How high is too high? (Mileage content).

[Pillock]

My Astra has done 7k and probably has more clonks, knocks, warning lights and failures to proceed than the 740k Octavia.

[greengartside]

Daily driver is an '03 plate Astra with 150k on the clock. It drives like a 50k example - it did help the first owner had it for 11 years and serviced it regularly.

 

It pulls like an absolute train for a 1.6 8v though. ALL VOXALLZ ARENT SHIT.

[lisbon_road]

I am wary of high milage due to resale value and rust - more miles, more salt, though low milage cars can be left outside and rot too.

 

The best cars are low miles but well maintained and kept dry.

 

But if the price is right and it seems ok - fine.  I have a 200K Astra, not too badly maintained which was free, so the right price and a good runner.  Bit rotten though.

[2MB]

Overall condition depends on so much more than the miles covered. Wear can be caused by hard use, incompetent driving, lack of/badly executed maintenance and a plethora of other things, many of which will not be obviously apparent a few owners down the line. In my experience mileage has absolutely no bearing on condition, but it's still a good bargaining point.

[rml2345]

^P38?

[twosmoke300]

That's gotta be a fault code surely ? 😄

[Formula Autos]

Case in point #1:

 

Whenever I need a minicab I always ring the same firm. They have two near identical Mk 1 Octavias, with the SDi engine - the ones where the Mk1s continued on for a few years for sale to taxi firms only. Both are on an '07 plate, I think.

 

One has (when I was last in it a couple of weeks ago) 250 odd thousand on the clock. It sounds knackered, with a rattling exhaust, loads of suspension clonks, and some very iffy noises from the brakes. The dash is lit up like a christmas tree and most of the slats from the air vents have fallen into the dash.

 

The other one has just short of 390 thousand miles on it and, fusty minicab smell aside, is like the average family car with around 80K on the clock in many respects. There's the odd squeak and rattle from the interior, but that's about it.

 

The 250K one is a kind of 'pool' taxi, used by loads of different drivers, and has the keys thrown back into the office every night/ change of shift.

 

The 390K one is used by one driver, and parked outside his house every night. He sees it very much as 'his'. He badgers the owner whenever something breaks to get it fixed ASAP.

 

Low ownership and the driver's attitude to the car probably have just as much to do with how well a car lasts as how it's been built and maintained.

 

If I was in the market for a snotter I would consider the 390K car (albeit I would be looking to change the interior for a better one from a scrappy). I wouldn't consider the 250K one as, even sitting bevvied up cradling a tray of chips and curry sauce, I can tell from the back seat that it's on borrowed time.

[overrun]

My RS1600i had covered over 200K miles.

Once it gets that high, it's a badge of honour for the car, imo. Especially for a tin can like a mk3 Escort.

 

Last Mondeo was on 147K and still going strong when sold. Current one is on 158K and drives and looks like it has done maybe a third or that.

 

I love a high spec, high mileage common rail, me.

 

Condition and service history - plus motorway miles - are everything, imo.

That said, me Escort had nowt, bar old MOT's.

 

YOLO!

[captain_70s]

My Dolly 1850HL has done 89,500 miles, give or take. It feels like it's done it as well, steering is fooked, brakes are fooked, clutch biting poing is 5mm off the top of the pedal travel, gearbox wails in most gears, interesting noises from engine bay, interior is shabby, exterior is worse. Some of it's 11 previous owners probably weren't angels either, given the amount of time it changed hands during the 1990s. Hell, some dodgy car dealer could have wound the clocks back or something.

Still, the fact that it's still going at this point is nothing short of amazing given that BL motors tended to last 100k or 10 years, whichever came first...

 

The 1300 has done an indicated 26,000 miles. Judging from the hole in the driver's side carpet and the hole that worn in the driver's seat bolster I suspect it's probably done 126,000 miles, either that or the owner weighed 4 tons and got in and out of the car 20 times a day... Everything feels very tight on it though, it had one Coventry based owner for most of it's life and I suspect he looked after it well.

 

 

Condition is key, a high miler that's been well looked after is a better bet than something that's done nowt' but been thrashed and neglected...

[wuvvum]

I needed a towcar years ago and the only likely candidate in the Freeads was an F-plate Volvo 740 estate with 318,000 miles on the clock.  It was mint (apart from a fucked headlining and non-functioning fuel gauge) and dragged all sorts of shite back from far-flung corners of the kingdom with nary a whimper.  It eventually got bridged at 338,000 miles when the fuel pump died.  That was a 2-litre petrol, and it drove fine.  The only drawback I've found with high milers (as others have said) is that they're a pain in the arse to sell on.

[Noel Tidybeard]

the montego 1.6 base i had was on 134,000 miles when i bought it sounded like 13,400 miles- you had to look at the rev counter to see if it was still idling except being a base spec it didnt have one lol

[Matt]

Does there come a point where high mileage becomes an attractive novelty? A car reviewer/blogger in the USA recently bought a Lexus LS400 partly because it's the same colour/spec etc as his first car and largely because it's got a smidge over 900k miles on the clock.

