Too many klms/miles

passatman86

Just curious when buying a car how many klms/miles on it is too many in your opinion. Not a car for a project or just to get from a to b for the time being. Im talking about a car that you would hold onto for 3/4/5 years etc.. I know some cars with 50k could be in a worse condition than a regularly serviced maintained high miler. But just a question do you pay much attention to the klms/miles when buying and how many is too many

User1998

I don’t really care about the mileage as long as its 1 owner full service history, and of course the price needs to reflect how many miles is on the car. I’ve bought 5 year old cars with 150k miles that drive fantastic. I even had a 2013 Golf with 190k miles, but I wouldn’t buy something with such high mileage again. That being said it sold within 6 hours of being online. My current car only has 35k miles

MrMusician18

passatman86 wrote: »

Just curious when buying a car how many klms/miles on it is too many in your opinion. Not a car for a project or just to get from a to b for the time being. Im talking about a car that you would hold onto for 3/4/5 years etc.. I know some cars with 50k could be in a worse condition than a regularly serviced maintained high miler. But just a question do you pay much attention to the klms/miles when buying

Miles forms part of the equation, as does condition and price. The failure curve for most vehicles follows the bathtub shape, and you start to see an increase in parts failure approaching 200k miles.

If I'm buying a car, and I plan to hold onto it for a few years I'll try and get one that will have me at less than 150k miles when I sell.

Buddy Bubs

Years ago I used to buy older premium brands with about 80k miles on them and they were all fine. Kept them all for about 2 years and 30k miles or so.
Peanuts to buy, expensive to fuel and tax but luckily had a mechanic cousin in case they needed much work, which in fairness they never did as he looked at them pre purchase and always served me well getting his opinion. In fact he picked out most of them when he knew I was looking.
Recent ones have been a bit newer and lower miles. But have also been plenty more expensive.

passatman86

User1998 wrote: »

I don’t really care about the mileage as long as its 1 owner full service history, and of course the price needs to reflect how many miles is on the car. I’ve bought 5 year old cars with 150k miles that drive fantastic. I even had a 2013 Golf with 190k miles, but I wouldn’t buy something with such high mileage again. That being said it sold within 6 hours of being online. My current car only has 35k miles

Any reason you wouldn't buy high miles again. Was the golf just too good a deal to turn down.

Cerveza

Buy new if you think say 2-300,000 km is big mileage.

passatman86

Cerveza wrote: »

Buy new if you think say 2-300,000 km is big mileage.

But whats your opinion on mileage
What do you do

Cerveza

I’m driving a 2005 530d with over 370,000 miles on it. Don’t get obsessed with numbers.

Snotty

Cerveza wrote: »

Buy new if you think say 2-300,000 km is big mileage.

So new or 2/300k km, there's nothing in between? 🙄

passatman86

Cerveza wrote: »

I’m driving a 2005 530d with over 370,000 miles on it. Don’t get obsessed with numbers.

See much better reply. Well done
That bmw is impressive
How does it drive

Stoolbend

I bought a 3 year old seat exeo with 88000mls in 2013.

Over 200000mls on it now with no issues. I'd say its good for another 200000 easy.

We also bought a 4 year old mondeo in 2019 with 158000mls on it. I don't really worry about high mileage if the car is good.

FileNotFound

passatman86 wrote: »

See much better reply. Well done
That bmw is impressive
How does it drive

Depends on the car

The 530d above is great long life car but a 520d is a money pit post 150k

Diesel - Passats always been good in my view till 200k

I also avoid very low on diesel as possible they will have egr/dpf issues if running cold all the time.

I tend to go last 8 yrs aiming for just under 100k - have bought 5 Yr former fleet mondeo there with 120k full service. Its perfect to be fair.

Petrol 80k
Diesel 100k

Starting points in my head then more or less dependant on a care and service history

passatman86

I may add my daily diesel avensis
Bought it with 114 klms - 5 years old
Now has 183 klms
I have it just over 5 years

Looking at the luxobarge thread i wouldn't mind taking a chance on something big engined petrol with a little higher than average miles - even to have as a second car over the summer

MLCork2016

I bought mine (2010 Skoda Superb) with just over 400,000km on it - it’s still cruising away five years later at 567,000km. It’s serviced every six months.

User1998

passatman86 wrote: »

Any reason you wouldn't buy high miles again. Was the golf just too good a deal to turn down.

I’m just in a financial position now that I don’t need to buy a car with such high miles. It was the cheapest mk7 when I bought it and it was the cheapest mk7 when I sold it. When it comes to newer stuff, buying high mileage is a great way to get into a car you thought you couldn’t afford

passatman86

User1998 wrote: »

I’m just in a financial position now that I don’t need to buy a car with such high miles. It was the cheapest mk7 when I bought it and it was the cheapest mk7 when I sold it. When it comes to newer stuff, buying high mileage is a great way to get into a car you thought you couldn’t afford

Better financial situation you say
Best price for your tt
Cash buyer lol

BlakeS94

passatman86 wrote: »

Just curious when buying a car how many klms/miles on it is too many in your opinion. Not a car for a project or just to get from a to b for the time being. Im talking about a car that you would hold onto for 3/4/5 years etc.. I know some cars with 50k could be in a worse condition than a regularly serviced maintained high miler. But just a question do you pay much attention to the klms/miles when buying and how many is too many

I'd be more interested in service history for a car. I bought an 8 year old Audi A4 with only 135,000KM on the clock. Biggest pile of ****e I've ever spent money on, my own fault at the time I just saw low mileage and thought it'll serve me well, didnt look into service history. That being said I currently own an i40 I bought when it was 5 years old and 165,000KM had a full service history from main dealer. Also a pile of ****e that has me reaching into my pocket regularly. it's all luck if you ask me some cars are destined to be scrap metal from the factory

Larbre34

I'd agree with aspects of what others are saying.

