How much is 'too much' mileage?

colino

Just remember though that every single component will have travelled the distance too, not so much hassle with a luxobarge but with smaller, initially cheaper-end cars, the trim and suspension will be showing its premature age.

skiddlydiddly

I just look at the general condition of the car and then see how it drives.If the engine has been looked after and still pulls well, mileage wouldn't put me off.I previously bought an 00 Clio 172 in 2006 with 96k on it.I thought the mileage was high but it had only 2 female previous owners and the car was absoultely mint and drove 100% so I wasn't put off by what I consider high mileage.I knew I was going to keep it a while and I only put about 5k on it in 3 years so by the time I sold it(to my brother) it wasn't particularly high mileage anymore going from 16k a year average to around 11k a year average.

Just make sure you check the essential servicing has been done, especially the cambelt changes.

Jakg

colino wrote: »

Just remember though that every single component will have travelled the distance too, not so much hassle with a luxobarge but with smaller, initially cheaper-end cars, the trim and suspension will be showing its premature age.

Cars used for short journeys get much more interior knocks than cars that do long journeys...

harveybobbles

We used to buy the old G4S cars, which were battered but mechanically sound as they were used by the day shift, the night !!!! and the inbetween shift. They get offered to us at 18 month old with well over 100k on them. Ran like a dream!

AS already said, high mileage and new is the best combination!

newbie007_2

The above advise are good, just to add look into getting a japanese car like micra, jazz, yaris - the latter 2 especially are very good.

Bob_the_Saver

My Mk 1 Astra 1.6 did 330.000 miles before I sold it but the clutch only managed a quarter of a million was this a rip off? My MGB did over 300,00 but did need two engines and two clutches.

Coveredinbees!!!!

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

My Mk 1 Astra 1.6 did 330.000 miles

that's pretty impressive

bigjl

When I first came down to Laandan, after Uni, I worked for a security company, we had diesel Fiestas, J plates, when they where 3 years old one of them had 300k on the clock, I used it every night on a Mobile Patrol, which was basically drive up to two graveyards and secure them at closing time, then check them several times a night, after those patrols I drove down to the other side of Heathrow and did a patrol there, then repeated the whole routine about 4 times a night, I think the mileage per night was about 300 and this was 7 days a week, with the car used during the day aswell, the engine eventually turned it toes up at 5 years old, and over 450k on it, it was a non turbo, basic spec, battered all the way, run low on oil several times, but just went on and on.

As has been said already, 2 or 3 year old well maintained but high mileage cars are good value, just remember buyer beware, when I used to do minicabbing we used to get our cars from The Great Trade Centre, now Car Giant, we had the pick of the 80k three year old fleet cars, loads of stonechips on the front, perfect, quick paint of the bonnet if it was too bad, then got two years out of it and sold it on with plenty of life with about 200k on the clock, don't be scared of mileage, be scared of lack of service history and lots of owners in a short period of time, I would obviously prefer a low miles ex demo or a new car, but when money is a consideration go for three year old ex fleet.

cyclonebri1

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

My Mk 1 Astra 1.6 did 330.000 miles before I sold it but the clutch only managed a quarter of a million was this a rip off? My MGB did over 300,00 but did need two engines and two clutches.

Bah Humbug :D:D

I'll see your 300000 and raise you another 180000:eek:

An old family contact of ours ran a taxi buisness based in Doncaster. They ran about 10 cars but had this diesel Astra extate, E reg, that ran shifts and only ever did Donny to Leeds Bradford airport or to Manchester airport, it virtually ran 24 hrs per day.

It needed brakes and several clutches during that time but they eventually let it go at 480K miles simply because it was so tatty and unpresentable as a taxi, rather than being unreliable :T

Shimrod

colino wrote: »

Just remember though that every single component will have travelled the distance too, not so much hassle with a luxobarge but with smaller, initially cheaper-end cars, the trim and suspension will be showing its premature age.

I'd second that - I run my cars to the 140,000+ mark before trading them in. While mechanically they've been fine, Vauxhall and Nissan cars have both started to look tatty inside and the seats had become uncomfortable. The last car I traded in, a BMW 3 series was still very comfortable to drive and looked much better.