[Pete-M]

There's a cab company in the Midlands that won't give up on a Focus diesel estate until it hits 500k.

 

They've got loads of the bloody things.

[Dave_Q]

Can't find the listing now but there was an e36 on the bay recently with 460000 miles.

 

3 fully stamped bmw service books. Would.

[Spiny Norman]

I don't buy cars new enough to be concerned by mileage. As far as I'm concerned the odo is just another set of numbers on the dash, I've had cars go seriously bang at under 50k and others run like clockwork with 200k on them.
It's surely all down to how well the thing's been looked after, and that's always going to be more of an issue at the Corsa/Clio end of the market where they tend to be bought by first timers who can barely afford the insurance, never mind brake pads.

Old barges are usually the way to go for six figure mileages I reckon.

[Geep]

I've never minded high mileage motors. To me, someone obviously relied on the car and needed reliability. That indicates servicing and repairs. Low mileage stuff could well indicate a trip a few miles to work and back, never warming up properly, weekend shopping trips and the odd foray to relatives a few miles away. The owners seeing no need to regularly service it because it's not used much and anyway 'It has an MOT every year innit'.

 

As others say, condition and how it sounds/drives are better indicators or a car. Tyre type are another good indicator of attitude. Mid range or known brand being a better indicator of care than ditch finders of different makes on each corner.

[barefoot]

My 944S has 275,000 miles, a full set of Continentals, a non ripped drivers seat bolster and is probably worth less than bog all. I'll keep it a while longer then!

[beko1987]

I only really jumped at my ZX at 264k when I bought it as it had had recently (witthin the last few years)

 

Clutch

Rear axle fro ma supposedly good something

cambelt

water pump

coolant looks very very new

air filter

interior was mint

 

Had a few early main dealer bills, some old MOT's and a receipt for the clutch and cambelt, and was only £350

 

I was looking at an 87k miler for £500 as well at the time, and the ex owner of mine was more forthcoming about its faults (had a bash in 2003, repaired with scrappy doors, few dinks here and there, tyres were low, no rust etc) than the £500'er who didnt say alot, just 'has a great service history'. Interior is near mint too

 

Nothing big has gone wrong yet. Needs the front suspension playing with (ball joints), rear brakes rebuilding and new discs/pads and rear tyres, and a wing of course!

 

Compare it to the Meriva which we bought at 52k with no service history (mots backed the mielage up though), its had a new steering rack and most of the front suspension bushes replaced last year, sump resealed and we are playing cambelt roulette with it. New rear springs and shocks too. All as it approaches (or may already be on) 80k...

[warren t claim]

There's a cab company in the Midlands that won't give up on a Focus diesel estate until it hits 500k.

 

They've got loads of the bloody things.

1.6 or 1.8?

[Pete-M]

1.8 I think.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I think it's sweet how so many people believe what speedos say.

Also the faith put in the MOT mileage history. Some PH vehicles get a haircut once a year , for one thing HMRC sometimes check up on annual mileage to see how much you've potentially earned.

[Largactil]

I must admit I do take mileage into consideration but not as much as most do, and only as part of the overall feel of the car and its history. Id rather have a well maintained  very high miler with a wad of paperwork than something lower milage with patchy documentation. its all about the people really, a long term owner thats been vigilant is for me the most reassuring person to buy off (step forward my 244k audi) playing catch up with maintenence at repair is ok as long as thats what your expecting and youve paid suitably less for the car in the first place. Its always a more expensive game to play than you think though.

 

Been there / done that.

 

Bought a sheddy / leggy Honda S2000 for £3k ish a few years ago, and spent £2k replacing the entire braking system / tyres / servicing and sorting the wonky geo. It was still a shed body-wise when I was done with it, and I sold it for..... £3250. Which was a lesson.

 

I have been looking at higher mileage C5 stylee Avants, but I'd quite like an autobox if I went that route, and I'm not sure how well they take interstellar miles. (Plenty of bad things said about the multichronic 'box on the web).

 

I suppose that extends to other marques:

 

Buy a mega mileage manual, and look for receipt for a clutch / flywheel for piece of mind?

 

(Accepting that the engine may have had a harder time at the hands of the mechanically unsympathetic )

 

Or consider an auto, say a A6 Avant or older E Klasse, accepting that a fried autobox would likely mean taking it to the bridge / trying to sell 'SPEARS OR REPAAR" and dealing with eBay mouthbreathers.

 

Appreciate the point regarding fragging a £400 high miler, but I'm thinking up to two bags potentially; not so easy to accept chucking it in the bin if it all goes wrong.

[worldofceri]

I am not sure why but I have always been wary of small cars with small engines and high mileages as my brain thinks that they have been worked much more if they are getting thrashed up and down a motorway like their larger counterparts. The same goes for the rest of the car as my thinking says that small cars are generally built  for school runs and trips to the shops etc not constant use racking up a squzzillion miles. Parts will be built to take bumps/bashes into kerbs etc but not 6hrs of constant use up the m1. 

