Are people put off by high mileage cars?

Lum

Pretty easy really.

80,000 miles on a 4 year old car may seem like a lot.
90,000 miles on a 7 year old car doesn't seem so bad.

This is, of course, based on the incorrect assumption that 80,000 miles in a 4 year old car is a bad thing, when in reality it means it's been a motorway barge so probably in pretty decent nick.

SLITHER99

Personally, it depends on the mileage I'm going to do myself.

If I'm doing a lot of miles per year, then I think I would hesitate personally. Though, I'd up the budget for osmething newer and lower mileage.

If I'm just pootling around town, I don't think I'd have an issue.

Frankly, I wouldn't buy a used diesel with my own money. There's just too much bad noise around to want me to risk it. I'm happy with my relaible/cheap to fix petrols.

addyboy1982

SLITHER99 wrote: »

Personally, it depends on the mileage I'm going to do myself.

If I'm doing a lot of miles per year, then I think I would hesitate personally. Though, I'd up the budget for osmething newer and lower mileage.

If I'm just pootling around town, I don't think I'd have an issue.

Frankly, I wouldn't buy a used diesel with my own money. There's just too much bad noise around to want me to risk it. I'm happy with my relaible/cheap to fix petrols.

Good point re the sort of mileage the car is going to do.

I'm not so sure about petrols these days tbh, they are going the same way as diesels with DMFs, high pressure fuel pumps, direct/common rail injection etc..

colino

Outside the world of moneysaving there is a very strong bias from most punters about mileage and it's far easier to sell a 90,000 mile Mondeo than its almost identical neighbour parked beside it with the magic six figures on the dash.
Finance companies too value cars on their database negatively with 100k or more showing, they are thinking of the poor sod still paying for the car 3 years down the line with an unsaleable, starship miles "asset".
I think the best bargains are the just off lease, or just off company three year olds at the higher end of the food chain with copper plate histories and quality tyres on each corner. The depreciation will have been massive, but they can be lovely transport for years to come.
I can't really understand people buying "leggy" ordinary cars though. With 100-150k on a standard eurobox, everything from bodywork to trim and everything in between will be worn out. Nursing a car through its MOT each year just to have someone elses castoff sitting on the driveway cheap, is my idea of hell.

Lum

SLITHER99 wrote: »

Frankly, I wouldn't buy a used diesel with my own money.

I would...

...if it were from the 90s.

forgotmyname

I agree avoid modern diesels. I told myself the same thing whilst looking for a new car.
And what did i come home with? A diesel... But touch wood its working out well so far.

DMF in petrol cars last much longer, The torque levels are lower.

oliverr

I wouldn't be put off by a higher mileage car - depends on the car, though.

I wouldn't contemplate a high mileage Renault or Citroen (or one in general - just kidding ) but something like a Mercedes or VW I wouldn't have such a problem with though, I've heard of E-Classes to run way over 250 - 300,000 miles, that's why they're so common as taxis on mainland Europe.

coinxoperated

I've always brought into the person selling and not the car as such. If it looks like a car, runs like a car and smells like a car, but it's seller looks like a thief, smells like a liar and has his running shoes on its a no.

addyboy1982

oliverr wrote: »

I wouldn't be put off by a higher mileage car - depends on the car, though.

I wouldn't contemplate a high mileage Renault or Citroen (or one in general - just kidding ) but something like a Mercedes or VW I wouldn't have such a problem with though, I've heard of E-Classes to run way over 250 - 300,000 miles, that's why they're so common as taxis on mainland Europe.

I have a high mileage (faultless - touch wood) Renault. It's basically a Nissan underneath (engine, gearbox, electrics) without the drab Japanese body.

I have several friends with low or mid mileage VWs that always seem to be in the dealers.

The last decent reliable VW engines were the old TDI110 and TDI130. The later 1.9 TDI PD and 2.0 TDI PD are shockingly bad.

Apparently the latest 2.0 TDI CR engine is better but I would never risk it.

Shame as I quite like the A4 which has the same engine.

Wouldn't have a 1997-2004 Merc either - it'd rust away on my drive overnight due to the rubbish steel they used during this period.

thatsean

Second against the grain - I'm not a fan. Whilst I've created quite a few high milage cars in my time as a company car driver, at the moment I'm a student and looking for reliability - I'd never touch a high mileage car if I was spending my own cash.

I do take on board points that others have made that modern diesels are far tougher than they used to be, but I'd be waiting for it to break.