High mileage cars, at what point does it scare you

[CS]

Never bought a car with more than about 40k on the clock, drive it until about 80-90k then sold, but recently been looking for a seven seater. A lot of what I’m looking at seem to in around the 100k mark give or take.
Is it all about history?
Buying with your eyes etc

I’ve always, for some weird reason, thought about 80-100k is where major things must start going wrong

Is there a point where you think , nah that’s just too many miles

 

[MarkM]

About 45k for me

 

[K55]

 

[FM155]

Depends on the car really. My sister is thinking of changing her 1999 Mk4 Golf Tdi with 248K on the clock.
I was looking under the son's 97K Bravo the other day thinking I'd need to break out some rust killing products soon if we are gonna keep it. Still bloody good overall though.

 

[mx5 turbo]

I used to be like that and only went low miles. I then bought an e30 316i with 156k on it and I tried to kill it and it would not die. In the end I gave it back to the guy I bought it off for free, still driving like a champion but with a few extra dents etc. Then I had a Peugeot partner for a year and a half, got it with 145k and drove it flat out everywhere and did 50k in it and still drove like new. Only thing to go wrong was an inlet pipe touched a hot part of the engine and melted. 20 quid later it was back on the road.

Bought an Audi A4 with full service history and was immaculate and the belt snapped on me and it went to the scrap yard. I now don't care about service history or miles as I think it's all luck of the draw, you get a good one or you get a bad one

 

[Lyons]

Funny you say this, my X5 has just turned 70k and it literally niggles me every time I get into it that it will have 100k within 2 years. I’ve never had a car with over 70k, never mind just buying one with that already on it.

I know it’s ridiculous though and cars go for a lot more. It’s just the worries of trying to sell something in NI with over 100k!

It depends on the car though. Mine has only had 1 owner and full BM history, so I knew it had been looked after.

 

[Rocko]

It’s just the worries of trying to sell something in NI with over 100k!

This. Amazing the amount of cars you see with 99997 miles on them for sale in NI.

 

[Coog]

Lots of variables but if I'm spending more than a few grand I aim to sell before there's 100k on the clock. So buy with 80k miles, with the view of doing 15k in it before selling. It's a marketing thing more than down to how the actual car functions. I think it's a bit of a ceiling for some people and you do limit the audience once you go beyond that number. There's also a certain type of buyer who's not fussed on the mileage and my experience with them has been that they're 9/10 times a pain in the hole.

Have had plenty of high milers and all have been grand.

 

[southsky sunrise]

If miles bothered me I’d work in Tesco’s and take the bus.

 

[Nicky]

Never bought a car based on its mileage. I rarely listen to what the seller is telling me either as anyone selling a car, especially a used car dealer, is likely to pish on your back and tell you that you’re sweating just to get a sale.

I buy based on what’s in front of me and if it’s what I want and priced accordingly.

 

[Ben]

Service history and condition every time. Miles don't bother me. Best and most reliable car I've owned was bought with 96k on it, and I sold it just over a year later with 117k on it.

 

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Depends really on the car, my S60 (which I own AGAIN) is currently with 245k on it, my 740 has 205k on it, my Skoda has 80k on it.

If I want something that's going to last me a few years and I'm going to spend a few thousand on it then I'll look for low mileage, if its a run around I don't really mind. I'd like to get the S60 road legal and get it to 300k (Petrol engine btw)

Always remember - Low mileage isn't everything - The Titanic only had 2k on it!

 

[PAULW]

It's an interesting question and for me it depends entirely on the price to mileage ratio. We'd all buy a lower miler if all things were equal and the price was the same, I try to judge high milers on how well they've been maintained as mileage in itself is a poor indication of wear on vehicle. I think anything with more than 120k on it, unless down in money will tend to be a friend for life, so future plans etc need to come into the equation.

 

[AlpineF30]

Had a 535d with 165k on the clock when I sold it didn't step a foot wrong, bought it with 101k on the clock.

Although being NI it was for sale in Banbridge a month later with 80k on the clock.........

 

[RWL]

Would depend on a number of things but mainly history and how it has been looked after, what sort of life it has had (can usually tell this just by looking at it) and what it actually is.

My dad had a Toyota Carina bought as a demonstrator and got rid of it many, many years later with 186k on it, not one thing wrong with it, not even one bit of rust. I recently sold an 04 1.9TDI Skoda Octavia with around 80k on it which was in excellent shape and the fella who bought it actually had one with 280k on it and it was still going strong even though he seemed to be a man with little mechanical sympathy lol.

All my current cars have over 80k on them and they are all damn near as clean and running as well as they were when they were new. Even what should be a total rot box of a 17 year old mk5 ford fiesta has only started to bubble in the last year or 2 and it has 138k on it (I bought it with 99k on the clock). My 530d has just turned 104k and having been meticulously maintained by previous owners it has not one fault and goes like a train. Wouldn't be put off by high mileage on a car at all!

 

[Gavlar]

Been echoed already but condition and service history (even a folder of invoices, receipts) would mean more to me than mileage. I'd look for suspension work being done or atleast factoring it in if the miles are really big. Depends on the car though, some are prone to things more than others

 

[m00k]

I’ve had a passat with 280k on it and Cudnt kill it cost buttons to buy and run

Currently running about in one with 223k on it and again bullet proof

If it’s priced accordingly and I have a fair idea of the common issues to weigh it all up I Wudnt give it a second thought

 

[Burt2000]

Ah, the old 100k N.I fear! I dont get it myself. The cleanest car ive ever owned (bar something new) is 19 years old with 90 odd thousand mile on it.
Condition and how its been treated are more important than the miles imo, theres some ***** about with low/average miles too that hasnt seen an oil change in years and has more hits than the beatles.

 

[lackingBHP]

especially a used car dealer, is likely to pish on your back and tell you that you’re sweating just to get a sale

never heard that before

 

[greyfloppyhat]

depends on the age of the car also, something less that 10 years old with 100k on it would probably affect a car in my mental scoring. Mileage comes into it but condition, history & purpose are more weighted personally

 

[Airhead]

I used to buy all my cars as 3 year old ex fleet motors with 90-100k on them and decent service history. Kept them serviced and moved them on at around 180k - none of them ever gave significant bother (and they were mostly Peugeots and Citroens!).

 

[RevT]

Mine has only had 1 owner and full BM history, so I knew it had been looked after.

That in itself means absolutely nothing. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with your jeep but one owner and full dealer history means zero in real terms.

Other than for resale obviously. I’m speaking in terms of condition and how it’s been cared for.

 

[ChrisL]

Used to go on miles alone, stupidly.

Nowadays I dont really care about miles its more how the car is presented and how its been maintained. Doubt id still buy anything over 150k but at 150k at least youd know everything critical had been changed to get it to that point I suppose.

 

[RevT]

Got this a year ago with 320K - been well looked after from new by my cousin and anything it needed it got. He bought the parts from me in the motor factors and had a local mechanic do the work. No stamps in the book or the old VAT registered garage crap but had receipts falling out of the glovebox. I’ve done a hard 30K (give or take) in it in a year and it hasn’t missed a beat.

 

[Gibonz]

As noted above, it comes down to the price/mileage ratio

When I see 5 year old 520d's with 140k on them going for £13k I wonder what sort of numpty buys them