High mileage car buying advice

fireloop

Hi,

I was wondering if someone out there might be able to offer some advice in regards to buying cars please.

I currently own a Mini Cooper D which I bought on contract hire and pay about 250 a month for with a mileage limit of 6000 miles per year.

I've recently changed job and now do a commute that equates to a round trip of 120 miles a day.

As my partner and I have one car between us and I'm using it, it's looking like we need a second one and so I'm now looking for an economical motor which I won't pay a fortune for on a high mileage.

Anyone got any tips? Does such a car deal exist??

Cheers,

Dave

bigjl

Stick to high mileage ex fleet, with full service history, stone chips on the bonnet mean a lot of motorway work, which is a good thing.

Stick to run of the mill, fleet fodder.

If the car checks out as far as maintenance history goes, and drives without making any funny noises, no clunks, no bangs. Then go for it.

Consider a larger car, say family hatch size and you will get better value for money.

Find a car that depreciates a lot in the first few years, then keep it till it dies, then repeat.

Ex fleet, Skoda Octavia, ex fleet Mondeo or Focus are reasonable choices off the top of my head. Hondas and Toyotas hold their value to well so avoid unless you find a real each at a knock down price.

Rossy.

Agreed

Ex fleet family saloon is your best bet

Make sure it's a diesel too with that sort of mileage

I've gone from a 200bhp Renault Sport Clio 197 to a 1.9dci Laguna II

My petrol costs in the clio were £200+ pm, i do the same mileage if not more in the diesel and my diesel costs per month are about £80

I get about 500 miles per tank in the diesel with mixed driving, although last weekend i took my son to my mum's and done a 170 mile round trip on £10 of diesel sitting at 60 on A roads

Diesel's are the way forward imo.

Flying-High_2

Rossy. wrote: »

done a 170 mile round trip on £10 of diesel sitting at 60 on A roads

Diesel's are the way forward imo.

With Diesel at £1.30ish litre that works out at over 100mpg.....

And I thought TDCI Mondeos were the bees knees:rotfl:

LandyAndy

fireloop wrote: »

Hi,

I was wondering if someone out there might be able to offer some advice in regards to buying cars please.

I currently own a Mini Cooper D which I bought on contract hire and pay about 250 a month for with a mileage limit of 6000 miles per year.

I've recently changed job and now do a commute that equates to a round trip of 120 miles a day.

As my partner and I have one car between us and I'm using it, it's looking like we need a second one and so I'm now looking for an economical motor which I won't pay a fortune for on a high mileage.

Anyone got any tips? Does such a car deal exist??

Cheers,

Dave

Interesting that you bought a diesel on a mileage limit that would probably have made a petrol a more sensible choice. I guess the salesman didn't tell you that.:(

On your new car I echo the others. A family sized diesel is the way to go.

Rossy.

Flying-High wrote: »

With Diesel at £1.30ish litre that works out at over 100mpg.....

And I thought TDCI Mondeos were the bees knees:rotfl:

My diesel guage was just above empty. I put £10 in and it took it to just under a quater of a tank. I did my journey and when i got home the diesel light had been on for about 5 miles.

So maybe it cost £15 in theory i don't know. I don't really work out mpg as i don't really care about it

All i know is in the clio i was doing over £50 a week in petrol, In the diesel i'm doing roughly £20 no matter how hard it's driven

diesel for me has been a saving grace

LandyAndy

Rossy. wrote: »

Agreed

Ex fleet family saloon is your best bet

Make sure it's a diesel too with that sort of mileage

I've gone from a 200bhp Renault Sport Clio 197 to a 1.9dci Laguna II

My petrol costs in the clio were £200+ pm, i do the same mileage if not more in the diesel and my diesel costs per month are about £80

I get about 500 miles per tank in the diesel with mixed driving, although last weekend i took my son to my mum's and done a 170 mile round trip on £10 of diesel sitting at 60 on A roads

Diesel's are the way forward imo.

Rossy. wrote: »

My diesel guage was just above empty. I put £10 in and it took it to just under a quater of a tank. I did my journey and when i got home the diesel light had been on for about 5 miles.

So maybe it cost £15 in theory i don't know. I don't really work out mpg as i don't really care about it

All i know is in the clio i was doing over £50 a week in petrol, In the diesel i'm doing roughly £20 no matter how hard it's driven

diesel for me has been a saving grace

It is Ok to drive a diesel for the economy.;)

Rossy.

LandyAndy wrote: »

It is Ok to drive a diesel for the economy.;)

Totally agree

gone are the days when diesels were clattery and smokey

Mine doesn't smoke at all not even under hard acceleration.

It's got 155k on the clock and still pulls like a train.

I'll never own a petrol car again that's for sure

pinkteapot

Three years ago I bought a Vauxhall Astra with 85k miles on the clock and it's now up to 105k miles. I've had only wear and tear costs (brake pads, section of exhaust etc) aside from a recent EGR valve replacement. It had a high mileage for its age so was considerably cheaper than the average on the same plate but had full service history and clearly hadn't just been used on little runs around town. My mechanic friend informs me that if looked after it should live to 200-250k miles but I'm not entirely convinced on that one.