Mileage

fifomania

Does mileage matter when buying a used car?
Looking to finally buy a new car and have been put off some nice cars by them having high miles. Is this ridiculous? :rolleyes:

Anan1

No, mileage matters. It's not the be-all, but it's definitely a major consideration for me.

carface

fifomania wrote: »

Does mileage matter when buying a used car?
Looking to finally buy a new car and have been put off some nice cars by them having high miles. Is this ridiculous? :rolleyes:

what age car are you looking at??? 100,000miles on a two year old car is a big no no...but 100,000miles on a ten year old would be average and no major harm.. Correct milage is more important than low milage.consider service historys when looking at something with above average miles.
all the best

Daz1214

wouldnt buy a car with over 100,000miles to be honest, mileage means a lot to me

Moanin

Daz-R.A.T.S wrote: »

wouldnt buy a car with over 100,000miles to be honest, mileage means a lot to me

Even if it had a full main dealer service history? I wouldn't be afraid to be honest

EPM

but in saying that, you could have a 50,000 mile car used for short trips around town all its life being battered by speed bumps, pot holes, cobbled streets and kerbs or an identical car with 80,000 miles used for a long commute every day. I'd be picking the 80k car, low mileage isn't always better. With any car you should be finding out its history from the seller, the type of use its had

Gumbo

i bought a 05 avensis in feb last year with 65k on it, and sold it this week with 71k on it.

it had a full history and folder of receipts, i wouldnt let mileage put you off a car or the reg plate, i always buy the best specced one with the best history as that will stand more to it.

i would rather have a 50k car with history over the same car with 10k and not a shread of history imo.

bazz26

Daz-R.A.T.S wrote: »

wouldnt buy a car with over 100,000miles to be honest, mileage means a lot to me

Unfortunately this is typical Irish thinking just like buying the smallest engine size available. Cars don'thave a timer or a use by date where they suddenly implode or fall apart once the odometer reaches 100,000.

I've made this point a number of times here before but the odometer reading is not an accurate indication of wear or condition on a car. A 100,000mile motor way muncher which was serviced on time everytime is a much better buy than a 50,000 car used by some old dear up and down to the shops, never serviced with the clutch and gearbox tore to ****e everytime she drove it.

Mileage is one factor but not a show stopper.

Lolabugs

EPM wrote: »

you could have a 50,000 mile car used for short trips around town all its life being battered by speed bumps, pot holes, cobbled streets and kerbs or an identical car with 80,000 miles used for a long commute every day. I'd be picking the 80k car, low mileage isn't always better. With any car you should be finding out its history from the seller, the type of use its had

Complety agree with this statement.

Remember also that the milage on a car can be clocked.
Friend of mine only realised her car was clocked when she went to do her NCT and they said that the miles dont add up from its last visit :eek:

unkel

I actually prefer high mileage cars (with service history). Because of the irrational fear most people here have about buying them, high mileage cars represent excellent value for money when buying. By the time I'm finished with the car, it isn't gonna be worth much because of age anyway, so I'm not really losing out much when I'm selling it on.

Daz1214

im not sayin its the be all and end all...it would certainly put me off though, at that age components are comin to the end of their life and will need replacing...however if it has a full service history it certainly helps

Seth Brundle

Daz-R.A.T.S wrote: »

wouldnt buy a car with over 100,000miles to be honest, mileage means a lot to me

:rolleyes:

Daz-R.A.T.S wrote: »

im not sayin its the be all and end all...it would certainly put me off though, at that age components are comin to the end of their life and will need replacing...however if it has a full service history it certainly helps

True but the aforementioned scenario where a car with lower mileage but was trashed would possibly end up costing you more.
Hence why you should have the car checked over by a mechanic before buying!
My E39 crossed the 130,000 mile barrier during the week. Over the last year, I have not spent that much on it.

gafarrell

Depends on the engine also. I had a 03 Audi A4 TDI (130bhp) with 174000 mile on it. It still drove like it rolled off the factory line. It ha a full Audi service history also. Sorry i sold it been honest.

ahmed89

for some cars 100000miles is nothing e.g. merc for other cars 100000 is alot e.g. corsa

Tigger

i buy high milers with a few years on them from 1 owner peoples and service historys

then i put 150-200 k on them my current cars have 257,000 and 121,000 miles on on them and cost very little to keep

100,000 is a magic number where cars get cheaper, also 6 years old so a 6 year old car with fsh and 100,000 can be very good value

L-M

Daz-R.A.T.S wrote: »

wouldnt buy a car with over 100,000miles to be honest, mileage means a lot to me

The pity about this atitude, which is widely common across Ireland, is that it is now just anything over 100k, be it km's or miles.

mumblin deaf ro

I'm giving serious thought to buying a 1990 Saab 900 with 150K on the clock. It seems in great nick and has full service history so I reckon I should be ok. Here it is:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C83950/

PS: Only problem is I don't know if a rearward facing baby seat would fit - anyone know? These cars are supposed to have short seat belts. If I can't use it for the family days out it would be hard to justify the expense.