Where do you want to be with this car in 3,4,5 years? Do you expect to sell it, or run it into the ground and scrap it after that period? That answer dictates your window of quality.

But yeah, its all about servicing, done promptly and consistently and with evidence of quality lubricants and perishables. If you can put your hand on a binder full of that stuff, you're half way there. Which is to say, I'd trust a 240,000 clicker with an excellent history far more than a 90,000 clicker that had a timing belt done late or where tyres and brakes ran longer than they should have, or even mismatched tyre sets. Those point to someone who gave less of a shyt about perishables and that means a more fragile car.

Do your research too about specific failure points of certain models. Even if, actually especially if, you're just picking up a family runabout, rummage online for models you are considering, or even ask on here, we'll be well able to tell you about those notorious flywheel failures or expensive particulate filters or gaskets prone to blowing that come with certain models or certain families of engines. On that note, it absolutely does not follow that premium brands are the most reliable and least troublesome. Their complexity can be their failure. No point spending 4 or 5 grand on a runabout that costs you another 4 or 5 grand in expensive fixes over the few years you keep it.

My own logic for our family's second car, used for parking at the train station or going shopping or taking the contents of the latest attic clearout to the dump is simple - no gizmos, no A/C, no turbos, no fuss. I have a Mark I Focus 1.6 LX petrol Estate with 290,000 kms on it and it is a remarkable performer, practical, comfortable, roomy, handles like a dream, copes with all weathers, never had a major failure. And in return I look after it well and service it myself with the best consumables.

Davauer

100k miles european cars
200k japanese cars but not nissan or mazda

FileNotFound

Big engine bigger miles is prob a good bet

Smaller engine (especially with bigger car) go low

I do worry about the like of the small turbo petrol pulling a passat.

fryup

i'm driving a car with 120k miles on the clock, and not a hiccup from it didn't even have to change the clutch

most modern day cars can easily do 200k miles

i'd be more hung up with how many previous owners

opus

I've a '05 Honda Civic (UK import) with ~140k miles on the clock which gets serviced once a year. Going by what the mechanic tells me most of the bits he has had to change are purely for it to pass the NCT as mechanically they're fine. I'd been considering changing it last year but the pandemic put an end to that.

zg3409

Firstly it totally depends on the car, and specifically if that model engine gives trouble when at high mileage.

Some things just give trouble at high mileage. DPF needs replacing at 16000km or 200,000km at a cost of 1,000 euro.

Timing belts/chains water pumps can be major service expenses and often people sell cars knowing these need doing soon.

Full main dealer service history helps, but check what is also due over next few years of ownership. Some cars have 7 years limited mileage dealer warranty, that needs to be considered.

Are you willing to break down once in a while or do you need to get to work 100% of the time?

Will car be worthless when you go to sell it in a few years, will you be last owner? Do you have 1,000/2,000 cash to hand to fix car or buy a temporary replacement should it need a big job.

High mileage is not necessarily better value for money, its always a trade off. Try get a mechanic to inspect the car, or a long dealer warranty. Talk to specialists about what to buy and what to avoid. Share prospective purchase on boards.ie for comments.

User1998

150k miles on something like a Passat is generally ok but a Polo with that mileage is nearing the end of its life

Mjolnir

My e90 is nearing 340,000km and touch wood she's grand, for a while I was averaging in or around 1600km per week and the only things I've had to do were service, tyres, breaks, and suspension.
My cousins polo on the other hand no where near the same millage and the thing leaks like a Colander.

Some cars will go on forever, some are just chunks of scrap metal.

wassie

Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but a big factor in a high mileage vehicle is the type of miles it has done. i.e. Was the car used for lots of short runs in the city or a daily driver doing decent motorway commutes (often called 'hot miles').

A city car (or even a car doing runs around rough back roads) doing lots of short journeys will be subject to much more wear & tear (particularly a diesel) as the engine & machinery isn't given sufficient time to warm up. This is when the quality of consumables, as @Larbre34 pointed out above, will make a big difference. Longer motorways journeys mean it will typically be operating at a constant temperature & speed for longer periods (and on a better quality road) resulting in less wear & tear.

That being said, taxis rack up huge mileage and do mostly city driving, but again the engines are running for long periods before being switched off, meaning the engine is not subject to the same heating & cooling cycles as private vehicles.

I would have no issue (and have in the past) buying a 3-4yo car with 100K+ miles if it had done mostly motorway miles and scheduled dealer servicing. The key is being able to confirm the history of a vehicle which is not always easy. Also don't rely on the stamps in the service book - Always ring the dealer service dept and check they have a history. I have rang in the past and say i am looking to buy the particular vehicle and want a quote for what the next service due will be and ask if they have had regular services at same time. Service dept always been happy to offer up info without giving away too many details.