 

I dunno.  In the 80s and 90s my Dad had three Renault 5s from new.  A 1.0l, a 1.1l and a 1.4l.  The first two did around 120000 miles in about six years and the last one had about 160000 after ten years in his and my hands.

 

Nothing really major went wrong on any of them, although they did like to nom halfshafts as I recall, plus balljoints, tre's etc.

[beko1987]

Does there come a point where high mileage becomes an attractive novelty? A car reviewer/blogger in the USA recently bought a Lexus LS400 partly because it's the same colour/spec etc as his first car and largely because it's got a smidge over 900k miles on the clock.

 

I use my 271,420 as a talking point. Usuall when people in the office/family are moaning that their shitbox is nearing 80k and they should probably get rid of it before it falls apart etc the usual

 

Infact we had a survey around the office a few weeks back for the car parking spaces, and apparently I have the highest mileage car by a fair margin (I even bought the paperwork in to prove that the mileometer wasnt fucked), and the 2nd oldest (some chap in IT has an L reg hi-ace camper van that's a few months older than mine. I let him off though cos he sits in it at lunchtime and has a cup of tea and a fag which is exactly what I would do if I owned one of those)

 

I didnt get a prize though so fuck them

[sierraman]

If your car gets close to a Hundred Thousand miles, it will explode on you. It will also be worthless and people WILL think you are poor. FACT.

[sierraman]

Joking aside I love the grimace on people's faces when you tell them you've bought a new car with 120,000 on the clock.

[cms206]

Mine are on 68k (340DL), 136k (940 Turbo), 153k (Council Estate), 166k (Cavalier. Would be on about 220k now had it not jettisoned it's steering rack) and about 300k (Sigmund Cox 740, possibly). Oddly enough the megamile 740 is by far the best of my three estates.

[overrun]

When selling a high mileage, but looked after motor, you just need the right buyer. Someone who knows how to get the most for their money.

 

I am selling my '01 Yamaha Waverunner, in the spring/summer.

It has done around 182 hours, which is a shit-load.

 

However, it has also had barrels and pistons, carbs and jet pump rebuilt, new starter and stator etc. A full strip down and respray, with new vinyls and bump strips, mats etc. So has no chunks out the bottom of the hull etc which is unheard of at this age and hours.

 

By their very nature, these things are highly strung, ao rebuilds are inevtiable, if you use them. If you don't they hate it and seize up etc.

 

So, any sane buyer, would go for the high hours one with service history, that also happens to look like it was just built yesterday.

 

But will they?

[JohnK]

Mileage is immaterial I think.

 

The XJ6 my dad is getting has 162k on the clock and a buyer turned away because the miles were too high. It's a £500 motor for fucks sake. My dad only does about 5k/yr so it's not as though he's gonna rack it over 200k anytime soon.

 

My 740 has 250k on the clock and drives spot on with a shed load of history and work over the years. It had the same owner for 20 of it's 26 years on the road.

 

My Transit is also on 250k and runs and drives spot on and has hardly any history with it.

 

I've had low mileage cars that have been total sheds and run like a bag of nails.

 

To the uneducated though it's a big deal I guess.

[xtriple]

Once upon a time I had a Sierra. It was fookin' gopping and I was DESPERATE to get out of it. Note that this was during one of my 'poor' periods (student/single parent) and I would have done just about anything to get shot of it.

 

I'd acquired it in a trade for an old Datsun 280ZX auto that looked lovely but was hanging underneath (blind/postal MOT I think) so it didn't really stand me at a lot, but... It was quite a newish one and looked nice but under the bonnet the truth was visible as there was LOTS of filler in the wing returns... and just about everywhere else. No idea how it had got so bad so early.

 

Anyway, I managed to talk a bloke into possibly swapping for a BMW 635 in black, we just had to have a look at them. I went and the BM was cracking, straight as a die and dent/rust free. Alarms were ringing in my head 'cos the 635 was worth loads more than the Sierra... It had done 286 thousand miles, that was the catch!

 

I bailed as a Fooked Sierra is one thing but a leggy BMW that is not noted for cheap parts anyway was not going to be any easier to sell.

 

 

 

Side note.

 

The guy selling the Beemer was a scally from Liverpool - proper wide boy and I got to know him quite well (sold him an XJ6 and an old Merc one drizzly afternoon when he was well pissed/stoned) and he wanted my cat - furry kind - as it was pure white. I'd been given a white cat who was deaf as a post (as they often are) because the owners were worried that she'd get splattered as her one apparent hobby, was sitting at the kerb edge watching the traffic! Anyway, she was about 6 months old and cute so she came to live with us at the barn. Didn't know she was already up the duff!

 

The kittens she had were lovely and also pure white.... and deaf.

 

Liverpool scally turned up one day to look at a heap I was flogging and went home £500 lighter with a white male kitten in his car.  I'd given the rest away!