older low mileage or newer high mileage

tir21

High just seen a car on autotrader I quite like. Good spec 3 years old but 80000

Would it be better to go for something say 5 or 6 years old with average/low mileage?

Thanks

Stigy

tir21 wrote: »

High just seen a car on autotrader I quite like. Good spec 3 years old but 80000

Would it be better to go for something say 5 or 6 years old with average/low mileage?

Thanks

Depends how well it's been serviced/maintained. Bear in mind that it's all well and good getting a slightly older car with low miles but stuff tends to need doing at around 60,000-miles typically. It's not so bad one you've gone beyond this mileage, it just seems to be up yo and including 60k for some reason!

I have a 145,000-mile 2006 VW Gold TDI and it has never missed a beat, but I will be doing all of the maintenance myself so will change the oil at much closer intervals etc (so as to squeeze as much life out of the engine as I can) as it'll work out cheaper for me. If getting a garage to do the work is your only option, you could soon have some hefty bills!

forgotmyname

Condition, Condition, Condition.

How many miles depends on how many miles you cover. I do a low yearly mileage so buy cars with around 120,000 miles on them. Most people will shy away from cars with that mileage so prices are cheap.

When i come to sell it the mileage will have averaged out. Then i show receipts for 6 monthly oil changes and a yearly service. Shows i looked after it.

I have put a lot more miles on my current car due to family issues in the past couple of years. But its still a bargain.

w211

Previous car I bought had 94,000 miles on it at 2 and a half years old, so it had 6 months warranty remaining. Ran it to 234,000 miles, without too much problems. Had full service history, excellent condition throughout. It was obvious it spent it had a stress free life on the motorway, brake pads were first replaced at about 60,000 miles.

bigjl

My last three cars had 83k (give or take a thousand), 101k and 89k on them when purchased.

First two were just over three years old , the current one is 2 years old

First two were reliable and cost me next to nothing to run.

Current one has had a few teething problems but all sorted under warranty.

First car was roughly £4k under book for normal miles , 2nd about the same.

The current car was £10k under book.

All bargains if you ask me.

If they have proof of main dealer history then to for it.

I avoid anything that has had cut price servicing.

marlot

When I used to have company cars, they would typically be moved on at 3 years/80,000 miles.

Most would have been great second hand buys, but there was one that was getting a really horrible car - suspension and engine woes.

So no universal answer. Don't be afraid of high mileage in a short time - but don't assume that every high mileage car you see is going to be a good one.

wellpaidstillskint

The advice I got from my trusted local mechanic was that generally the bigger the engine, the higher mileage it can do before it starts to die...

And I'm just making 'funeral arrangements' for my 2001 Yaris 1L - Regular maintenance and being 'kind' when driving, I got it past 128.5k before it stopped firing the 4th cylinder this week