EPM

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

I'm giving serious thought to buying a 1990 Saab 900 with 150K on the clock. It seems in great nick and has full service history so I reckon I should be ok. Here it is:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C83950/

PS: Only problem is I don't know if a rearward facing baby seat would fit - anyone know? These cars are supposed to have short seat belts. If I can't use it for the family days out it would be hard to justify the expense.

New baby seat!

Matt Simis

Our Audi allroad has 152k miles on it and its a 2000 model. Mostly UK motorway stuff (was a Vets car, so got some cool real world kudos too). I had people going "oh I wouldnt touch that mileage" to me when buying it (and considering selling it last year). Its had a new suspension, transmission and new turbos in last 18mths by the previous owner. UK Vets dont F around, £8k servicing in the Audi Garage, its basically minty fresh on the critical parts. Such a clean engine bay too, all the plastic clips still as new and unbroken.

But no, the number on the clock, omg, its big. :rolleyes:

stifz

Both the cars myself and my wife have
126k miles - 3 series
117k miles - e220 merc.

Bought the merc with 100k on it because it was in the family since 35k and the beamer was in the family since 50k.

What i found is the bushing & suspension etc needs work after those miles. Also head gaskets went on both.. Otherwise general up keep. If you buy 100k then you have to be prepared to take the risk of the above going wrong or pay a higher buying price and buy newer.

Id generally steer clear of anything above 65k unless i can 100% prove mileage and treatment of car. Id be happy to get value for money by driving an older comfortable/luxury car to commute in as im lashing up the miles on it anyway so buying older suits me. But i got lucky knowing the cars history beforehand..

Diesel or petrol also makes a difference.

fifomania

Someone wrote in a comment there that 100,000 is a lot in a Corsa, that's the car I own. It's just hit 100,000. I've been told by diff sides that it'll not sell but will get a decent trade-in and by another side that it would sell and I wouldn't get a trade-in :rolleyes:
That's great advice some of yez gave there too, I always think low miles are better but it's how the car was treated not the mileage! Suppose I can start looking at cars with higher mileage to buy now...:)

jerrehpips

fifomania wrote: »

Someone wrote in a comment there that 100,000 is a lot in a Corsa, that's the car I own. It's just hit 100,000. I've been told by diff sides that it'll not sell but will get a decent trade-in and by another side that it would sell and I wouldn't get a trade-in :rolleyes:
That's great advice some of yez gave there too, I always think low miles are better but it's how the car was treated not the mileage! Suppose I can start looking at cars with higher mileage to buy now...:)

If yours wont sell, im properly screwed!
Ive 152k on a 98 polo now
runs great but i know that i wont get a lot for it
so im gonna get my moneys worth and drive it till it goes no more :pac:

Fozzie Bear

Could some of you more knowledgeable people offer me some advice please.

I am going to inspect a 1.9tdi (130bhp) 2002 VW Passat this weekend in Limerick. It's got 180,000 miles on the clock which is not something that would put me off to be honest. It's supposed to have a FSH and I have a small budget and want a diesel car. The asking price is 3,200 but I will not be paying anymore then 2,400.

What problems should I be looking for specifically with a car of this mileage? If I like it I'll have a mechanic give it a going over obviously before I buy. But what sort of (obvious) problems should I be on the look out for before I get my mechanic involved?

EPM

First off its due a timing belt change at 180k - check to see if thats done (c. €400 if not). Other than that the usual suspension wear consumables - bring a mechanic. Check the service history with a fine tooth comb. No reason why, if properly looked after, it shouldn't do another 100k!

Biro

Matt Simis wrote: »

Our Audi allroad has 152k miles on it and its a 2000 model. Mostly UK motorway stuff (was a Vets car, so got some cool real world kudos too). I had people going "oh I wouldnt touch that mileage" to me when buying it (and considering selling it last year). Its had a new suspension, transmission and new turbos in last 18mths by the previous owner. UK Vets dont F around, £8k servicing in the Audi Garage, its basically minty fresh on the critical parts. Such a clean engine bay too, all the plastic clips still as new and unbroken.

But no, the number on the clock, omg, its big. :rolleyes:

There's the key point there. If they weren't done, they'd be the precise reason that you'd be rolling your eyes at me if I told you the mileage was too high, but I'd be justified. If things like that were replaced recently, then the milage is fine if the car is otherwise in good nick.