitting on the motorway; I suspect the drive-train will be no more worn than a car which has done a quarter the mileage in urban areas. Other components will inevitably have suffered more wear so budget to spend some of your savings on things like suspension bushes during your ownership.
So yes I'd expect it to cost more to run than an average ~40k mile example, but not hugely so. If it's really half the price of a comparable car on average miles, it's something of a no-brainer IMO.
So yes I'd expect it to cost more to run than an average ~40k mile example, but not hugely so. If it's really half the price of a comparable car on average miles, it's something of a no-brainer IMO.
Sounds like a good deal at half the price.
Spend some money getting the bonnet and bumper sprayed as it’s likely stone chipped to hell from the motorway miles. Chances are the interior will be in good condition as it will have had one person sat in it most of the time. Should have years of service left in it.
Spend some money getting the bonnet and bumper sprayed as it’s likely stone chipped to hell from the motorway miles. Chances are the interior will be in good condition as it will have had one person sat in it most of the time. Should have years of service left in it.
The problem with mileage is it doesn't reflect the true life of the car. I notice it a lot with trade ins I see at work from London. They usually have low mileages for their age but they are knackered as they've spent thousands of hours with the engine running sat in traffic. Conversly, a high motorway mileage car usually has less wear and in some circumstances, has been running for less time than the low mileage London car.
If only cars recorded hours like boats and planes do, then maybe we'll have a better idea of the condition.
If only cars recorded hours like boats and planes do, then maybe we'll have a better idea of the condition.
I spent 20 years "on the road", mostly in company Cavaliers, Vectras and Mondeos. Boot and back seat loaded up with computer spares, 30 to 40k miles a year. The cars usually went back after 3 or 4 years, with at least 120k on the clock.
Never had a breakdown, just regular servicing. Pretty much as good as new, apart from a grubby interior from eating lunch at the wheel.
If the car spent 3 years as a repmobile, and the second owner kept up with the servicing, it's nothing to be scared of if the price is right.
Never had a breakdown, just regular servicing. Pretty much as good as new, apart from a grubby interior from eating lunch at the wheel.
If the car spent 3 years as a repmobile, and the second owner kept up with the servicing, it's nothing to be scared of if the price is right.
It would be unlikely to have been clocked to 150K, if it was only 5 years old (but check the MOT/service records etc)
Which means it might be one of the more "honest" cars on the market
Plus as others have said, it is likely to be less stressful driving.
Might have been used as a taxi? (possibly long distance?)
Which means it might be one of the more "honest" cars on the market
Plus as others have said, it is likely to be less stressful driving.
Might have been used as a taxi? (possibly long distance?)
Back in 1995 I got the chance to buy an ex-company 1992 Cavalier SRi for a silly price from my employer. Our office was in Sittingbourne, Kent but the user lived near Bath and mostly worked in the Bristol area with weekly visits to the office so I knew it was mostly Motorway use.
A couple of months after I got it I took it for it's first MOT with 97K miles recorded and it turned out to be one of my better buys!
Certainly much better than the 1991 Sierra 2.0GLSi it replaced that had done less than 10K miles, but that was a stolen/recovered car so probably got some abuse.
So if the price is right I certainly wouldn't be put off by high miles, especially on a modern car.
And if you don't do a high mileage over time the average will go down.
A couple of months after I got it I took it for it's first MOT with 97K miles recorded and it turned out to be one of my better buys!
Certainly much better than the 1991 Sierra 2.0GLSi it replaced that had done less than 10K miles, but that was a stolen/recovered car so probably got some abuse.
So if the price is right I certainly wouldn't be put off by high miles, especially on a modern car.
And if you don't do a high mileage over time the average will go down.
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